Mill House - Wiltshire

The Mill house was a neglected former mill with an overgrown dark garden and leylandii hedging which had once provided screening but was now smothering the garden. The client was renovating the house to bring back its wonderful period features and at the same time building upon its industrial heritage through the addition of a new Corten living room extension that made the most of its wonderful riverside location.

At the heart of the design is the contrast between traditional and modern materials. To the rear a Belgian brick terrace and corten steps next to the new extension lead up to a new lawn and contrast with the use of traditional hazel hurdles for both boundary fencing and also for new sinuous bank tiering along the river. Screening of neighbours is established through both cloud-pruned hedging and multi-stem trees.  A combination of both Beech and Yew hedging provides year-round contrast and form within the garden and serves as a backdrop for the naturalistic grass and herbaceous planting. The wildflower meadow seeded river banks are planted with roses and shrubs to connect with the natural beauty of the setting and frame views from the glass windows of the extension.

At the front of the house moving the entrance to the drive creates a larger area of wetland meadow and native trees which was previously split in two. Pollarded willows and cushions of cloud pruned hedging create intimacy around the front door and form the structure from which to view the new planting around the house and along the river. New detailing of Belgian brick, Corten steel, reclaimed stone edging including an original millstone and reclaimed York stone take advantage of the wealth of historical architectural stonework from the site and pay reference to its new contemporary identity.