Faith in Design: Restoring a Lakeland vicarage

Restoring a Lakeland vicarage wasn’t something businessman Mark Ellis had expected to do, until a family get-together changed the direction of his life.

“I wanted a luxurious property, where I could get three generations of my family around the same table,” recalls Mark.

“I started to think maybe it would be a good idea to buy somewhere myself.”

Off the Beaten Track

Mark’s search took him to Eskdale, in the idyllic, but lesser-known, western Lakeland in Cumbria.

Far from the ‘madding crowd’, it’s the place to go for hiking, wild swimming, cycling, and outdoor adventures of all kinds.

For those in the know, Arthur Wainwright called it “one of Lakeland’s loveliest valleys.”

What was less lovely was the condition of the late Victorian vicarage Mark discovered.

Set a stone’s throw from the hamlet of Boot with a 12th-century church, the vicarage’s ‘back garden’ is ten acres of Cumbrian fells.

Two rivers with natural bathing pools mark the boundaries.

The vicarage was not grand, but a solid, stone-built property that had been empty for some time.

Potential to Improve

“It was covered in horrible grey pebble dash and ivy was growing through broken windows, but I only saw potential,” says Mark, who admits his imagination started to run away with him.

“I wanted to create something special; a luxury escape for my family, and this property is the stuff of childhood dreams.”

Happily, Mark found architect Richard Foster to work with him on a project to restore the vicarage and extend, both to the rear and at the side.

“I didn’t want the front to be changed too much, and the side extension is unobtrusive,” says Mark.

“We re-used stone from the rear where we removed a wall for the extension there, clad the side with cedar, and roofed it with local slate.”

To the rear of the vicarage, Mark took down the original wall and extended it outwards.

“I wanted to make the most of the fabulous views, ” says Mark, who framed those views with huge sliding aluminum-framed windows.

Inside, the new extension here has created a vast, open-plan kitchen, living, and dining area, with a double-sided chimney to zone the different areas.

Sustainability Matters

This chimney, like some of the cladding, is built from stone that has been taken from the house and re-used.

Natural materials and sustainability are central to Mark’s vision for this restored Lakeland vicarage.

In addition to the natural cedar cladding and the re-used stone, the interior walls are finished with limewash.

This helps the building to ‘breathe’ and gives a soft, almost ‘cloudy’ finish.

In addition, Mark put the environment first in his construction choices when restoring this Lakeland vicarage.

Insulation in both old and new parts of the building improves the energy efficiency.

Replacement, handmade timber sash windows in the original building have also “massively” improved the home, says Mark.

This Victorian home is no longer draughty, and toes are kept cosy by the new underfloor heating system, run off a new, eco-friendly air source heat pump,

“This is so efficient, I might even have to retrospectively add a mechanical heat ventilation system,” says Mark.

Challenging Times

As any renovator knows, tackling a substantial renovation of a period building like this vicarage always comes with surprises.

For Mark, though, these were of the human variety.

Having opted initially to work with a smaller local building firm, Mark quickly realised that the work simply wasn’t being done.

“It was clear the builder was out of his depth.

“Ultimately, I had to cut my losses and let them go,” Mark says.

For the next six months, the building site was a mud bath, and since the back wall was demolished,

“There was just a tarpaulin, with rain going through the building and nothing happening,” says Mark.

Fortunately, Mark then contracted Leck Construction to complete the job.

Normally focussed on commercial projects, the team at Leck was

“Fantastic, very professional and a breath of fresh air,” says Mark, who learned some valuable lessons from his experience with his original builders.

“Spend a lot of time doing due diligence on your builder, plumber and electrician,” Mark recommends.

“Visit other properties where they have worked and talk to their clients. Don’t just rely on recommendations, testimonial letters or Google reviews.

If you have any nagging doubts about their work or the claims they make or a gut feeling the job is not a good fit for them, don’t work with them.

“Keep looking for an alternative, even if the project is delayed as a result.”

Yet Mark’s trials didn’t end there.

He quickly discovered that some of the work carried out by the first builders was substandard.

There were poor foundations “like dust and chalk” and even the newly built chimney in the wrong place.

“It was heartbreaking,” recalls Mark, who simply had to find solutions and move forward.

Going Bats

However, there was one further twist of the knife when work began on the smaller coach house.

Although Mark had diligently completed bat surveys at the start of the project, no mitigation measures were implemented for the bats found in there.

“I was vicariously liable, which was potentially devastating,” says Mark.

“It caused me many sleepless nights.”

Mark was forced to stop work on the coach house for nine months, which threw the project “massively” behind schedule, costing £80,000.

Mark also found he needed to spend extra money on new bat mitigation measures.

This was upsetting as the original measures were adequate, if they had been implemented.

Despite the blame lying with others, Mark’s positive attitude means he has chosen to avoid that ‘negative energy’ and, “Just face forward and do the best I can,” Mark says.

“If you have a dream, then go for it and keep going, whatever challenges are thrown at you. Don’t give up!”

Nature-Inspired Design

Turning his focus to the interiors, Mark indulged his “passion for design” and turned to award-winning interior designer Melinda Kiss of Keyhole Interiors for help.

Mark He describes the vicarage’s style as “cool Scandi chic meets contemporary alpine,” which is a blend of understated luxury and relaxed comfort.

The finish throughout is exquisite, with a distinctive mix of modern polish and traditional Lakeland character.

Every detail has been considered, from handmade furniture and a bespoke timber kitchen by Room Interiors, to wellie boot warmers and outdoor hot tubs for family gatherings.

Mark says his style is “not cluttered or whimsical,” but rather guided by the setting.

“I took inspiration from the building and its surroundings,” he explains.

The result is a palette that mirrors the landscape, creating a space that feels serene and restorative.

“It’s quite special,” says Mark.

“I wanted to embrace the woodland outside with deep, vivid colour.”

Stone floors, exposed beams and even a library ceiling papered with images of trees complete the effect.

Family Focus

Throughout this long and difficult project restoring a Lakeland vicarage, Mark has remained resolute and committed.

His goal from the start was “to fill the home with joy and family,” and he has certainly done that.

The high point of the entire three-year project was a family New Year celebration, when those three generations came together over a weekend of laughter, games, and shared meals.

“I just love the feeling of total relaxation here, looking out at the stunning landscape and feeling like I’ve escaped to something magical,” says Mark.

“This home  recharges me and my family. We can relax, escape, laugh and unwind. The artwork hanging above the log burner in the library captures that. It simply says:

“My soul this place doth restore again.”

Copeland House is available to rent via www.luxurycottages.co.uk