The barn at Nash’s Farm is a spectacular barn conversion with traditional stunning interiors set in the beautiful Surrey countryside. Normally I only blog about farmhouses, but this exceptionally charming renovated barn is worth a post (and you’ll see why when you see these photos below). Surrounded by horses, it is part of a working horse farm. The best part is you can stay here if you want!
History of the Barn
This structure was originally constructed in the late seventeenth century to house pack horses that helped haul travel weary horses and their carriages from the coast up an incoming hill toward London.
sketch courtesy of Domestic Buildings Research Group
Around twenty years ago, the owners converted the barn into a house. They did a great job with the conversion. With attention to detail and a celebration of the structure’s past, they only needed a light touch in the design for a show-stopping home.
Exterior Details
The beauty of the conversion is the balance between old and new. The roof is comprised of handmade red clay tiles. From the inside, you can see the timber framing of the original structure. The exterior now has weather boards that cover up the timber frames.
One detail I love is the glass panes in each of the exterior doors. Notice the bullseye circle shape in the middle in the photo above and also the photo below. This bullseye is an antique way of making glass called “crown glass.” Essentially,
glass was blown into a “crown” or hollow globe. This was then transferred from the blowpipe to a punty and then flattened by reheating and spinning out the bowl-shaped piece of glass into a flat disk by centrifugal force, up to 5 or 6 feet in diameter. The glass was then cut to the size required.
The thinnest glass was in a band at the edge of the disk, with the glass becoming thicker and more opaque toward the center. Known as a bullseye, the thicker center area around the pontil mark was used for less expensive windows.
Perfect glass for country doors!
New “Old” Kitchen
The kitchen was part of the conversion. I love how it turned out. There are no upper cabinets (a favorite feature of mine in country kitchens!) and lots of light from the windows. The focal point is this gorgeous green range.
Downstairs
Next to the kitchen, the rest of the downstairs is pretty open. There’s a little office carved out on one side, but I love the otherwise large open space for the living and dining areas.
Loo
Here’s the downstairs bathroom, or, “loo” I should say, tucked away. There’s a similar one upstairs with a bathtub and a shower. It’s the perfect mix of modern essential and country lifestyle.
Stairway
I love the stairs going up. They are definitely more modern (not original to the 17th century!) and pretty steep, but very well sturdy and well built.
Upstairs Loft
A sweet lofted hallway greets you upstairs. To the left is one bedroom, and to the right are two more bedrooms and a bathroom. The ceilings go up probably 30 feet in the middle!
Timber Framed Bedrooms
Each of the bedrooms has exposed timber frames like this, and I absolutely love the warmth and cozy feeling it gives. The simple wooden furniture highlights the walls and architectural elements. It feels classically timeless.
English Countryside Living
In my last post about the historic farmhouse at Nash’s Farm, I shared photos of the gorgeous (and peaceful) English countryside. There is something so calming about the setting of this farm and particularly the barn. Green hills dotted with horses as far as you can see, and little rows of hedges separating the pastures are especially sweet.
It’s helping me remember some of the more important moments in life are slow. Intentionally slow.
I have so many more beautiful properties to share! I haven’t been blogging as much as I’d like because I’m loving this slow lifestyle so much right now. This trip to England has been a real blessing for our family in that we’re all loving the unrushed pace of life so much. If you aren’t following me on Instagram by the way, check me out @afarmhousereborn where I share daily photos of gorgeous farmhouses I’m seeing all over the Surrey countryside.