A chance sighting of a pretty country house heralded Emily and Mark Evans’ move out of London and their careful restoration of this historic home
THE STORY
OWNERS Emily and Mark Evans live here with their black Labradors, Mabel and Ruby. Emily is a company director and Mark is a commercial lawyer. They have two grown-up children
PROPERTY The five-bedroom house was built in the 17th century in a village in the heart of the Cotswolds. It is Grade II listed and was the principal house for a farm that is part of a larger estate. There are five acres of grounds
WHAT THEY DID The property was rewired and replumbed and a fifth bathroom was installed. A light well was added to the hall, and the kitchen and drawing rooms were swapped around
Emily Evans and her husband Mark first spotted their 17th-century grange while on holiday in the Cotswolds in 2014. ‘It was love at first sight, but we never dreamed we would own it one day,’ recalls Emily. In 2017, however, Mark made a career decision that would enable them to relocate from London to the Cotswolds. They immediately began looking at rural properties but found nothing as captivating as the grange, so they made some enquiries to find out who owned it and if they might consider selling. Twelve months later, the couple were delighted to become its new owners.
The house and several outbuildings were originally part of a larger estate. The oldest parts of the home date back to the 17th century, with the Georgian front and its Doric porch added in 1728. ‘At one time it was used as a rectory for the neighbouring 12th-century church, so it is steeped in history,’ says Emily. The couple were passionate about preserving the history and integrity of the building and relieved to discover that, although the house was tired and required restoration in places, it was structurally sound. ‘The house had been lived in and loved by many families before us and the last thing we wanted to do was gut and modernise it. We wanted to make it a home that looked like we’d always been here,’ says Emily.
Since the house is Grade II listed, the first task was to find contractors with heritage building experience who would understand planning restrictions as well as the couple’s vision. ‘Mark is a perfectionist and thinks through every detail, so the success of the restoration was dependent on our contractors sharing those values,’ explains Emily. The couple instructed a local company, Zota Construction, and work began in 2019.
Renovations hit an early snag, though, when plans to double glaze the windows were rejected. ‘We understand why the rules are there but, without some flexibility, we will reach a point where no one can afford
