Film Edmund Cook

Photography Elliot Sheppard

A historic garden path leads directly towards an understated front door in a simple, brick façade: a design that gently references the gate in the garden wall. This new façade meets the 300-year-old wall at one end, in what the architects (a mother and a daughter) described as “a mother-daughter relationship”: the old and new are distinct, but the family resemblance is obvious.

Even author Frances Hodgson Burnett would approve of what lies beyond: a glass- roofed courtyard that draws the outdoors in, ushering visitors into a warm winter garden with tactile terracotta tiles underfoot and a collection of artwork and clay pottery enlivening this core space. The walls are Clayworks plaster: a hygroscopic material that can absorb and desorb moisture from the atmosphere, creating a natural, breathable environment that is a healthier alternative to conventional plaster.

The single-storey house was built from locally made Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and sealed for airtightness. Air source heating, MVHR, solar power, battery storage and triple-glazing throughout combine to ensure this is a home that provides 100% of its required energy. Any surplus supply is sold back to the grid. As Nigel explains, the house was built within view of their previous home: “We can look back on the old house with no regrets,” he says. “We’ve succeeded – partly because our power bills are negative in this house compared to the oil-fired heating system we used to have!”

The garden they acquired was of “negligible ecological value” and Eileen has made it her full-time job to transform their surroundings, planting around 140 trees and 400 metres of hedgerow, a productive vegetable garden, meadow garden and swathes of deep, densely planted beds, threaded with narrow paths that encourage contemplative meanders through the textured foliage.  Gardening is a daily and defining ritual for Eileen, who adopts a gloves-off approach to her work so she can fully immerse herself in the task.

Her industriousness has, in turn, enriched her husband’s hobby. A keen photographer, Nigel has recently switched from photographing fast-moving vehicles (racing cars, the Red Arrows), to framing more languorous subjects (golden grasses, the bobbing heads of alliums). Together, the pair are currently contending with a new garden visitor – a mole caught on camera, burrowing into the roots of Eileen’s favourite acer. For all the airtightness of their beautifully conceived Passivhaus, there is seemingly no way to defend the 300-year-old walls of their garden.

Watch the full film here and tell us what you think in the comments, before subscribing to our YouTube channel. Happy watching.