The Windmill (Current ongoing project) ⏐ Grade II Listed Building ⏐ Alterations & Extension ⏐ Conservation Area ⏐ Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Cyma Architects was commissioned to design a sensitive rear extension and internal reconfiguration to The Windmill, a Grade II listed former public house in the Throwley Forstal Conservation Area and Kent Downs AONB. The 18th-century building had evolved over time from a village inn into a family home, with a series of extensions and alterations that created a fragmented internal layout. The relationship between the main house and the former stables was historically linked but later altered, making it unclear and limiting functionality for modern family living. The brief sought to improve the layout, creating a larger kitchen and dining space, a boot room, and improved utility areas, while preserving the building’s historic character.
The design introduced a modest single-storey rear extension between the existing rear extension and the converted stables, drawing on a 1898 plan that showed a historic covered link. The extension was subservient in scale and used materials and detailing that reflected the existing building, including a masonry plinth, timber weatherboarding, and a Kent peg tiled roof. A recessed link, widened valley junction, and hipped roof maintained a visual separation from the stables, preserving the historic relationship. Internally, circulation was rationalised, and elements of the original stable layout were reinstated. The scheme successfully balanced contemporary family requirements with conservation-led design, enhancing functionality while safeguarding the building’s character and ongoing use.
