Bird's eve view

Peter and Romney Lelliott opted for an upside-down new build, enabling them to enjoy far-reaching country views from the elevated living space of their contemporary new home

After time spent living in a charming, single-glazed 600-year-old thatched cottage, Peter and Romney Lelliott decided to build a new energy-efficient home to meet their needs. "I was approaching retirement, when my business partner spotted a rundown brick and flint property advertised in the paper," explains Peter.

HOMEOWNERS Peter and Romney Lelliott
PROFESSIONS Romney is a midwife and Peter is a retired software executive
HOUSE Detached two-storey fourbedroom house
SIZE 290m²
LOCATION Wiltshire
PROJECT Self-build
BUILD ROUTE Builder, subcontractors, and DIY
BUILD TIME Thirteen months
PLOT COST £730,000
BUILD COST £850,000
CURRENT VALUE £2.5 million+
WORDS Debbie Jeffery
PHOTOGRAPHY Mark Ashbee

"We hadn't really been looking for a plot, but the owners of the house had already applied for planning permission to either extend it or build a replacement. Although the building was too small for our needs, the three-quarter-acre garden and amazing view convinced us to make an offer. On a clear day you can see for around 40 miles over farmland to the Isle of Wight."

Set on the edge of a picturesque village, in an area of outstanding natural beauty on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border, the property was purchased in 2018 and there followed a lengthy series of planning applications and appeals, lasting more than a year.

AN EVOLVING DESIGN