“everyone who comes to our home ends up in the kitchen”
TRANSCRIPT
74 PERIODIDEAS.COM
For one globetrotting couple, a traditional Cotswolds manor house will always be home
“Everyone who comesto our home ends upin the kitchen”
KITCHEN SPECIAL Cotswold manor house
Everyone (Helen) 3 13/8/09 9:04 am Page 1
The property: Grade II* listed Cotswolds manor house,A closer look
with grade II listed* barn. Five bedrooms, four reception
rooms, four bathrooms; two bedroom flat adjoining;
barn with offices, minstrels’ gallery, and bathroom;
garaging with gym/bathroom and games room in loft.
How old is it? Early 1600s (approx).
When was it bought? 1994. In 2003, the owners found
they were spending the most part of the year abroad, so
it was decided to let the manor during those months
they were not in residence.
How much is it worth? In the region of £3.5 million
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T o describe Nina and James Sharma as ‘well
travelled’ is a bit like calling Bill Gates ‘not
short of a bob or two’. There are few
countries as yet unexplored by this
enterprising and adventurous husband and wife team;
yet though neither was born in England (he is Australian,
she is from India) – and despite the fact that they now
own properties in some of the world’s most exciting
cities – it is a small town in the Stratford-on-Avon district
of Warwickshire that keeps tugging them back.
“We have loved the Cotswolds for many, many
years,” begins Nina. “Back in the early 90s, we used to
visit regularly in connection with our family business.
We’d always stay in local hotels or guesthouses, and the
more time we spent in the area, the more we came to
appreciate how uniquely beautiful it is. So, when a friend
told us that Cotswolds Manor had come onto the
market, it seemed natural to take a look at it, with a view
to making a more permanent base for ourselves in a spot
that had really started to feel like a kind of spiritual home.
And as soon as we saw the place, we knew that we
wanted to live there.”
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Although the precise date of construction is unknown,
Cotswolds Manor is generally agreed to have been built
during the early 1600s. The external walls are made from
traditional Cotswolds limestone and inside, the original
features are quite outstanding, with entire walls of elm
panelling, flagstone floors, and huge inglenook fireplaces –
including one that is believed to incorporate a priest’s hide.
“The house was structurally sound,” says Nina, recalling her
first view of the property, “but in desperate need of repair and
restoration. Ugly cables were running everywhere, and many
of the original features had been covered up. Layers of lino
hid the flagstone and wooden floors, and some of the
beautiful beams had, much to our disbelief, been painted
blue! Nonetheless, we could feel the character of the place,
and we knew it just needed bringing out.”
The Sharmas bought Cotswolds Manor in 1994, and
work immediately started on a three-stage programme of
renovation. Stage one involved the complete restoration of
the main house, and a local small family firm was hired for
the project. “They were there forever, but did a fantastic job,
painstakingly and lovingly stripping all the paint off the
KITCHEN SPECIAL Cotswold manor house
TOP LEFT: The ground floordining room is home toa beautiful antique pinerefectory table,purchased locally.MAIN PIC: The leathercamel stool is one of apair, purchased by theSharmas in Pakistan TOP RIGHT: According toNina, ‘every singleperson who visits theManor wants to ring this old bell at the frontof the property – eventhe adults!’RIGHT: This mosaic of StFrancis of Assisi can befound on the gardenfacing wall of theManor, and suggests aconnection to theCatholic Church,although this has neverbeen verified.
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beams and removing layers of lino to reveal what we have
today,” Nina explains. Because of the couple’s other
commitments, they were often treated to thrilling updates over
the phone. “I still remember the call we got excitedly telling us
about the discovery of a powder room under the stairs,” she
laughs. “The knob had fallen off, and as all the walls are
panelled, we’d had no idea it was there. The firm we were
using was a very small operation, but their dedication and
attention to detail was priceless, so we were happy to work to
their schedule – even when their dog had pups, and there was
a break of three weeks before the restoration continued!”
Another enthusiastic phone call to the new owners of
Cotswolds Manor related to the kitchen. “When we arrived, it
was crammed with cabinets everywhere – presumably from a
time when it was thought that the more work surfaces one had,
the better, regardless of how it looked,” Nina grimaces. “To make
things worse, the floor was covered with layers of ‘60s or ‘70s
lino. We said to the builders, ‘Just get rid of everything, and we’ll
see what’s there’ – but we weren’t expecting them to uncover
the original flagstone floor! We didn’t want a big, modern fitted
kitchen, with endless bench space; but rather, a welcoming,
Out and About■ Covering an area of 790 square miles in
the upper part of the southwest region
of England, the Cotswolds is an obvious
holidaying destination for anyone with a
love of and interest in period homes. From
cottages to castles, the region offers a
veritable treasure trove of stunning buildings to
discover and enjoy – many of which have remained practically
unchanged since the medieval wool trade brought prosperity
to the area during the 15th and 16th centuries.
■ The buildings (and especially the manor houses) of the
Cotswolds are characterised by a vernacular tradition of
architecture inspired by its locally quarried and marvellously
versatile limestone. Drystone walls snake for miles along
ridges and through valleys, and stone-tiled roofs top humble
hovels and imposing churches alike. The glowing tones of
Cotswold limestone are internationally famous, ranging from
mellow honey in the north of the region, through rich gold,
down to the pale, elegant shade of grey that is common in
Bath – and its fine-grained texture ensures that intricate
detailing, including gargoyles and mullions, can be found in
the most surprising places!
■ For more information about the Cotswolds, including an
extensive list of places and buildings of especial architectural
and/or historical interest, visit cotswolds.info.
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PERIODIDEAS.COM 79
warm haven, higgledy piggeldy, and full of interesting things,
where people would be drawn to spend time.” And this
exactly describes the room as it is now. Everywhere you look,
something fascinating catches the eye – from an antique cattle
yoke used to hang pots and pans from the ceiling, to the
small, freestanding dresser next to the door of the walk-in
pantry, found in a local store. One wall is completely panelled
(with original elm) and another has been washed with a warm
terracotta shade, making for a cosy, friendly atmosphere.
A bold red Smeg fridge looks somehow as though it might
have stood in its current position for centuries; and a
freestanding gas stove perfectly suits Nina’s cooking style,
of which spontaneity is a vital element. “I’ve worked in this
kitchen for 15 years,” she smiles, “and it has everything
you need. Everyone who comes to the house ends up in
here; and even my three-year-old nephew will sit happily
on the flagstones, playing with dried beans, or bashing a
frying pan, while the adults chat.”
ABOVE:One of thesuitcases piled by thebed in the first floorguest room belonged tothe Sharma family; asecond was bought onPortobello Road; and thethird was discovered inthe loft of the Manor!
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Treat Yourself■ For information about hiring the Cotswolds Manor
(which sleeps 10) for a holiday, house party, or otherevent – or to browse a wide portfolio of uniqueproperties from holiday cottages to Scottish castles –call Unique Home Stays on 01637 881 942, [email protected], or visit the websiteat uniquehomestays.com.
This relaxed, eclectic approach to decor continues
throughout the rest of the house, which is, as Nina points out,
very natural and raw in its beauty. “It’s dark and cool,” she
continues, “and full of interesting nooks and crannies, window
seats and comfy sofas to curl up on with a book or look out
onto the garden. As a consequence we have the walls painted
in a very natural fashion – showing, and even highlighting, the
unevenness. The floors are mainly exposed to show off the
beautiful flagstone floors and oak boards, with rugs scattered
about; and almost every piece of furniture has a story behind
it, such as the Anglo-Indian four-poster bed that took almost a
year to get here, and the ancient pedal organ, which belonged
to my husband’s family in Australia.”
Stages two and three of the renovation meant converting
the adjoining barn into two modern offices, with a minstrels’
gallery that houses the cricket library; and extensive
landscaping of the grounds. Despite a crisis three quarters of
the way through the work (the builder went bankrupt, and the
architect moved to Australia), it was eventually completed, and
Nina and James are now able to spend every summer at the
Manor; letting out the property as luxury accommodation to
guests during the remaining months of the year. “We both
have a very strong emotional connection to this house,”
concludes Nina. “No matter where we travel, we always look
forward to coming home to the Manor.”
Landscaping theproperty is an ongoing
project; with an orchard,wildflower meadow,
traditional English knotgarden, parterre
garden, and vegetablegarden all having been
created over the past 15 years.
Hot Stuff■ Inglenook fireplaces, reminiscent of the large medieval halls
of earlier days, are typical original features in 17th century
English properties. Up until the 19th century (and later, for
those not rich enough to afford the new cast iron appliances),
an open fire was essential for cooking, heating, and damp
proofing the home – and it would have been burning more
or less continually. During the chilly and damp months of
winter, family members would gather in the alcoves of the
inglenook - which would often have seating built in - to dry
off, warm up, and generally escape the draughts.
■ Inglenook fireplaces were constructed with the same
absorbent or permeable materials as the entire house, and it
is therefore essential to replace like for like when restoring
your own. Modern renders, mortars and
chemical sealers do not solve a restoration
problem; they merely hide it, whilst leading to further
destruction - whilst old bricks, stone, timber, lime, lime
mortars, lime plaster, and lime washes allow a building to
breathe. Owners of older properties should not be too
alarmed if they discover signs of damp around
an inglenook, however, as sympathetic
restoration will nearly always resolve the
situation – visit inglenookrestorations.co.uk
for more information.
“We both have a very strong emotional connection
to this house. No matterwhere we travel, we always
look forward to coming home to the Manor”
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