Floorplans for a 3-Bedroom Cob Cottage in Devon Upgraded with Timber Frame Extension

Francesca and John Cowx fell in love with Skylark, a dilapidated cob cottage on the Cornwall-Devon border for sale with 2.8 acres of land. The rugged 300-year-old property was originally built as a farm labourer’s cottage, with a lean-to blockwork kitchen added in the 1980s. Once their sealed bid was accepted, the couple set about searching for an architect and found Chris Evans – now of Kost Architects, who understood their brief and began the frustrating process of dealing with the planners at Torridge Council, who were reluctant to approve the proposal of a modern timber extension.

Conserving the existing historic cob cottage while improving energy efficiency and comfort levels, was key. Despite being invisible from the road, the planners felt the proposed two-storey barn-style extension wasn’t a suitable option. Nine months later, plans were approved for a single-storey kitchen/dining/living extension, connected to the cottage by a contrasting entrance hall link. The timber frame element was designed to be constructed in cassettes and was pre-assembled in a Lincolnshire joinery workshop. “It worked like a dream and the whole structure was up and watertight in just a matter of days,” says John.

see the home

Francesca’s retired builder father, Toni, stepping in to manage the project. The renovation of the cob cottage turned into a labour of love for Toni, who carefully stripped back the building while retaining as many features as possible. A new slate roof was required, the fireplace and timber beams were in a sorry state and the cob needed restoring in places to ensure the cottage remained structurally sound. The modern extension incorporates innovative design features throughout, including a glass-to-glass cantilevered corner structure and large rooflights which drop in light from above.