My family and I moved to Park Farm in July 2004 and have worked to restore the buildings on the farm to as high a standard as we were able, hopefully without compromising the architectural qualities that have made the house so special. Renovating buildings of this age is never easy but the results are extremely rewarding. I hope that this website will illustrate that it is possible to create a comfortable, modern home suitable for 21st century living whilst keeping the architectural integrity of the building intact.
Preservation for the future
I believe that if buildings like this are going to be preserved for future generations they have to be relevant to the occupants. The needs and requirements of the 21st century family are quite different to those of 500 or even 50 years ago. In our planning we looked at the needs of our own family, the result is a home that we all enjoy living in. Park Farm benefits from new technology - modern insulation, damp-proofing, central heating, plumbing and wiring, but uses traditional materials, oak, lime-plaster, brick and slate.
Of course the house reflects our personal taste, and I realise that to some, an Elizabethan house should look exactly as it did when first built in 1530. To those people I say don’t look any further. But to the rest of you, please enjoy looking round our house, it has been a labour of love, and if nothing else we have helped to ensure the building can survive another 500 years of family life.
Keith Duddy
February 2008
