Prime position

Memories of happy holidays brought Katie Oliver and her family to this 19th-century barn, which has been turned into an idyllic retreat

- KAREN JENSEN-JONES

After years of living in London, Katie Oliver, a busy GP, set her sights on finding a country bolthole for weekends and holidays with her husband Andrew and five children, Molly, seven, James, five, Charlie, three, Sofia, two and Gigi, eight months. Her love of Somerset brought her to Wells, in the Mendip Hills, where she was lucky to find an 18th-century barn for sale with stunning views and a rich history.

‘Over the decades, the building has swapped hands between farmers, gardeners and potters and was even used as a dairy farm,’ explains Katie. ‘We could see the potential to create our dream family home here where we’ve holidayed many times.’ They bought the property four years ago, which they named Kilnwood, and under the guidance of Katie’s sister, an architect with De Rosee Sa, they undertook a major renovation of the barn and added a further building in keeping with the surroundings.