A recently restored barn conversion has been transformed by two leading restaurateurs into a stunning rural retreat in the heart of the North Yorkshire countryside. They talk to Jenny Needham about their recipe for making their guests feel at home

It took hard graft for the best part of six years, day in, day out, for experienced developer Andrew Whalley to transform a derelict brick kiln barn near Richmond into a stunning home and business. Now he and wife Caroline have lovely views through the floor to ceiling windows that flood the old building with light, a thriving holiday home and cookery school business, and a stylish and comfortable retreat for guests and, just as importantly, for themselves, when the day’s work is done.

Guest rooms are warm and beautifully decorated, while communal areas are full of antiques and quirky objects that the couple have collected over the years or that have been handed down through the family. And at the heart of this home from home is a stunning, beamed kitchen with an enormous marble-topped island, where overnight guests can congregate and where accomplished chef Caroline holds cookery lessons. It’s also the perfect party room. “We both love food, wine and entertaining with friends and family,” says Caroline. “We also love living in our dream home… finally.”

The couple were not new to renovation projects. The first build project they embarked on was back in 1993 when they renovated an old pub/nightclub into a wine bar in Tunbridge Wells, before selling up and moving to Yorkshire. Leyburn was the site of the next restoration project, turning an old shop in the Yorkshire Dales town into a restaurant, before leasing the business and heading back south. Andrew then undertook more projects, including a barn conversion and flat renovation, while Caroline ran her own catering business, as well as working in London for a friend’s international catering company.

It was the thought of a life in the countryside that drew Andrew and Caroline back north. “We are both passionate about the outdoor life. We’ve had horses for more than 20 years,” says Caroline. “Over the years, our mothers have migrated north too and we love the peaceful life that Yorkshire has to o?er the whole family.”

The couple lived in di?erent rented houses before stumbling on Hollymoor brick and tile sheds in 2008. “We had been looking for that somewhere special to create our dream home for about four years,” says Andrew. “When we found Hollymoor, at first we were daunted by the scale of the project but something just drew us to the site. The setting was a dream, it had land and a lake. We hadn't been looking for anything quite so big, but never ones to shy away from a challenge, we went for it.”

The build wasn’t without its challenges. “I worked full-time on the build for the best part of six years, so I was completely engrossed in it on a daily basis,” says Andrew. By 2010, he had installed the water and power supply for the site, cleared the lake, removing hundreds of self-seeded trees, and the couple embarked on the planting of natural water-based plants to give the wildfowl natural cover and nesting areas.

Once the initial work was complete, in January 2010 Andrew and Caroline moved into two Portakabins on-site to oversee the project, with the help of Darlington-based architect Robert Pearson. The aim was to create a space which embraced the outside area and the history of the barn, with the interior timbers, brickwork and huge openings which were later to become windows forming the heart of the design. The couple felt strongly about keeping as many original features as possible, and where this wasn’t possible they were sensitively restored with new materials.

The 17 diagonal pillars that formed the original brick-drying barns form the main shape and structure of the building. “We wanted the character of the original building to shine through, so left as much of the interior brick exposed as possible,” says Andrew. “We also love the New York loft style and the exposed brick was a nod to that.”

Caroline and Andrew relied on the craftsmanship of locally sourced, highly skilled suppliers. Dales Water dug down to create a borehole – and very temporarily a gushing fountain and flood – so the house now has its own water supply. Bikers of Leyburn made the windows and Masham carpenter Paul Grainger fashioned enormous 11m trusses using Douglas fir and larch from a local estate.

Gradually, the barn was transformed from a derelict barn into a 580sq m house, with five individually designed double bedrooms, five bathrooms, three reception rooms and an open plan Shaker-style kitchen. All five bedrooms have uninterrupted views of the lake. To make sure their guests are warm, as well as comfortable, underfloor heating was fitted throughout the property and the cosy sitting room has a wood-burning stove.

“We wanted the house to feel like a home,” says Caroline. “We have been fortunate to collect so many family heirlooms and pieces over the years that we wanted to celebrate these in the house, too. There needs to be functionality to the home too, especially when we have so many guests each week. For example, the beautiful Welsh dresser we have in the lounge is a piece Andrew’s mother gave us; we love it and she loves seeing it being used. It’s also the perfect spot for us to put all our breakfast choices out for guests.”

The bathrooms have been done out with Porcelanosa tiles and whiteware with Grohe taps and showers, but it is the kitchen that Caroline is most proud of. “My kitchen is the most important part of the house,” she says. “We spent a lot of time making sure it was perfectly designed and worked well for our needs, both as residents and as hosts. My favourite gadget is definitely my dehydrator, which allows me to create gourmet-style meals at home. That’s what our guests keep coming back for time and time again.”

Now the hard physical graft is done, Andrew looks back on the renovation a little wistfully. “The physical side of it was so fulfilling, to know at the end of a long hard day grafting you could actually see what you had created was such a buzz,” he says. That said, both Andrew and Caroline admit it was with a sigh of great relief that they shut the door for the final time on their temporary Portakabin home. “No tears were shed when we said goodbye to the cabins,” says Caroline. “To achieve the finished house was without doubt an amazing thing. The day we moved in will be with us forever.”

Hollymoor House, situated between Richmond, Piercebridge and Darlington, is a luxury Bed and Breakfast specialising in gourmet retreats for up to eight guests. Guests can book a fully catered stay for two or three nights, where professional chef Caroline will create a delicious three-course seasonal meal. The hosts are on hand to advise you on what to do throughout your stay, from visiting the historic neighbouring Georgian towns, exploring the stunning Dales to simply relaxing by the garden’s private lake. Rooms from £110 per room per night B&B.

Hollymoor House, Brick Kiln Lane, Aldbrough St John, Richmond DL11 7AQ. T: 01325-710555; W: hollymoorhouse.co.uk