Tucked away behind stone walls, this home is a hidden surprise that celebrates a passion for art and architecture
WORDS JAYNE DOWLE PHOTOGRAPHY BEN ELLIOTT AND JILL TATE
Paul and Julie Trelease’s award-winning new-build home is characterised by enclosed courtyards and hidden spaces, features that pay tribute to its village setting of special interest. ‘The local conservation area character appraisal states that, “Middleton Tyas is not defined by large open spaces and vistas, rather by secret paths and secluded streets,’” says architect Lynsey Elliott.
Paul and Julie asked husband and wife team Lynsey and Ben Elliott to design their home on a walled plot that they bought in 2016 with outline planning permission. The site is next to the couple’s previous house, a Victorian school they converted in 2006 and continued to live in during the build, selling it after completing the project. ‘When the village’s old tennis court came up for sale, we explored the possibility of including some of our garden to increase the size of the plot,’ says Paul. As a result, the combined tennis court and garden site gave them 890sqm of land to work with.
Lynsey’s response to the conservation area appraisal exploits the concept of secrecy by retaining the original 4m-high stone boundary walls and adding to them with complementary new rubble stone structures. At the same time, retirees Paul, 65, and Julie, 63, took the opportunity to explore their interest in 20th-century art and architecture. ‘Despite there being no local precedent, we wanted a modernist aesthetic,’ says Julie.
Lynsey went through the pre-application process with Richmondshire District Council, having a series of informal conversations with the planning officers to settle crucial elements of the design before making a full application. ‘Talking to the planning and conservation team was important,’ she says. ‘It covered a lot of ground, and everything was explained in detail. A pre-app might add time to the planning process – this entire application took around 12 months. But it also provides clarity as to the requirements of a full application, whether the planners have concerns, and how likely it is to gain consent.’ An initial design for the house featured a shuttered concrete structure largely clad in sandstone, but it required a major rethink. Although concrete construction provides energy-efficient thermal mass, it comes
