HART INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY

Chippenham Farm is set in 100 acres of woodland, has its own stables and offers a stunning view on the Suffolk countryside.

Paul is a carpenter, cabinet maker who at some point worked successfully for John Lewis but decided to devote his life to his church and his passion for carpentry and building.

He is a man full of energy and passion who dedicated ten years of his life to design and build his own house from scratch with the help of his family.

Paul has always been interested in old and listed buildings. Having read several books about the construction of timber framed houses, and learnt from his mistakes, he started by cutting trees in Elveden Forest, he then bought a dilapidated old saw mill for 5oo pounds which he renovated, and set about creating a unique green oak timber framed house. This he started in 1998 whilst living with his family in a mobile home in the grounds, and farming reindeers. One year later, the frame was completed and he began to create the interior.

Green oak is easy to work. It is very resistant to worms and beetles, and as it hardens, it becomes a very solid frame.

The house has five bedrooms, a large kitchen, a living room, a billard room, a study, a very light landing, beams inside and outside.

Paul and his wife Mal welcomed me into their kitchen, Dozens of fresh eggs from their own chickens, an old rocking chair by the Fireplace.. Doors and windows are made of oak, as are all the kitchen units. Traditional suffolk latches. The curtain poles in the kitchen are made from old farming implements – pitchforks and shovels. Every single piece of furniture has been made by Paul.

Paul’s favourite place in the house is the landing. An ‘A’ frame requires a supporting bar to be placed one third of the way up from the ground. As Paul is a tall man, this would have meant him ducking every time he walked under. To overcome this problem, he sourced a tree in the forest which had a large bend in the middle, under which he can now walk without ducking.

Paul has always many plans in his head and he is now entirely involved in the construction of what will be the largest green oak framed church in England – an auditorium seating 600 people, an internal courtyard with outdoor seating. If his house is anything to go by, the church should be stunning.