HEATHLAND
HOUSE

A Timber-Clad Replacement Home in Headley Down, East Hampshire

Sector

Residential

Location

Headley Down, Hampshire

Status

Completed

A timeless country home in Headley Down, built to replace the clients’ childhood home. The brief was more room, far more light and a real connection to the garden, with space to entertain and to change over time, without dominating its quiet woodland setting.

The challenge was planning. The site sits in open countryside in the gap between Headley and Arford, where East Hampshire District Council limits a replacement house to 50% more floor space than the original home had in 1974.

The original cottage was only about 82 square metres. Our first application, in early 2020, was refused on size alone, even though the council found the design to be of high quality.

Garden terrace and balcony at the rear of Heathland House, Headley Down, beside the pool

Rather than shrink the house, we changed the route. Permitted development consents for a side extension, a porch and rooflights, and an eight metre rear extension showed the bungalow could lawfully grow to around 288 square metres.

We resubmitted the same design with only small window changes, and in November 2020 East Hampshire District Council granted permission. It accepted that one well-designed house was better than an extended bungalow spreading across the garden.

The new timber-frame house keeps the L-shaped plan and position of the original, over one and a half storeys. Timber cladding and a slate roof sit quietly among the trees above a stone and brick base, and a full-height glazed oak gable fills the staircase and landing with light.

Inside, open-plan living opens to the garden, a self-contained annexe gives guests their own space, and flexible rooms let the house change over time. A welcoming woodland home, rooted in memory and designed to endure.