Hop Cottage
Set amidst the ancient woodland and rolling hills surrounding Limpsfield Chart, Hop Cottage is an Edwardian semi-detached house. Originally housing the working rooms for the conical Oast next door, it was converted in the 20th Century into a two-bedroom family home. This renovation and extension project opens up the interior of the house to its surrounding gardens, and wider landscape.
The thorough reworking of the plan removes the existing conservatory and establishes a new central point of entry. The original houses timber clad living room has been enlarged and a large ‘propagation’ window added, supporting the owner’s avid passion for gardening.
An L-shaped extension replaces a dated, underperforming 1990s conservatory. The new structure form plays as important a role outdoors as it does indoors, separating the steeply terraced garden into three distinct garden rooms. To the east, it creates a temperate sunken courtyard, while to the west; a lower terrace for soft wild grasses, continuing the wildflower field beyond. Finally, to the north, it offers an espalier wall to a small orchard and kitchen garden.
Inside the modest set of crafted timber-framed spaces form a semi-open plan kitchen, living and reading room. Each area enjoys a sense of privacy, achieved either through subtle angles in the floor plan or, in the case of the dining and reading room, a chimney that mediates between the interior and exterior.
Architecturally the extension is overtly referential, drawing inspiration from Edwin Lutyens’ many extensions to historic houses, including Great Dixter. By allowing the new addition to playfully engage with the historic structure, the design avoids the contemporary tendency towards clear differentiation between old and new. The interior continues this theme, with timber panelling inspired by CR Mackintosh’s Hill House, adding a tactile domesticity to the dining and reading spaces.
A self-build approach: local, cyclical re-use
The project was built over an 18-month period by the owners on a shoestring budget of £70k. Adopting a self-build approach, the owners worked in close collaboration with AOMD to ensure re-use of materials, prioritising locally sourced cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions throughout the process.
The extension only slightly increases the footprint of the former conservatory, working predominantly within the existing house. The work aimed for minimal landfill. The new below-ground retaining structure is from re-used brickwork from the conservatory and knocking through. Other hardcore materials were used in re-landscaping, while the conservatory itself was given away for re-use.
The facing bricks are soured from a yard 10 miles from site specialising in rejected/over orders on bricks from larger sites, by using the back, rough face of a cheaper brick, we achieved a rough waterstruck-esque finish for half the typical cost.
The timber framing was sourced from a local builder's merchant, selecting standard profiles that required minimal customisation and allowed for a straightforward self-build construction process. Additionally, all windows and framing were made from timber by a skilled joiner from the Southeast.
Hop Cottage illustrates the value of local collaboration, resourcefulness, and innovative thinking. Creating a unique, cost-effective, and high-quality design that forms a unique take on the original character of the historic property.
