What could have been a barn conversion project evolved into a knock down and self build, offering Deirdre and David Rook the beautiful oak frame home they’d long dreamt of

WORDS EMILY SMITH 

PHOTOS OAKWRIGHTS

Deirdre and David Rook had lived in their family home (known as Lea Farm) since 1986, which was a large equestrian site in rural Surrey. In late 2009 their retiring neighbour was looking to sell the adjacent six-acre smallholding that land-banked their property. Called Longlees, the couple wanted to ensure it didn’t fall into the hands of someone that would dramatically change its landscape, so they bought it. Initially, this was a purchase purely based on protecting their land, which had just acquired a change of use from equestrian to residential to build out four large homes, but fast forward 12 years and Longlees now hosts the dream oak frame dwelling that the Rooks had always wanted to build.

Since 2009, the neighbouring plot sat mostly unused whilst the four new homes at Lea Farm were built – a farmhouse dwelling for the Rooks (which they moved into in 2012) and three barn-style plots, which were sold to a developer to build and sell on. Deirdre and David had previously tackled a few small renovations and loft conversions, but nothing on this scale, so it was a huge project to oversee the build of their farmhouse, and they gained good experience.

Once settled into their new property, Deirdre hankered after the idea of building with oak – something that unfortunately didn’t happen with the four homes on Lea Farm. As the original designer had not been retained for the three barn-style houses, the plans had been modified by the incoming architect. Since the builds were sold on to the developer to take forward, the couple had no influence on the final design.

In 2015, when their daughter Jennifer returned to competitive horseriding, the Rooks had the idea of building a new high-end stables, menage and horse walker at Longlees. Deirdre wondered whether an oak frame house could be placed on the site, too, maybe sometime in the future. But for now, she kicked things off on the plot by styling the equestrian buildings with a beautiful oak look, which Deirdre refers to as phase one of the overall project.

Phase two

Alongside the site of the new equestrian building sat an agricultural steel barn. “I read in the Country Land and Business Association newsletter that it was now possible to convert agricultural barns into residential buildings without the need for a formal development planning permission,” says Deirdre. This can be achieved via a prior approval procedure, under permitted development (PD) rights. The set criteria is clear and your building either passes or fails the requirement (for more information about what is allowed under PD, go to www.self-build.co.uk/permitted-development).