Conversion of a Listed Stone Barn

Stone Barn Conversion

Despite being listed and in a Conservation Area, large amounts of contemporary glazing have been added to bring light into the interior of this barn. Local planners were keen to see the building converted to residential use to save it from ruin, allowing the chance to create a unique home within the historic stone shell.

For Iain Townley, the thought of undertaking a barn conversion project hadn’t even crossed his mind when he and wife Helen bought a well-run sprawling hill farm in Macclesfield back in 1999, which included an old three storey farmhouse, 67 acres of land and several outbuildings.

At the time Iain was farming nearby land, and when the farm came on the market the opportunity for a project immediately appealed to Iain’s love of building.

Originally the couple bought the property with the intention of living in the existing Grade II-listed farmhouse, however, after a couple of years realised that they simply didn’t need all the space that the three storey, six bedroom property offered them, and so in 2009 they turned their attention to the outbuildings.

Project Notes

• Build time: 3 years 10 months
• Size: 310m²
• Plot cost: £150,000
• Build cost: £450,000 (£1,451/m²)
• Location: Macclesfield
• Value: £900,000

• Iain and Helen Townley have taken on the task of changing the use of one of the large barns on their
  farm, converting it into a modern family home
• The Grade II-listed barn was on the ‘buildings at risk’ register, which meant that the conservation officers were keen to see the structure put to good use and saved from dilapidation
• Due to the poor condition of the stonework on the external walls, a new timber stud wall structure had to be built within the original structure and the exterior repointed.