Coach House

Project

Coach House

Location

Plymouth

Client

The Sharpham Trust

Contract

£1.4m

Duration

50 weeks

Project Description

The Sharpham Trust, a Devon-based charity dedicated to connecting people with nature, required a partner to breathe new life into its historic Totnes estate. This ambitious project centred on the conversion and extensive refurbishment of a Grade II listed former stable yard, originally constructed in 1760 for a naval sea captain. The goal was to sensitively restore the dilapidated structure while maintaining its historical integrity, transforming it into a peaceful sanctuary known as The Coach House. The centre features a new meditation space and 18 en-suite rooms, and hosts mindfulness courses and residential retreats, allowing guests to stay overnight in a remote, tranquil countryside location.

The extensive scope of works began with a comprehensive strip-out and enabling phase to stabilise the dilapidated stable block. Structurally, the building required extensive re-roofing using reclaimed slate and the installation of traditional metal rainwater goods to preserve its external character. Specialist contractors meticulously repaired the existing timber sash windows and crafted matching new sash windows where required. Inside, skilled craftspeople carried out traditional internal lime pointing, repaired feature timbers, and installed new ceilings, partitions, and engineered oak flooring. The bespoke carpentry package required exceptional skill, expertly infilling openings to accommodate the uneven, historic shape of the building. Outside, the team completely repaired and enhanced the central courtyard area.

Integrating modern infrastructure into a 260-year-old fabric required innovative engineering and high-specification finishes. The team managed an extensive mechanical and electrical installation, which featured modern underfloor heating and high-specification Heritage sanitary ware. To power the facility sustainably, the project involved extensive tanking and the installation of new services across the estate to successfully connect the building to Sharpham’s existing biomass boiler network. High-quality ironmongery completed the interior spaces, ensuring every detail aligned with the building’s listed status. The project also relied on close collaboration with specialist partners, working alongside Carpenter Oak to seamlessly finish a timber-frame extension to the stables.

Delivering a major refurbishment of this scale required careful logistical management, as all works were carried out within a live environment. As the main house and wider estate remained fully open to the public and charity guests throughout construction, the site team maintained constant, clear communication with the client. This proactive approach ensured that construction disruption was kept to an absolute minimum. The project is located in a rural location where access was extremely challenging. In order to reduce disruption to the estate and the local community, our delivery team established a strict Traffic Management Plan that included instructing small and more frequent deliveries, avoiding using HGVs.

By honouring the stories woven into the 260-year-old walls, the team successfully transformed a forgotten piece of history into a space of healing and quiet reflection.