River House - stylish and contemporary

Above: The spacious kitchen

Above: Master bedroom

Above: Kitchen breakfast area

by Peter Booton

A short distance upstream from Sturminster Newton’s Grade II-listed, part-17th-century working mill stands a detached house of dramatic contemporary style, the recent construction of which in a conservation area has caused quite a bit of controversy. River House, as the property is known, has been described, rather unoriginally, by one national newspaper as ‘a blot on the landscape’. North Dorset District Council felt otherwise and awarded it first place in their 2006 Design Award for architectural excellence.

River House was built between 2004 and 2006 in an elevated position on the west bank of the River Stour on the site of the former Mill Cottage which, in its final days, had become rather rundown. Two applications to demolish this and erect two cottage-style properties on the third-of-an-acre site were rejected by NDDC planning officers.

The site was then taken over by builders and developers Fulcrum (Wessex) Ltd of Corfe Mullen whose proposal to erect a single dwelling of striking contemporary style was accepted. The successful design, by Brian Nicholls of RWN Architects at Broadstone, was described by NDDC planning officers as being ‘…sympathetic to the contours of the site, such that the building form does not stand out as unduly conspicuous.’ In conclusion, they added: ‘Importantly, it is believed that the proposal is now duly respectful of the setting of the historic Mill building and the wider area of the Conservation Area.’

Viewed from the old mill, River House is largely obscured by mature riverside willows, and only walkers on the eastern riverbank, or in the adjoining meadows, can fully appreciate its clean, angular lines, muted tones and expanse of glass. The coating of grey render for part of its walls and circular chimneystack, and grey, powder-coated aluminium-framed doors and windows sensitively reduces its visual impact

Following its completion, the property was purchased by Martin and Carole Jones who also have a home in Surrey, but are no strangers to Dorset, having holidayed at Corfe Castle for the past 20 years. Being keen walkers, rural Dorset held considerable appeal for them, but Martin also wanted a home near water. After viewing a number of properties, quite by chance they came across River House on an estate agent’s website.

They visited the property, checked out the local area – particularly walking country – and decided it was ideal, not only because of its award-winning architecture and wealth of high-quality features, but also because of its riverside location which delighted Martin and gave them a private 100m frontage with fishing rights. And it was the right price!

The interior of Martin and Carole’s home is every bit as stunning as its external appearance.
The oak-floored entrance hall leads into a nine-metre long combined breakfast area and kitchen, fitted with a range of high-quality appliances which include a four-ring induction hob on a central island unit, built-in wine cooler, and an indoor barbecue! Double-glazed, bi-folding doors lead out from the kitchen onto a spacious, paved terrace, ideal for summer dining, which enjoys panoramic views of the River Stour and surrounding countryside.

An oak spiral staircase with inset blue LED lights winds down from the kitchen to the lower ground floor where there is a large sitting room, which also has extensive views, a small bedroom/studio, the all essential utility room, cloakroom/WC and en-suite master bedroom from which Martin and Carole can enjoy private access to the lower-ground-floor terrace. On the upper floor, where a mezzanine study overlooks the kitchen and breakfast area, there are two stylishly furnished guest bedrooms with angular windows and a well-appointed family bathroom which has a multi-jet shower incorporating a light, seat and radio!

River House also has a highly-energy-efficient heating and hot-water system which uses the latest technology to draw heat from the ground outside Martin and Carole’s home. So efficient is it, in fact, that it uses only 1kW of electrical energy to produce 4kW! As Martin points out, if that energy is purchased from a ‘green supplier’ in principle the property would receive a zero-carbon emission rating and be eligible for reduced stamp duty. And if that isn’t enough good news for anyone choosing this kind of system, a government grant of around £1,200 to £1,500 is also available via the installer!

Another high-tech feature is the sophisticated ‘Clipsal’ lighting system which can be controlled remotely via a laptop, personal computer or mobile phone which, Martin explains, is particularly useful on a dark night because the lights can be set ready for their arrival during the journey over from Surrey. Carole admits, though, that she would love to spend more time at her ‘fairytale’ home if work commitments made it possible in the future. At present she is turning one room into her new office and is eagerly awaiting the arrival of broadband.

As well as being delighted with their superb Sturminster Newton home, Martin and Carole say that they thoroughly enjoy being part of the local community and have already made a number of new friends, which happily include a family of ducks who now call by regularly for Carole’s special duck food!

As we went to press, Carole called to say that they had sold their house in Surrey and were now looking forward to spending lots more time at River House.