The Old Fox
Modern living carved around historic fabric
You will find no more lager on tap at The Old Fox. Instead, the almost 300 year old Grade II listed converted pub is now a warm family home offering a more sustainable modern way of life.
When the new owners of The Old Fox asked our assistance to gain listed building consent for changes to their home, they had a strong vision for creating a warm family home, upgraded to modern standards, without harming the character of the building. All decisions were guided by balancing the increased comfort and improved thermal efficiency of the building against the harm such interventions would cause to the historic fabric.
A room enriched by exposed ceiling joists
An 18th century room with a new insulated ceiling crafted between existing ceiling joists
Areas with severely limited headroom, drafty old modern replacement windows and a dangerously unstable chimney were some the challenges that had to be overcome. Working closely with the Local Authority Conservation Officer, Barr Build and SOLID, technical design solutions were developed that satisfied both the desire to preserve and the need to improve the energy efficiency of the property.
High-quality double-glazed windows replaced the failing old modern replacement windows. The window frame and glazing bars were selected to reflect the windows that would have originally been used at the time the property was constructed.
A new secondary oak staircase crafted around the historic structure
The new staircase provides and head height access where it is needed most
Restricted head height was improved in several areas by exposing 18th century ceiling joists, creating a secondary stairway and reducing the floor height where a modern floor was put down by previous owners.
Listed Building Consent included upgrading a fireplace that suffered from a sub-standard modern replacement. With the opening up works, the rubble stone chimney was found to have detached from the 18th century framed extension and perilously close to collapse. The replacement chimney appears to be as old as the building itself. A celebration of the structural, technical and construction expertise that went into building it back up!
The Old Fox is now ready for many more memories to be made. More likely over a cuppa or two than a pint or two!
The Old Fox, ready for another hundred years