A New Era

Moving from a quaint barn to a characterful country house resulted in a major style re-think for Sharon and David Broadbent

- Karen Wilson

Having sold their barn conversion in just two weeks, Sharon and David Broadbent were all set to purchase a Grade II-listed house, until the lengthy survey results came back. ‘We were on holiday in Mexico at the time, and had to pull out of the sale,’ explains Sharon. ‘But luckily, two days before our return, the estate agent emailed, urging us to view a property they’d just valued, even though it was a little bit over our budget.’

The house was in West Yorkshire and had been built in 1820 for a mill owner. It was inherited by his son Joseph William Whitley, who embarked on a major refurbishment in 1893, hiring an Italian artist to create elaborate painted ceilings and glasswork as well as adding bay windows. Formerly a grand 18-acre estate, the original house was partially demolished in 1904 when Joseph went bankrupt; then, in the Sixties it was split into three separate dwellings, before being reinstated into one home in the Nineties.