Historic blend

Architecture spans the centuries in this grade II listed house, which had created a dysfunctional layout before Mark Camillin and Liam Denny resolved the problems by reconfiguring the floorplan and adding a multi-storey extension

WORDS JANE CRITTENDEN

Grade II listed and built in the 1780s, this Hampshire home was a labour of love for new owners Mark Camillin and Liam Denny.

PHOTOS RICHARD DOWNER

When architects Mark Camillin and his partner Liam Denny saw this four-bedroom grade II listed house in Hampshire, they knew the property was in the right location, but they didn’t immediately feel a connection to it. The 1780s house was built onto a slope and had been extended and refurbished multiple times over the centuries, resulting in a collection of small dark rooms on different levels.

The couple, who run architectural practice, Camillin Denny Design, weren’t 100% sure that they wanted to take the project on. “Then we walked out the back door and saw a magical orchard of beautiful old apple trees and the dramatic hill rising up behind,” says Mark. At that moment, we knew this was the house for us.”

The couple originally lived in Brighton but had relocated to Devon some years ago, where they built their own home. However, they found the realities of escaping city life and being self-sufficient had its downsides. “We loved the countryside and our house but we felt cut-off – our nearest town was a 20-minute drive away,” says Mark. “We missed London and easy access to the theatre and galleries. Friends suggested we focus our search around this pretty English village in Hampshire as it’s only an hour on the train to the city.”

The renovation has been sensitively designed and carried out, making the most of the property’s historical character and blending this with charming modern elements

Surprisingly, the couple found the property quite quickly. “It had been cheaply refurbished and didn’t meet our tick list except for the glorious outside space,” says Mark. “We couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to live in the beautiful setting, within reach of London, and decided to find a coherent solution to the jumbled layout.”