500-year-old farmhouse full of charming historic features

entrance hall with door open and grandfather clock with beams flagstone floor and white limewashed walls

(Image credit: Brent Darby)

published 13 August 2022

Falling in love with an ancient farmhouse proved life changing for its new owners. Within moments of stepping inside they decided to buy it, leaving their existing home to take on this historic gem.

The beautifully preserved farmhouse was built in about 1520, so is an incredible 500 years old. Now sensitively renovated and furnished in a traditional style, this former dairy farm truly is one of the world's best homes.

Inspired by period dramas on TV, trips to heritage properties, and illustrations in history books, the owners have taken the farmhouse back to its Tudor origins.

We start our tour inside, at the heart of this very old home.

Dining room

In the impressive double-height dining room you can see right up to the ancient roof structure with its galleried mezzanine. Dining room ideas for this home were about creating a look in keeping with the home's Tudor origins. Tapestry-style fabrics, richly colored rugs and dark wood furniture create the medieval-banquet inspired vibe that the owners wanted, and the perfect setting to entertain friends and family.

Dining room corner with beams and limewashed walls and dark wood chest and table and flagstone floor

The roughly textured dining room walls, like those throughout the house, are limewashed to allow them to breathe. This natural finish also creates the perfect counterpoint to the home's original beams and dark wood furniture – farmhouse chairs, and an old dresser to store glasses and crockery.

Country-style kitchen

cottage kitchen with pine units and white and green tiles and curtains over shelves

The little kitchen at the back of the house oozes cottage charm. Anyone looking for kitchen ideas for a more traditional look, will be inspired by the simple green and white wall tiles, pine cabinets, and curtains hiding the under-counter appliances. The finishing touch, on a rustic wooden shelf, is a collection of copper kettles and pans that belonged to the grandmother of one of the owners.

Living room

Living room ideas are kept very traditional with velvet sofas, tapestry stitched cushions and curtains and traditional Welsh blanket designs. Dark wood coffee and side tables continue the historic look. This is the cosiest spot in the house when the wood-burner is lit and the curtains are drawn.

inglenook fireplace with rustic chair and stairs behind beams with limewashed walls

The living room's inglenook fireplace still contains the original bread oven. Carved into the beam over the fireplace are a series of witch marks, characteristic of the 17th century and believed at the time to protect the property and its inhabitants from evil.

These are not the only secrets of the past concealed in the fabric of the building. Dotted behind doors, tucked into chimney breasts, and hidden in high corners are various faces, dogs and other characters shaped centuries ago from the original lime plaster – all with a sense of fun, and adding to the warm welcome offered by this intriguing home.

Behind an old oak door by the fireplace are the steep stairs to the farmhouse’s upper level.

Mezzanine guest room

bedroom with red welsh blanket under eaves in farmhouse mezzanine with beams and limewashed walls

Above the dining room is a galleried space, created by the previous owners. It is home to the guest bedroom under the eaves, and more treasured furniture, such as this antique bed. The Welsh blanket is an antique.

Main bedroom

double bedroom with dark wood furniture beams and limewashed walls

Bedroom ideas for the main bedroom were chosen to complement the historic Tudor theme elsewhere in the house. So a baronial-style bed was sourced from an online auction, and dressed in William Morris’ Strawberry Thief bedlinen. The sideboard and mirror are antiques.

Hallway

As the heavy front door opened on their first viewing of the house, its new owners say it was a real wow moment. If you're looking for hallway ideas for that kind of instant wow factor, enhancing existing a home's period features is a good way to go.

Everything here is original – the doors have got great chunks taken out of them, and the floors are wonky, but that’s what gives this house its incredible character and charm. Adding accessories and furnishings in keeping with the medieval look further honors the farmhouse’s heritage. The antique rugs were sourced from local antique centers and auctions. The velvet curtains are a William Morris design.

The terraced garden

planted terraced garden with view to patio and house with limewashed walls

At the back of the house is a steeply sloped garden with a view right across the valleys of South Wales from the top. Besides reworking the farmhouse interiors the owners completely redesigned and replanted the garden to make the most of its challenging, but very beautiful situation.

exterior view of 16th century farmhouse with white limewashed walls

The farmhouse was built in about 1520. Its two-feet-thick walls are limewashed both inside and out to allow the ancient stones to breathe. The exterior limewash is reapplied every year to keep it looking fresh.

This intriguing home has stood on this spot for 500 years and its new custodians are doing everything in their power to ensure the house and its garden will bring pleasure for many more years to come.

Feature: Karen Darlow
Photography: Brent Darby
Styling: Pippa Blenkinsop

Karen is the houses editor for homesandgardens.com and homes editor for the brand’s sister title, Period Living, and an experienced writer on interiors and gardens. She loves visiting historic houses for Period Living and working with photographers to capture all shapes and sizes of properties. Karen began her career as a sub editor at Hi-Fi News and Record Review magazine. Her move to women’s magazines came soon after, in the shape of Living magazine, which covered cookery, fashion, beauty, homes and gardening. From Living Karen moved to Ideal Home magazine, where as deputy chief sub, then chief sub, she started to really take an interest in properties, architecture, interior design and gardening.