Original beams are a highlight of this Oxfordshire barn conversion. Photo: Scott Fraser <\/p>\n
Few features enhance a home more than exposed beams, making them highly desirable. “They showcase original craftsmanship and architectural history, adding instant character,” explains Nicky Quentel, director of Savills<\/a>, Summertown.<\/p>\n “When retained, they allow period properties to be modernised while preserving their structural integrity and charm. The result is a warm, cosy, and homely atmosphere that many buyers associate with quintessential British houses,” she added.<\/p>\n From cottages to a converted barn, we’ve picked the best properties with timber beams intact.<\/p>\n A spacious reception room with a beamed cathedral ceiling, log burner and spiral staircase leading up to a gallery is at the heart of Longford Cottage. The four bedroom stone-built property sits on the banks of the River Garnock and also has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen\/diner, a two-acre garden and fishing rights. Find out more from Galbraith<\/a>.<\/p>\n This timber-framed cottage is believed to date back to 1650 and previously comprised two adjoining cottages in a row of six overlooking the village common.<\/p>\n Inglenook fireplaces grace the kitchen and sitting room, and there\u2019s a dining room and utility. Three double bedrooms and two bathrooms are on the first-floor, which is accessed by two separate staircases. Contact HJ Burt<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read more: 10 quirky homes to grab before they’re gone<\/a><\/p>\n Beautifully maintained and improved by the current owners, Garden Cottage is deceptively spacious. It\u2019s located in a popular village and comprises four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sitting room, study, kitchen and dining room and exposed beams throughout.<\/p>\n The south-facing walled garden contains fruit trees and flower and vegetable beds. Via Savills<\/a>.<\/p>\n Martyrs Cottage lies in a rural hamlet and exudes rustic charm, with inglenook fireplaces, flagstone and oak floors and an array of timber beams.<\/p>\n Entered through an ancient oak door, the ground floor includes a cosy sitting room, a country kitchen and a formal dining hall, and the four bedrooms are arranged over the first and second floors. A self-contained two-bedroom cottage could potentially be rented out. From Sowerbys<\/a>.<\/p>\n A modern two-storey extension has doubled the size of Sea View, an 18th-century cottage that successfully blends old and new.<\/p>\n There are exposed ceiling beams in the sitting room, dining room and two bedrooms, and the extension houses an open-plan kitchen and living space, two more bedrooms and two bathrooms. Further accommodation is provided in a detached studio annex. Get in touch with Marchand Petit<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read more: 9 pink and green houses to dispel winter gloom<\/a><\/p>\n Exposed honey-coloured timbers have been retained in most rooms in Neaves Farmhouse, a sensitively refurbished 16th-century house which was extended in about 1850.<\/p>\n The sitting room, dining room and kitchen\/breakfast room are all dual aspect, and three double bedroom and a bathroom occupy the first floor, with a fourth bedroom on the ground floor. Via John D Wood<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you want a home with wow factor, check out this converted barn, incorporating three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a superb 55-foot long open plan kitchen, dining and entertaining space. Flooded with natural light, this room features a double-height vaulted ceiling with exposed timber beams and is fitted with top-end Bulthaup units and a central island. Through Scott Fraser<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read more: 9 welcoming homes that are ideal for hosting guests<\/a><\/p>\n Even by the standards of Ledbury, a market town famed for its well-preserved timber-framed buildings, Rhea Court is something special.<\/p>\n This eight-bedroom country house comes with 30 acres of land plus an annex with a games room – currently an Airbnb – and a new barn that be used for a business, to house ponies or store classic cars. A second barn is being converted into a spa complex, though work isn\u2019t yet complete. By Morgan Aps<\/a>.<\/p>\n With roots in the 13th century, New Place Manor is the town\u2019s oldest recorded house and steeped in history. Includes seven bedrooms, a magnificent triple-height kitchen, elegant bathrooms and medieval features such as exposed beams galore and a 17-foot wide inglenook fireplace.<\/p>\n A stone archway in the grounds was built for Queen Elizabeth I\u2019s visit in 1591, and a 16th-century dovecote is thought to be unique in Europe. Through Knight Frank<\/a>.<\/p>\n Boasting stained glass windows, over half an acre of grounds and a vaulted, beamed reception room, you\u2019d expect to find Pepys House in the heart of a country town rather than within striking distance of the City of London and Borough Market. The four-bedroom townhouse dates from 1860 and was built on a site that was used for bear baiting pits during Elizabethan times and mentioned in Samuel Pepys’s diary. Contact Strutt & Parker<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple<\/a> and Android<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Original beams are a highlight of this Oxfordshire barn conversion. Photo: Scott Fraser Few features enhance a home…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":386054,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[145906,6225,6485,6486,145903,145908,1120,145905,96,145900,145909,145901,18018,145907,145902,145904,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-386053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-architectural-history","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-barn-conversion","tag-century-cottage","tag-design","tag-dining-room","tag-entertainment","tag-exposed-beams","tag-exposed-timber-beams","tag-reception-room","tag-savills","tag-scott-fraser","tag-sitting-room","tag-timber-beams","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386053"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386053\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/386054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} The 17th century cottage is in immaculate condition. Photo: Galbraith <\/p>\n
Two adjoining cottages were knocked through. Photo: HJ Burt <\/p>\n
The cottage is bigger than it looks. Photo: Savills <\/p>\n
Over 500 years of history are within these walls. Photo: Sowerbys <\/p>\n
Glimpse the sea from the top of this extended cottage. Photo: Marchand Petit <\/p>\n
The former farmhouse is fully refurbished. Photo: Vladimir Melnic \u00b7 VLADIMIR MELNIC <\/p>\n
Ancient beams contrast with the modern interior. Photo: Scott Fraser <\/p>\n
Keep your options open here. Photo: Morgan Aps <\/p>\n
Bathrooms don’t get more atmospheric than this.. Photo: Knight Frank <\/p>\n
The house sits on a historic site. Photo: Strutt & Parker <\/p>\n