Victoria and Robert Fuller’s extraordinary home is shared with thousands of visitors – both human and animal. By day, tourists from far and wide trek to their farmhouse in Thixendale to buy Robert’s highly acclaimed wildlife art and merchandise. By night the animals take over – making themselves at home in the warren of purpose-built tunnels, dens, ponds and woods which surround the property.
It’s a delicate balance which has not only influenced the way Victoria and Robert live, but also shaped the latest redesign and extension of their family home.
‘Our home and business are inextricably linked, so the farmhouse is constantly evolving,’ says Victoria. ‘We’ve just completed the biggest project of them all to date – a large extension which links the house and garden and has completely changed the way we use the house.’
Since they moved into the dilapidated estate cottage more than 20 years ago, Victoria and Robert have renovated throughout – including new floors, windows, kitchen units and re-plastering – and converted disused outbuildings into a gallery, studio, offices and workshop.
‘It worked well at first, but as the business grew and we had a family, we realised we needed more private space,’ says Victoria. ‘The business facilities were encroaching on our living areas and we needed to redress the balance.’
Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av Yorkshire Life.
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Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av Yorkshire Life.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Charity Starts At Home
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THE INTERVIEW Steph McGovern
Live from Leeds - Steph McGovern returns to the studio after a scary lockdown lesson in live TV
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From the bottom of the sea to the top of the tallest tree, there are tales of wildlife woes all over Yorkshire. The good news is that it’s not too late to save what little remains
Decorative art
Not simply functional, treat your walls like an extension of your personality
Boxing clever
The Hare at Scawton was named Yorkshire Life Restaurant of the Year in 2019 and owners Paul and Liz Jackson had big plans for their gourmet hotspot. When lockdown happened, they put down the kitchen knives and opened the tool box. The results are spectacular
All the dales
This route from Thixendale to Hanging Grimston is often missed by local hikers, but it covers a number of glorious dales. Warning: there’s a one in six climb, but the views make it all worthwhile
