Restoring Luckett Farm
“We sometimes ask ourselves if we are foolish or mad to take on the projects we do”! .
Luckett Farm
In the autumn of 2019, the air was crisp with the subtle promise of change. The weary, sprawling silhouette of a 16th-century farm/manor house captured our hearts as we stood before it, a vestige of history that had seen better days. We welcomed it into our lives, unaware of the challenges that lay ahead, as we became the proud—and somewhat naïve—owners of a property that had long since succumbed to neglect.
Our first winter was a formidable adversary, a season marked by relentless rains that turned the landscape into a muddy tableau. Inside, the house felt like a vessel adrift; tarpaulins adorned the thatched roof like patchwork sails attempting to stave off the elements. The quiet rustle of creatures seeking refuge in our leaky roof, mingling with the bone-chilling silence that came from the absence of warmth. Yet, even amidst the discomfort, there was a determination brewing within us.
As spring bloomed in 2020, we met the challenges head-on. By summer's end, the old thatched roof was replaced with new one, and the unwelcome critters were gently encouraged to find sanctuary elsewhere. Our attention turned to transforming the interior of the house. We rolled up our sleeves, installing a new kitchen, revamping the living room, and breathing new life into one of the bedrooms.
The sprawling land surrounding the house was a wild frontier. It had been more than a decade since anyone had tread upon its overgrown paths. With each step we took, we reclaimed it, wrestling with nature itself. We embarked on a mission to restore order while embracing the beauty of un-wilding. In the midst of this endeavour, we took a leap of faith and planted a vegetable garden—an experiment of sorts. Though we were still novices with green thumbs, the hope of becoming more self-sufficient ignited within us.
Meanwhile, the practical complexities of our new home demanded attention. Our water supply, drawn from a borehole, was a simple blue pipe that led to a basic sand filter. We couldn’t help but admire its rustic charm, but it left much to be desired. With careful planning, we re-plumbed the system and installed proper filters, ensuring that the water flowing into our home was at least clean —a small victory that brought us comfort.
As the seasons changed yet again in 2021, we took a monumental step: the installation of central heating and a wood-burning stove in the living room. The chill of winter transformed into a cozy embrace. No longer did we shiver beneath blankets, for the warmth radiated through our home, making it a sanctuary where stories could be shared, laughter could echo, and memories could be made.
Looking back, the journey had been both arduous and rewarding, a tapestry woven with determination and dreams. The manor house, with its scars and stories, was no longer just a structure; it had become our home—a place where we nurtured our spirit and cultivated new beginnings.
Keepers Lodge is actually a self contained extension of the main farm house. The original extension was knocked down in 2010 and work just about got started (but not much). By the time we restarted the work in late 2020 there were various trees and vegetation growing in the building site not to mention more unwanted inhabitants! By the end of January 2021 we had a new roof and windows fitted soon after. We finally completed the work by August. .