Polebarn Road is a Grade II listed house forming part of a distinctive terrace of mid 19th century workers’ cottages in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. Built in ashlar stone beneath slate roofs, the terrace reflects the modest yet carefully considered architecture of a town shaped by its world famous broadcloth industry.

Originally built as workers’ housing, the house retains a direct connection to the people and industries that helped shape Trowbridge. We were delighted to work with a building and setting with such a rich industrial heritage, using this historic narrative as well as its architectural character to drive our design process.

Studio four point ten were appointed to lead the sensitive renovation and extension of the listed house, adapting its compact footprint to create more generous and flexible living spaces. The design uses efficient planning, natural light and a stronger relationship with the garden to create a greater sense of space and openness, carefully working within the existing structure rather than relying on the removal of historic features and fabric.

Themes around garden rooms and bringing the outside in have shaped our approach, using the garden to extend the sense of living space beyond the walls of the house without the need to significantly increase its floor area. The proposals have now received listed building consent.

Our experience working with listed and historic buildings across Bath, Wiltshire and the wider South West enables us to navigate the architectural, planning and heritage considerations involved in adapting period properties. Explore our other heritage architecture work across Bath, Bristol, Wiltshire and Somerset for more examples of our design approach within the heritage setting.