In 1884, G.F. Bodley restored the Church of All Saints at Wilbarston. Bodley was one of the finest Gothic Revival architects of his generation — a pupil of George Gilbert Scott whose work ranged from parish churches to cathedrals — and among his additions at Wilbarston were painted roof decorations in the medieval style, stencilled directly onto the timber structures. What interests me as an architect is the quality of attention he brought to a village church. He treated the building with the same care he applied to far larger commissions, understanding that the medieval craft tradition he admired was not a matter of scale but of discipline. The church, Grade II* listed, dates from the twelfth century with significant fourteenth-century work in the chancel and south aisle. Wilbarston itself is built from Jurassic limestone on the upper edge of a dramatic escarpment, rising some fifty metres with long views to the north.
Award-winning Architects in Wilbarston
Award-winning Standards at Every Scale
The Deerings, a certified Passivhaus home in Hertfordshire, won the RIBA East Award in 2018 — and like Bodley's work at Wilbarston, it demonstrates that the standard of design does not depend on the size of the project. I was a finalist for Sustainability Architect of the Year at the Building Design Awards the same year, and in 2025 I was invited to judge the British Homes Awards. I founded Gresford Architects in London in 2006, and we now work from Oxford with clients across the country. I am an ARB-registered and RIBA Chartered architect, a member of SPAB — the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings — the Passivhaus Trust and The Green Register. Our projects have been published in Dezeen, Grand Designs Magazine and The Modern House Journal.
Architectural Services Near Market Harborough
Sustainable Design connects every project we take on, and in Wilbarston the escarpment position gives the principle a practical edge. Houses on the ridge face different conditions from those in the sheltered valleys below — more wind, more weather, more heat loss. Good design responds to those conditions rather than ignoring them. PassivHaus Design sets our benchmark for new construction, delivering certified comfort with minimal energy demand. New Build Design in Wilbarston should respect the Jurassic limestone character of a village perched on its dramatic edge. For sites in the countryside around the parish, Paragraph 84 of the National Planning Policy Framework provides a route to architecturally outstanding homes — but the design must be worthy of a landscape whose long views to the north mean the building will be seen from a distance.
Renovations in Wilbarston engage with a building stock shaped by the escarpment position and the quality limestone that the ridge provides. The church, with Bodley's painted roof surviving above its medieval arcading, demonstrates that careful restoration can add to a building's value across the centuries. The stone cottages and houses throughout the village use the local Jurassic limestone. North Northamptonshire Council handles planning for the parish. Through my membership of SPAB, I approach these buildings with the understanding that solid stone walls manage moisture through their mass and their lime mortar — and that any renovation must work with that behaviour.
EnerPHit, the Passivhaus Institute's certified retrofit standard, is well suited to the exposed properties on this ridge. Houses on the escarpment face more wind and weather than their valley counterparts, which means higher heat loss and greater exposure to driving rain. Vapour-open insulation, careful airtightness detailing, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery can transform them — warmer, quieter, dramatically cheaper to run — while the limestone facades continue to weather as they always have.
Extension Design in Wilbarston must account for the exposed position and the long views that give the village its drama. An extension on the escarpment edge will be visible from a distance, and the design must work at that scale as well as close up. Whether the brief is a ground-floor extension connecting the house to the garden, a garden room, or additional space above, the design should make the whole building feel more resolved while sitting comfortably within the limestone village fabric.
Bodley brought cathedral standards to a village church, and the painted roof still looks down on the congregation. If you are considering a project here, we would welcome the conversation.