{"id":23676,"date":"2025-04-03T16:20:51","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T15:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/?p=23676"},"modified":"2025-04-03T16:26:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T15:26:21","slug":"renovated-17th-century-shropshire-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/renovate\/renovated-17th-century-shropshire-home\/","title":{"rendered":"The best of ancient and modern: renovating a 17th century Shropshire home"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The story we often hear about heat-pumps is that they work in well insulated modern homes but aren\u2019t so good in older houses.<\/p>\n<p>Well, Professor Nick Cowern and Margaret Martin beg to differ, and they&#8217;re keen to tell heat-pump sceptics all about how their beautiful 17th century Shropshire home is kept toasty warm by their new air-source heat-pump.<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s just one element of a labour-of-love restoration journey that has seen them get to grips with a whole host of sustainable building materials, old and new&#8230;<\/p><div class=\"gdmag-content\" id=\"gdmag-2045636235\" data-cfpa=\"20295\" data-cfpw=\"20295\"><div class=\"gdmag-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div class=\"GRVMpuWrapper mobile\"><div class=\"GRVAd inline mobile\" data-ad-type=\"primary-mpu\" data-ad-label=\"mpu\" data-ad-sizemapping=\"primary-mpu\" data-ad-sizes=\"[[300,250],[300,600],[320,480]]\" data-ad-refreshmapping=\"always\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">;new advadsCfpAd( 20295 );<\/script>\n<div id=\"attachment_23685\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23685\" class=\"wp-image-23685 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2002-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Couple sitting in front of a fire in an inglenook fireplace \" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2002-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2002-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2002-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2002-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2002-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2002-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2002.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23685\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Margaret and Nick in front of their inglenook fireplace<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Nick and Margaret bought their four-bed, 220m<sup>2<\/sup> ancient farmhouse in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>&gt;According to its Grade-II listing, it dates from the 17th Century, though the couple believe parts could be older still.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23682\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23682\" class=\"wp-image-23682 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1902-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"The panelled entrance hall containing many pictures and an alcove\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1902-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1902-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1902-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1902-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1902-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1902-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1902.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23682\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The panelled entrance hall contains an alcove that may have originally been a wig cupboard. The etchings and pastel portrait are by Nick&#8217;s late father, artist RT Cowern RA<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The oldest part of the house is timber-framed, with a lovely inglenook fireplace and huge, wonderful beams that look as if they have been reused.<\/p>\n<p>Margaret says, \u201cI think a lot of the timbers came from ships.\u201d<\/p><div class=\"gdmag-content-2\" id=\"gdmag-859537507\" data-cfpa=\"19928\" data-cfpw=\"19928\"><div class=\"gdmag-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><!-- code from Primis - granddesignsmagazine.com -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" language=\"javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/live.primis.tech\/live\/liveView.php?s=116493&schain=1.0,1!grv.media,65,1\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- code from Primis --><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">;new advadsCfpAd( 19928 );<\/script>\n<p>The slightly later, stone-built end of the house is three storeys tall, with a cellar.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout, there are all the characterful features you could wish for, including wonderful wood panelling reputed to have come from the village church, plus, some tasteful modern additions such as oak French doors, and a balcony off the master bedroom.<\/p>\n<h2>Shropshire Hills<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23699\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23699\" class=\"wp-image-23699 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/53023299848_7d47a2abd9_k-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Beautiful Shropshire countryside\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/53023299848_7d47a2abd9_k-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/53023299848_7d47a2abd9_k-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/53023299848_7d47a2abd9_k-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/53023299848_7d47a2abd9_k-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/53023299848_7d47a2abd9_k-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/53023299848_7d47a2abd9_k-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/53023299848_7d47a2abd9_k.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23699\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The couple live in a remote corner of beautiful Shropshire Image credit: Jeanne Menjoulet under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Creative Commons<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>The house lies a few miles north west of Ludlow, in a deeply rural area amid the rolling Shropshire Hills, just near the Welsh border.<\/p>\n<p>Poet A E Housman, famous for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.housman-society.co.uk\/a-shropshire-lad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Shropshire Lad<\/a>, wrote another poem about this beautiful part of the world that begins with the lines:<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018Clunton and Clunbury,<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Clungunford and Clun,<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Are the quietest places<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Under the sun.\u2019<\/em><\/p><div class=\"gdmag-prop-primary-mpu\" id=\"gdmag-1140748531\" data-cfpa=\"20294\" data-cfpw=\"20294\"><div class=\"gdmag-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div class=\"GRVMpuWrapper\"><div class=\"GRVAd inline\" data-ad-type=\"mpu\" data-ad-sizes=\"[[300,250]]\" data-ad-refreshmapping=\"always\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">;new advadsCfpAd( 20294 );<\/script>\n<h2>New life in Shropshire<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23680\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23680\" class=\"wp-image-23680 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1804-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Nick and Margaret's newly renovated house\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1804-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1804-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1804-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1804-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1804-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1804-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1804.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23680\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The old house looks wonderful after its renovation<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Nick and Margaret moved to this bucolic spot from North Yorkshire where they both lived to begin a new life together as a couple.<\/p>\n<p>Margaret, who had done many things during a varied career, from conference interpreting to management consultancy, had sadly lost her husband.<\/p>\n<p>She then met retired physics professor Nick, whose family had connections in Shropshire and a great love for the area.<\/p>\n<p>Deciding it was time for a new start in a new place, they considered various options for their relocation before settling on Shropshire.<\/p><div class=\"gdmag-prop-in-content-mpu\" id=\"gdmag-781263319\" data-cfpa=\"20294\" data-cfpw=\"20294\"><div class=\"gdmag-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div class=\"GRVMpuWrapper\"><div class=\"GRVAd inline\" data-ad-type=\"mpu\" data-ad-sizes=\"[[300,250]]\" data-ad-refreshmapping=\"always\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">;new advadsCfpAd( 20294 );<\/script>\n<p>\u201cWe looked for ages and couldn\u2019t find what we wanted and then we found this place.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We wanted a large garden, and we wanted to be in a village.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And this has it all. We bought it, knowing that we&#8217;d have to do a lot of work, because we were just in love with it,\u201d Margaret says.<\/p>\n<h2>Ancient house<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23679\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23679\" class=\"wp-image-23679 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1799-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"The rear of Nick and Margaret's house\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1799-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1799-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1799-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1799-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1799-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1799-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1799.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23679\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The master bedroom has a balcony overlooking the garden<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Nick says, \u201cWe don\u2019t know quite when it was built. Various clues lead us to think the oldest parts could even have been built in the 1500s.<\/p><div class=\"gdmag-prop-in-content-mpu-2\" id=\"gdmag-3221632353\" data-cfpa=\"20294\" data-cfpw=\"20294\"><div class=\"gdmag-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div class=\"GRVMpuWrapper\"><div class=\"GRVAd inline\" data-ad-type=\"mpu\" data-ad-sizes=\"[[300,250]]\" data-ad-refreshmapping=\"always\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">;new advadsCfpAd( 20294 );<\/script>\n<p>&#8220;The wood panelling is reputed to have come from the church at the time of Oliver Cromwell in the mid 17th Century.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But the way it is installed suggests the house was already quite old and sagging a bit at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Sustainable lifestyle<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23681\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23681\" class=\"wp-image-23681 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1893-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"The dining room in Nick and Margaret's 17th Century house\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1893-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1893-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1893-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1893-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1893-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1893-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1893.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23681\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The dining room with its oak table is in the house&#8217;s former dairy \u2013 one of the new, flat-panelled radiators sits behind the table and chairs<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The couple are passionate environmentalists, and were determined that whatever work they undertook on the house should be done using sustainable materials and would reduce their energy use.<\/p>\n<p>When they moved in, the house had oil-fired central heating, but with a limited number of radiators that only reached part of the house.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe hadn\u2019t spotted how few there were when we looked round,\u201d says Margaret.<\/p><div class=\"gdmag-prop-in-content-mpu-3\" id=\"gdmag-1850883421\" data-cfpa=\"20294\" data-cfpw=\"20294\"><div class=\"gdmag-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div class=\"GRVMpuWrapper\"><div class=\"GRVAd inline\" data-ad-type=\"mpu\" data-ad-sizes=\"[[300,250]]\" data-ad-refreshmapping=\"always\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">;new advadsCfpAd( 20294 );<\/script>\n<p>\u201cThere was no heating in the kitchen or either bathroom. I nearly froze that first winter.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Structural repairs<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23678\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23678\" class=\"wp-image-23678 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1792-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"The kitchen in Nick and Margaret's house\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1792-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1792-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1792-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1792-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1792-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1792-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1792.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23678\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The couple have left the kitchen unchanged apart from the addition of a new radiator<\/p><\/div>\n<p>But before they could think about any eco retrofits, the couple had work to do on the fabric of the building.<\/p>\n<p>Cement render applied in the 1960s had wreaked havoc on the building\u2019s stone walls.<\/p>\n<p>Nick says, \u201cOne of the walls of the house was leaning outwards, the window was bowing right out.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We thought, &#8216;Well, this doesn&#8217;t look terribly safe, but it&#8217;s probably been like that for hundreds of years.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We did think we&#8217;d better investigate though. And that was the start of it\u2026<\/p><div class=\"gdmag-prop-in-content-mpu-4\" id=\"gdmag-2052134400\" data-cfpa=\"20294\" data-cfpw=\"20294\"><div class=\"gdmag-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div class=\"GRVMpuWrapper\"><div class=\"GRVAd inline\" data-ad-type=\"mpu\" data-ad-sizes=\"[[300,250]]\" data-ad-refreshmapping=\"always\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">;new advadsCfpAd( 20294 );<\/script>\n<p>\u201cThe walls in the stone-built part of the house are about 60cm thick with a rubble core.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But once we knocked a hole in one, this \u2018stuff\u2019 just slid out.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Earth mortar<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23770\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23770\" class=\"wp-image-23770 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230824-WA0004-1-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a wall containing earth mortar\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230824-WA0004-1-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230824-WA0004-1-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230824-WA0004-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230824-WA0004-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230824-WA0004-1-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230824-WA0004-1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230824-WA0004-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23770\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The problematic earth mortar<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The \u2018stuff \u2018was earth mortar \u2013 local subsoil used to infill between rocks in the core of walls \u2013 a very common material in centuries past because it was easy and cheap to use.<\/p>\n<p>Found, for example, in many ancient churches, its strength depended on the underlying geology.<\/p>\n<p>Some types of soil made stronger mortar than others, with clay soils, in particular, making good mortar &#8211; but it also relies on the outside of the walls being protected with weatherproof lime mortar.<\/p>\n<p>Earth mortars can perform well for centuries, but, if a wall containing earth gets waterlogged \u2013 perhaps because of a broken gutter, say, or because, as in this case, it has been covered with a non-breathable cement render that subsequently cracks, trapping water inside the wall \u2013 then serious problems can arise.<\/p>\n<p>The earth and water form a liquid mud that runs out from between the stones, leaving what is, in effect, a dry-stone wall.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23687\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23687\" class=\"wp-image-23687 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0002-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Inside the damaged stone wall of the house\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0002-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0002-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0002-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0002-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0002-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0002-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0002.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23687\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inside the damaged stone wall of the house before it was repaired<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Because it is usually hidden away inside walls, awareness of earth mortar is low, but there is increasing understanding of its value as a low-carbon building material.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a useful guide to looking after and repairing buildings with clay mortars on the <a href=\"https:\/\/static1.squarespace.com\/static\/6461e804be02d26688a192c7\/t\/6550c774a5ddcc3e227cb2c2\/1699792758327\/guide+to+clay+mortars+for+masonry+buildings.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earth Building UK website<\/a> &#8211; and there\u2019s some great research on the topic in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arc-architects.com\/portfolio-2\/project-one-625lb-c4dtr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scottish context here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Repairing the walls<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23689\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23689\" class=\"wp-image-23689 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0006-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"The house covered in scaffolding \" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0006-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0006-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0006-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0006-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0006-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0006-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0006.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23689\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">All the old cement render had to be removed from the stone walls<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cPutting it right was a big job, says Nick. \u201cBy asking around locally we found some good <a href=\"https:\/\/pavbuildingrestorations.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">conservation builders called PAV<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Leo Vince and his team had to take off the cement that had caused the problems, put in new lintels, and stabilise the walls using traditional fat lime mortar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Margaret adds, \u201cWe found all kinds of things in the old mortar, like acorns, hazelnuts, and horsehair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nick continues, \u201cWe replaced the cement render with a thermally insulating, breathable, lime-based eco plaster called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diasen.com\/en\/thermal-and-acoustic-insulation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Diathonite<\/a> that has cork in it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The breathable finishing layer that goes on top comes in a range of colours and doesn\u2019t require painting.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Nick adds, \u201cThe Council\u2019s Historic Environment Officer wasn\u2019t sure about the Diathonite to start with, but now they are going to keep an eye on how it performs, with a view to recommending it for other period buildings.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Timber frame<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23702\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23702\" class=\"wp-image-23702 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1917-700x449.jpg\" alt=\"The music room in Nick and Margaret's house with grand piano and wood panelling\" width=\"700\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1917-700x449.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1917-250x160.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1917-768x493.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1917-1536x986.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1917-120x77.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1917-1200x770.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1917.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23702\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The music room contains panelling thought to have been rescued from St Swithin&#8217;s Church. The couple restored the original oak floor<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As well as the stone-built section of the house, part is timber-framed with brick infill.<\/p>\n<p>Nick explains, \u201cBetween the timbers originally would have been vertical staves and lath.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Laths were introduced as a replacement for wattle and daub.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Thin wooden laths were woven between wooden staves to make thin, rigid panels which are then covered with lime plaster.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Some of this is still visible in our cellar. But, in most of the external walls, the wood has decayed and been replaced by bricks.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The walls are just one brick thick though \u2013 so not great in terms of thermal insulation.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Hemp plaster<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23703\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23703\" class=\"wp-image-23703 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2CFB89B4-7F87-4415-9CE2-03160634D6F1-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"The master bedroom at Nick and Margaret's house\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2CFB89B4-7F87-4415-9CE2-03160634D6F1-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2CFB89B4-7F87-4415-9CE2-03160634D6F1-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2CFB89B4-7F87-4415-9CE2-03160634D6F1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2CFB89B4-7F87-4415-9CE2-03160634D6F1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2CFB89B4-7F87-4415-9CE2-03160634D6F1-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2CFB89B4-7F87-4415-9CE2-03160634D6F1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2CFB89B4-7F87-4415-9CE2-03160634D6F1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23703\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The master bedroom has views over the hills and their large garden<\/p><\/div>\n<p>They plastered these walls with lime hemp plaster to improve the insulation and filled gaps and cracks in the timbers using a traditional, natural \u2018filler\u2019 called oakum.<\/p>\n<p>This is rope made from flax that is impregnated with pine tar (also known as Stockholm tar).<\/p>\n<p>Smaller gaps were filled with a traditional sheep wool, sand and lime mix.<\/p>\n<p>Then the timber frame was finished with lime wash to preserve the timbers and keep the wall breathable but watertight.<\/p>\n<h2>Secondary glazing<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23684\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23684\" class=\"wp-image-23684 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1980-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"A window at Nick and Margaret's house with new secondary glazing \" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1980-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1980-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1980-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1980-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1980-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1980-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1980.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23684\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Little toggles allow the new secondary glazing to be opened<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Something else that really helps prevent heat loss in the house is new secondary glazing.<\/p>\n<p>Margaret says, \u201cThere was some not-very-nice secondary glazing here.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But we asked an architect friend, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.overtonarchitects.co.uk\/\">Mike Overton<\/a>, to design and make something better for us and what he came up with is so good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nick says, \u201cWe wanted something with a minimal, slimline look to maximise the light and keep the focus on the historic windows.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Mike&#8217;s design incorporates krypton-filled double-glazing units set into slim Accoya wood frames with bubble seals to securely close the gap to the primary windows.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s fully sealed and double glazed, with very low thermal losses.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In fact, it acts similarly to triple glazing, and keeps the house warm and cosy, while minimising running costs.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Heat-pump<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23701\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23701\" class=\"wp-image-23701 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1823-2-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Heat pump at Nick and Margaret house\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1823-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1823-2-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1823-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1823-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1823-2-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1823-2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1823-2.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23701\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The outdoor unit of the new heat-pump tucks neatly into a corner at the back of the house where the old boiler house once stood<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Once the structural issues had been resolved, Nick and Margaret updated the electrics, then it was time to tackle the heating.<\/p>\n<p>They went for a heat-pump because they were determined to choose a sustainable solution, but also because the large temperature changes as a result of the old boiler\u2019s frequent hot-cold cycling were putting stress on the building\u2019s antique wood panelling, timbers, and furniture.<\/p>\n<p>As a professional physicist, Nick was able to carry out his own heat-loss calculations based on wall temperature measurements using a thermal-imaging camera.<\/p>\n<p>He also used an endoscope to look inside the internal structures of the old walls.<\/p>\n<p>He says, \u201cThe measurements worked out pretty well.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I calculated the heat loss was 10kW, and in fact it was 8kW.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Interestingly, this is about half the heat loss that standard building U-value tables would have predicted.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Installation<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23700\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23700\" class=\"wp-image-23700 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1854-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Heat-pump installer Josh Stead\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1854-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1854-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1854-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1854-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1854-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1854-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1854.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23700\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heat-pump installer Josh Stead went the extra mile to follow the rules for a listed property<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The heat-pump was installed by local engineer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JTSteadHeatingAndEnergyLtd\/\">Josh Stead<\/a>, who recommended a 16kW <a href=\"https:\/\/www.viessmann.co.uk\/en\/products\/heat-pump\/vitocal-150a.html\">Viessmann Vitocal 150-A air-source heat-pump<\/a> with weather compensation and 250-litre hot-water cylinder.<\/p>\n<p>A compact, quiet model designed for renovation projects, the 150-A uses propane (R290) as its refrigerant, which has a low global warming potential (GWP).<\/p>\n<p>Josh explains, \u201cI like to fit heat-pumps from manufacturers with a heating background, as opposed to air conditioning, as I find they perform better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The house\u2019s listed status meant heating equipment and pipe runs had to be placed out of sight, and everything had to be done without lifting original floorboards or cutting through old beams.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJosh had to do a lot of clever pipework in tight spaces,\u201d recalls Nick.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere isn\u2019t much of a gap in the loft between the chimney and the walls of the house, so he had to scramble up and squeeze into small spaces for quite a long time to do the soldering.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One extra pipe was installed in the loft to provide extra flow capacity to the radiators on the top floor.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23690\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23690\" class=\"wp-image-23690 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0007-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Three men moving an old oil tank\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0007-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0007-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0007-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0007-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0007-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0007-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0007.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23690\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Removing the old oil tank with the help of some neighbours<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The heat-pump\u2019s outdoor unit sits in the footprint of the demolished boiler house, where it is largely invisible from outside the property, and from most of the garden.<\/p>\n<p>The small indoor unit, pipework, filters, and the hot-water tank, are in wardrobe space next to the airing cupboard, which Nick and Margaret are now fitting out as a new walk-in wardrobe.<\/p>\n<h2>Radiators<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23677\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23677\" class=\"wp-image-23677 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/92124223-80B8-4386-A413-FD3933A1CE11-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"The refurbished bathroom in Nick and Margaret's house\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/92124223-80B8-4386-A413-FD3933A1CE11-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/92124223-80B8-4386-A413-FD3933A1CE11-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/92124223-80B8-4386-A413-FD3933A1CE11-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/92124223-80B8-4386-A413-FD3933A1CE11-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/92124223-80B8-4386-A413-FD3933A1CE11-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/92124223-80B8-4386-A413-FD3933A1CE11-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/92124223-80B8-4386-A413-FD3933A1CE11.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23677\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The mirror in the refurbished bathroom was positioned to give the illusion of the hidden end of the newly exposed roof truss<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A grand total of 23 radiators were needed to heat the house: nine in new locations and 12 higher-output replacements for old models.<\/p>\n<p>Two existing radiators were reconditioned and reused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got some neat little fan-assisted radiators to give good heat output where there is limited space, like in the kitchen,\u201d says Margaret.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd some of the nice, flat-fronted modern ones.\u201d At -4\u00b0C outside, the system flow runs at 35-40\u00b0C.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23767\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23767\" class=\"wp-image-23767 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250115_091501-1-700x491.jpg\" alt=\"A fan radiator\" width=\"700\" height=\"491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250115_091501-1-700x491.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250115_091501-1-250x175.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250115_091501-1-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250115_091501-1-1536x1077.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250115_091501-1-120x84.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250115_091501-1-1200x841.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250115_091501-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23767\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">One of the new fan radiators<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Good COP<\/h2>\n<p>Nick says, \u201cThe heat-pump is working really well.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We\u2019ve managed to get a coefficient of performance (COP) of about 5 out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The coefficient of performance is a measure of how efficiently a heat-pump is working: a COP of 5 means the heat-pump is generating five times as much energy as it is using.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For the first six months after the system was installed in July 2024, its performance data was uploaded remotely to the online heat-pump \u2018charts\u2019 at <a href=\"http:\/\/heatpumpmonitor.org\/?period=last90&amp;minDays=72.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OpenEnergyMonitor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The system averaged a COP of 5.3, beating nearly all the other air-source heat-pumps on the site.<\/p>\n<p>Nick says, \u201cWe\u2019re very proud of that. It\u2019s a remarkable result for a recently installed heat-pump in such an old building.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Green fingers<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_23692\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23692\" class=\"wp-image-23692 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0009-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"A garden bed with mulch and some new plants\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0009-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0009-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0009-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0009-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0009-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0009-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0009.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23692\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beginning the new vegetable garden<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The house came with a cottage, and a range of outbuildings including pigsties, a 17th Bentury barn and a bakehouse \u2013 complete with oven, original peel and huge bowl for kneading dough \u2013 plus a large garden.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23771\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23771\" class=\"wp-image-23771 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230530-WA0001-2-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Nick picking lettuce\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230530-WA0001-2-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230530-WA0001-2-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230530-WA0001-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230530-WA0001-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230530-WA0001-2-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230530-WA0001-2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20230530-WA0001-2.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23771\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The couple love eating their own organic produce<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The couple are enthusiastic gardeners and are pursuing an organic and regenerative, no-digging approach for their fruit and veg.<\/p>\n<p>Nick says, \u201cWe chopped down some 7m leylandii that were blocking the light for our neighbours, and replaced them with a beech hedge.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That meant we had a lot of woodchips to use as garden pathways and rot down as mulch.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe soil was fairly sterile before, but now it\u2019s full of worms and a whole range of insects, and that\u2019s attracting so many birds and other wildlife like hedgehogs.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Red kites fly over frequently looking for prey\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23691\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23691\" class=\"wp-image-23691 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0008-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Crocuses and aconites in the garden at the Shropshire house\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0008-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0008-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0008-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0008-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0008-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0008-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG-20250209-WA0008.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23691\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The garden with its spring carpet of crocuses and aconites was one of the big attractions of the house<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Log fires<\/h2>\n<p>Margaret admits, \u201cThe house is lovely and warm now.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We do still have the odd log fire sometimes even though we don\u2019t need them, just because they are so lovely in the inglenook fireplace \u2013 and, after all, we have got 33 leylandii to get rid of\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23683\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23683\" class=\"wp-image-23683 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1966-700x525.jpg\" alt=\"Outbuildings at the property\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1966-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1966-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1966-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1966-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1966-120x90.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1966-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1966.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23683\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The house came with a range of outbuildings including a barn containing a cider press, a bakehouse, cottage and pigsties<\/p><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/renovate\/convert\/barn-conversions-everything-you-need-about-class-q-conversions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barn conversions: everything you need about Class Q conversions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/grand-designs-houses\/grand-designs-devon-barn-conversion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revisiting the Devon eco barn 20 years on<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/interior-design\/tonwell-tower\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ultra hip 1960s holiday home in the sky<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The story we often hear about heat-pumps is that they work in well insulated modern homes but aren\u2019t so good in older houses. Well, Professor Nick Cowern and Margaret Martin beg to differ, and they&#8217;re keen to tell heat-pump sceptics all about how their beautiful 17th century Shropshire home is kept toasty warm by their&#8230; <a class=\"view-article\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/renovate\/renovated-17th-century-shropshire-home\/\">View Article<\/a>","protected":false},"author":10663,"featured_media":23698,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-renovate"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v26.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The best of ancient and modern: renovating a 17th century Shropshire home - Grand Designs Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nick Cowern and his partner Margaret Martin want the world to know that heat-pumps work well \u2013 even in houses built 400 years ago\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/renovate\/renovated-17th-century-shropshire-home\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The best of ancient and modern: renovating a 17th century Shropshire home\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nick Cowern and his partner Margaret Martin want the world to know that heat-pumps work well \u2013 even in houses built 400 years ago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/renovate\/renovated-17th-century-shropshire-home\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Grand Designs Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GrandDesigns\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-03T15:20:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-03T15:26:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_1797-700x525.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"525\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mary Richards\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@granddesigns\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@granddesigns\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mary Richards\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/renovate\/renovated-17th-century-shropshire-home\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.granddesignsmagazine.com\/renovate\/renovated-17th-century-shropshire-home\/\",\"name\":\"The best of ancient and modern: renovating a 17th century Shropshire home - 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