Bringing a Historic Building Back to Life
When I first walked into our Grade II listed building in Bibury, the brief was clear: keep what’s good, mend what’s tired, and add only what earns its place. The goal was straightforward: a building that works beautifully, every day, without losing its character. For years, it had served as a small gift shop and the village post office. By the time we took it on, the fabric was tired and the layout needed a complete rethink. I wanted to make something for the villagers of Bibury as much as for visitors - useful, welcoming, built to last.
Front access on the village road is tight, so everything ran from the rear: every delivery, every length of steel, every bucket of spoil through our garden. It slowed us down just enough to think clearly and choose well. To form a catering kitchen and three garden terraces, we excavated about six metres from ground level to the top of the terrace - close to 1,000m3 of spoil taken uphill through restricted access. Where sensible, we crushed and reused stone on site so what we added belonged to what was already there.
The terraces sit on steel-reinforced concrete retaining walls, faced in Cotswold stone, so it sits naturally in the Bibury landscape. With no rear access, concrete was pumped by crane over the building and poured into shuttering in controlled lifts. Timing, weather and logistics had to align. Linking the levels is a cast-in-place concrete staircase: Cotswold stone to the risers, smooth stone to the treads. The staircase sweeps left and right, giving clear access to all three terraces and keeping circulation simple, even at peak times. Locally made galvanised steel railings and handrails will take on a gentle patina over time, coordinating with the custom-made galvanised tables and chairs and sitting comfortably with the fabric of the place. At the top, the upper terrace hosts Betty - our vintage, carefully restored coffee truck. She adds character and enables efficient service, inside and out.
Much of the important work is unseen. We underpinned sections of the building to protect the historic walls; introduced structural steel discreetly; redesigned services and drainage for a working hospitality space; and brought fire protection and thermal performance up to standard. With the river nearby, we installed an internal waterproofing system. None of this draws attention; all of it adds life.
At the surface, we used lime where it belongs: lime pointing to the front elevation, lime plaster to exposed internal stone so the walls can breathe. In the main serving area, new joinery was French-polished to sit comfortably alongside reclaimed panelling. Old and new meet without competing - exactly as they should.
How does it feel now? The terraces are simple and purposeful; planting softens the edges; the structure does its work quietly. Inside, floors are solid, doors swing cleanly, and the building goes about its work without fuss. Villagers pop in for coffee, a parcel, or a quiet corner; visitors find a place that belongs to the village and still makes room for them. This was a team effort - talented architects, structural engineers, builders, trades and designers who cared about the detail at every stage.
All the way through, we kept a few plain principles: respect the listing and work with the building, not against it; build for the long term - lime over cement, repair over replacement; design for people - accessibility, comfort and efficient service from the start; and use materials honestly, re-using on-site where it served the job. Restoration isn’t nostalgia; it’s responsibility. We focused on sound structure, breathable materials and modern standards where they matter. The result is a building that works beautifully today and is fit for another hundred years - and more. If you visit, you’ll see the obvious - the stone-faced retaining walls, the sweeping staircase, the terraces - and you can trust the rest: strength in the structure, care in the details, and a place made to last.
- Lady Anne