Inside a beautiful renovated Georgian farmhouse in Northamptonshire
With a background in architectural history, it seems fitting that Kate Judge should live in a property with a long and interesting past. Once a rectory and home to prolific gothic revival architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, who designed the Albert Memorial, Beeches House in Wappenham, Northamptonshire, it was demoted to farmhouse after a new vicarage was built in the village.
Kate and her husband Alastair were attracted to the history and the stone facade of this three-storey, five-bedroom Georgian property, which came with a series of adjoining agricultural outbuildings. ‘Historic houses absorb the essence of lives lived in them,’ Kate says. ‘It creates a specific atmosphere that you just can’t replicate.’
The couple have completed several renovations in the 12 years since they moved from Ripon, North Yorkshire, to be closer to family. Their largest and most recent project, however, involved converting their barn to include a bigger kitchen, hallway and boot room. ‘Because it’s a listed building that dates back to the 1800s, it took a while to get the consent we needed to go ahead with the work. With such strict rules in place, we had to meticulously plan each stage, which meant we had to anticipate any setbacks.’
Over a period of five months, the couple carried out the conversion, trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible. They used paper insulation with a lime and hemp plaster, which meant there was no need for damp-proof courses, and installed low-energy LED lighting throughout.
Continuing the sustainable ethos, Kate recycled many of the original fixtures and fittings. ‘I set myself the challenge of not buying anything new. That limitation made me think more imaginatively about what we could do with the things we already had,’ she says. A cascading chandelier made from old gin and apothecary bottles unearthed from around the house and garden, and a galvanised-steel chicken carrier now used as a table demonstrate Kate’s creative re-use and recycle policy.
From the outset, Kate’s vision involved updating and modernising while honouring the property’s past. ‘The layout has been retained in the three sections it originally featured. We haven’t added new openings or repointed any of the walls and have kept the patchwork of mortar that tells the story of the generations of farmers who lived here before us.’
A console table in the hallway is made from an oak lintel with legs and uprights of the old hay manger. ‘After seeing Jason Lane on television with Kevin McCloud, we commissioned him to make sculptures from pieces of agricultural metalwork we’d found.’ On the wall above the console, Kate displays an eclectic selection of keys, pebbles gathered from a local beach and a silver wall clock.
For the couple and their children Cece and Ben, the open-plan barn is now the perfect place to spend time as a family. In the kitchen, a large table reflects the traditional farmhouse aesthetic, while a wooden bench and an assortment of stools provide ample seating. ‘We use it every day for cooking, eating, working and just being together,’ she says. ‘On wet days, the children have had games of balloon badminton over the tie beams!’
The Judges are keen hosts too and had no problem seating 34 guests at a recent gathering. ‘It’s wonderful in the evenings with the bare stonework dramatically lit up,’ Kate says. With flagstones in the kitchen and concrete flooring in the hall, underfloor heating and an Aga are invaluable sources of heat.
Over in the main house, a large bay window in the living room, dressed in taupe curtains, helps to create a light and airy space. ‘I love the original yellow tiles in this room,’ says Kate. ‘They actually date back to the 17th century when the property was built.' Scandi-style armchairs are perfectly positioned in front of a woodburner, while
a metallic black floor lamp brings a contrasting sense of modernity. Upstairs, the bathroom is the epitome of relaxation with a deep rolltop tub standing centre stage on elm floorboards.
The utility room on the ground floor provides further examples of Kate’s philosophy to ‘work with a building rather than impose your opinions on it’. Hungarian grainsacks from Parna have been repurposed to make cabinet curtains, hiding the boiler and other pieces that aren’t in constant use. ‘They’re a nod to the house’s agricultural history and seem to be the addition that our visitors love most,’ says Kate. A vintage butler’s sink sits in front of the splashback made from an old draining board, while a typographic print contrasts to the more utilitarian visual.
Kate is absolutely thrilled with the outcome of her renovations. ‘It’s been a wonderful experience,’ she says. ‘Through the work, we have added our own chapter – another layer – to the building’s history, hopefully without erasing the story that has gone before it.’
See Kate’s work at katejudge.co.uk.
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