Country House

Commissioned in 1827 by Josiah Wedgwood’s daughter, Camp Hill is a large country house nestled in the North Staffordshire countryside. The site affords grand views of the well-established grounds, which were frequented by non-other than Charles Darwin.

The house included an unusually large proportion of servants’ quarters and ancillary rooms. This was likely due to Sarah Wedgewood employing over 25 servants. With the quarters only being used for ad-hoc storage, our client wished to make better use of the space. As a result, we developed several schemes all focused on utilising the space as a kitchen, dining, and lounge area. The proposal evolved into a single-storey space linked with the existing building in a sympathetic manner, utilising reclaimed brickwork and matching render. It included large bi-folding doors to take full advantage of the beautiful setting. Roof lanterns gave an airy and open feel to the kitchen dining space. We utilised modern building practices, including polished concrete flooring and sedum blanket roofing, to juxtapose the original character of the country house.