A 15th-century farmhouse has been transformed into a magical family retreat whose interiors honour the vernacular architecture of the house while adding colour for the next stage of its journey
FEATURE ARABELLA MEZGER PHOTOGRAPHY JONATHAN BOND
Tucked away down an unassuming lane in a pretty Buckinghamshire village is a Grade II listed 15th-century house with beautiful Tudor brickwork, mullion windows and an idiosyncratic charm. Built by a wealthy yeoman who arrived in the village in 1560 and catalysed the needle-making industry from one of the property’s barns, it is an enchanting place. The timber-framed building and dilapidated barns were restored in the 1930s by Commander Getley who added a significant extension, but its vitality has been restored by Harriet and Ted Moynihan under the guidance of interior designer Leonora Birts.
“We had been living in Notting Hill for 10 years and had just had our third child so we were looking for a bit more space and a garden. We weren’t thinking of moving out of London but we visited some friends in the next-door village on a sunny August day and they mentioned that this house was for sale. We rather speculatively looked round and completely fell in love and decided to up sticks entirely. It was a bit serendipitous I suppose,” says Harriet.
Attracted by the history of the house and its beguiling gardens, the Moynihans moved here in 2012 with their three children – Ellie, Arthur and Thea. “I’ve always loved period buildings and history, having studied Classics at university,” explains Harriet. “The house has all these intriguing features like a late 16th-century frieze painted onto the walls of the drawing room. Records of it are kept by the Victoria and Albert Museum as it’s one of the first examples of its kind.” The family made other discoveries as they explored it, including ritual marks to ward off malevolent spirits etched above thresholds, as was typical of properties of the time. They uncovered a priest hole in one of the bedrooms, iron hooks along wonky walls, low chamfered beams and Lilliputian-sized doors, all of which add layers of character.
When the family moved in, everything was painted magnolia, to lighten up the house but it did the opposite, and with all the timber and beige, made everything feel subdued. “We wanted to make it more colourful and to add warmth and texture but weren’t quite
