England A real barnstormer

14 APRIL | JUNE 2008 Slug in here

Above: The main room of the thatched barn has its original beams and a dining room table that seats 10. Main photographs by John Miller Below: The barn when the Martins’ bought the property four years ago and (left, main picture) how it looks today Laura and Steve Martin have pulled off an exceptional conversion project at Green Farm. Carinya Sharples travels to to marvel at their grand re-designs

t’s not every day that you wake up in a by the combination of tranquil four-poster bed in the turret of an old oast surroundings, homely rooms and Ihouse – unless you’re at Biddenden Green quirky, original fixtures. Farm (Property reference: PBBY) in Kent The couple’s determination to that is, where the distinctive curved wall, keep as many of the original features exposed brickwork and tall, conical ceiling as possible has proved central to have been given a new lease of life as an their success. “When you’re doing a willow hurdles unusual rural retreat. conversion like this,” explains Laura, “you’re The transformation from hop-drying farm a custodian. We want to leave our mark Thanks to this motto of “repair not replace”, building to impressive barn conversion began without taking away anyone else’s.” the two buildings are full of fascinating when Laura and Steve Martin decided to move historic insights. In the oak-framed barn, treading carefully away from London with their two children. built between 1590 and 1610, the original Following the train line from Orpington, where The Grade-II listing of the Martins’ home threshing bays are still in place and Laura they lived at the time, they found a quirky and the thatched barn (under which the points out the faint outlines of several house in the Kent village of Smarden. oast also falls) gave the pair another reason circles, carved into the wood. Far from being The only hitch was that the house to tread especially carefully. Yet with the accidental scratches, they are old ‘witching’ came as part of a larger package and so the buildings in such disrepair, this was no easy or ‘ritual’ marks, used to protect the Martin family found themselves taking on task. The barn may have been in active use superstitious occupants from what the handy a dilapidated 16th-century barn and former on the farm just 70 years ago, but it was visitor’s guide calls the ‘plague and pestilence oast house to boot. “I wasn’t even sure how derelict for many years and the wood was of witches’. I’d feel living in the countryside,” admits starting to decay. Other elements of the barn’s previous Laura, “but houses speak to me – it’s a So, as well as enlisting the help of English existence are less noticeable – and probably feeling rather than a logical decision.” Heritage, the Martins recruited a specialist just as well since what is now the smart Thankfully the gamble has paid off timber expert. “He was a great help and keen kitchen area was once used to make and today, four years on, the renovated to preserve as much of the original timber as willow hurdles for sheep fields; while the barn and oast guest houses of Lewd Lane possible,” says Laura. “When he first came to spacious living area stored hay and the have a steady stream of visitors, won over the barn he was like a kid in a toyshop!” second bedroom was a piggery. Today, the

Call 0845 268 1110 to book your property 2008 JULY | SEPT 15 Slug in here

Above: The kitchen in the thatched The restored oast house, the first of barn, formerly used to make willow the Martins’ conversion projects hurdles for the sheep farm, right

invasion of farmyard life is restricted to a complimentary basket of fresh, free-range eggs from the family’s own chickens, while Kent, we used to go away on holiday every visitors’ books in the barn and oast house the rooms are filled with sturdy, dark wood year to plac