Charming Barn-Style Timber Frame Self Build in Northumberland

Initial quotes from builders for a stone-built house did not give Rod and Trudy the confidence that they would get value for money. So, they decided their budget would be better spent investing in timber frame and then cladding the building in Northumbrian stone. They approached Cambridgeshire-based timber frame supplier Potton to design and erect the superstructure to weathertight stage, including the installation of the closed panel system, which was prefabricated offsite with the insulation built-in.

“Handing over a large amount of money, you want to have faith that the company will still be around and solvent when the time comes to deliver the frame,” says Rod. “We made the right choice with Potton – they were really accommodating and trustworthy.” The couple also took part in the online tutorials that Potton offer, which gave them advice on what to expect throughout the project.

The home has spectacular countryside views

The plot came with planning for a design that incorporated most of their requirements, but Potton’s in-house architect made some tweaks to the scheme that meant they had to reapply. Approval was given to change the position of some of the windows and doors and to add an oak balcony outside the master bedroom, but their request to swap the timber sash windows for conservation-grade PVCu frames was rejected.

However, this wasn’t without misgivings about the overall style of house from the conservation officer, who called it an “unconvincing pastiche” of local buildings. “At the time we were offended, but we laugh about it now,” says Trudy.

Getting Hands-On

The groundworks were carried out by a local contractor. This first stage saw trenches dug for the foundations and a beam-and-block floor laid to very specific levels. The necessary tolerance of the base plate meant that only a few millimetres’ difference was possible to adequately support the timber frame.

The contractor took a fastidious approach, and their attention to detail meant that the superstructure went up in around a month without any issues. Two weeks later the windows were installed, and after a further fortnight, the roof was on and the house was weathertight, allowing work to start on the inside concurrently.

The kitchen is located in an off-set single-storey wing to clad in larch. The vaulted ceilings add volume, making the space feel bigger

At this stage, services were installed. Up until that point, they had to use a generator and a water bowser for the project to progress. The couple undertook their own project management, renting a house close to their previous home and making the 40-minute journey to the plot daily.

They bought a caravan to keep onsite, which provided a site office as well as accommodation for those occasions when they needed to be available early in the morning to take in deliveries, for example. This proved a valuable asset, as once the project was finished, they sold it for almost what they paid.

When it came to hiring trades, Rod and Trudy found a lot of them through the main builder, word-of-mouth and chance meetings. Despite slight delays and trouble getting materials due to Covid restrictions, they were impressed by the attention to detail that their valued workforce brought to the job.

Sliding doors and full-height arched windows offer views from two sides of this generously sized room, which houses both the living and dining zones

Given they already had an extension project under their belt from their previous home, this gave Rod and Trudy the confidence to tackle many of the jobs themselves, some of which proved taxing. The water tables on the gable end roof are made from colour-matched artificial stone instead of the real thing. Because the timber frame moves, dries and contracts at a different rate to the stone cladding outer skin, Potton and the builder advised that real stone wouldn’t have worked because it’s too heavy.

Marine-grade ply and a rubber roofing membrane are screwed directly onto the timber structure before the water tables could be fitted. Compriband expanding foam was then placed between the water table and the stone cladding, expanding to fill the gap while remaining flexible enough to allow any differential movement.

The couple carried out this tricky job themselves. “We were up on the scaffolding installing these layers just before Storm Arwen hit! It’s stayed there and hasn’t moved, though, so we must have done a good job,” says Trudy.

The master bedroom leads out to the balcony via full-height sliding doors

Rod also installed all 15 of the walnut internal doors, each one made to measure from the same tree with no visible screws or hinges for a seamless look. This was a painstaking process, hanging one door a day while ensuring precision and a high-quality finish.

The house is also fitted with an air source heat pump, underfloor heating and an MVHR (mechanical ventilation and heat recovery) unit. Together, the setup provides a comfortable internal atmosphere that maintains a consistent temperature and a continuous supply of fresh air.

Perfecting the Design Details

The interior layout in the original design was modified. A ground-floor study was removed to make way for a larger living area that accommodates a dining dining table, as it would have blocked the bifold doors in the kitchen. This glazed entrance opens onto a small courtyard that also provides access to the front door.

Meanwhile, all four bedrooms are located in the main stone-clad volume, one of which is on the ground floor. A downstairs shower room adds a futureproof feature by providing ground-floor level living. It was initially positioned next to a separate WC, both of which were quite small, but Rod and Trudy combined these to create one larger shower room, in turn enabling them to add more space to the hallway. Originally, these spaces had roof trusses, but they were taken out of the design to create lofty vaulted ceilings that makes the rooms feel bigger, brighter and airier.

Northumbrian sandstone, waney-edge larch cladding and Spanish slate roof tiles create a barn- style home in keeping with the area’s local vernacular

The couple elected to have some internal curved walls built to add visual interest. However, their complicated structure proved to be an expensive headache (see Closer Look for more). The curve-related conundrums did not stop there.

The stone lintels above the arched windows had to be fabricated to order by the company that supplied the sandstone cladding. Meanwhile, the windows themselves, manufactured by Rationel, and their steel supports, all had to be made to very specific measurements to ensure they would fit together perfectly.

Bifold doors in the south-facing kitchen create a fully open aperture that leads out onto the patio, blurring the boundary between inside and out. The log burner in the living room adds an extra burst of warmth in the winter, creating a cosy indoor ambience

The process caused Rod and Trudy a lot of stress and nerves, hoping they would turn out as required, but the couple were delighted when the installation was complete and everything worked together successfully. The kitchen is located in an offset single-storey, timber-clad volume, which also contains a garage and utility room. All the cabinets are bespoke to the space and were crafted on site, including the white perimeter doors and the island-cum-breakfast bar.

Feature walls have been created throughout the home with statement wallpaper and wood panelling, helping to inject the same character and charm created by the exterior design into the interiors of the home. “We are really happy with the way the project went, and how hard everyone worked,” says Trudy. “We love the house, regardless of what the conservation officer thinks! Every single person who comes here loves it, too.”