Goose Barn, Low Budget Class Q Barn Conversion, Thornicombe
A Class Q Conversion transforms a dilapidated barn into a quirky holiday let near Blandford
Class Q permitted development allowed our client, a farmer, the opportunity to make efficient use of this small redundant building on a small holding in North Dorset. The building had a number of previous uses including calf rearing, lambing and worming geese. There was sufficient existing structure to do a simple conversion into a small 2 bedroom house. By the end of the project, only the original walls were left standing. In order to comply with building regulations, it was necessary to insulate and ventilate the building.
What makes this job unusual? It was almost entirely constructed from second hand and recycled materials. These mostly came from demolition sites including windows from a bungalow and sliding doors from a house upgrade. The kitchen was made from recycled palettes and the bar top came from a pub in Dorchester. Light fittings were made from old colanders from a hotel kitchen. The corrugated iron cladding was rescued from an old barn, the decking from a site in Poole and the pergola built from a redundant fence.
The result is a very low budget building that is exciting and full of character. Intended for family and friends to stay in, it is also used as a successful holiday let.
This barn conversion is a very good example of how an otherwise redundant building can be turned round to become an asset and new income stream for the farm.