We first saw the location for this house on a crisp November morning and were immediately entranced by the soft blue light of a northern dawn and snow on the distant Penhill.
Our clients briefed us on the history of the lead mining village and we visited the ruins of many old mills. Travelling south on the train with a copy of Robert Taylor Clough's The Lead Smelting Mills of the Yorkshire Dales, it became clear that the house should take its lead from these strong and noble constructions.
The stone house is in two conceptual parts: the tower and the mill. The glazed entrance is to be found between these and from here one can look to the distant moors to the south. Our client, an avid musician, has a music room with panoramic views from three sides of the room in the tower. On the opposite side of the entrance is the main living and kitchen space, which is acoustically far enough away from the music room.
