Renovated Cotswold Barn Garden

The brief initially sounded simple: renew the patio. But when I visited the garden, it was clear that there was an opportunity to achieve so much more.

At the bottom of the tired, underused garden stood a beautiful Cotswold barn, full of character and potential. The existing patio was positioned at the northern end of the garden, where it was often shaded, so the cost of replacing it in the same location was discussed with the client, along with whether this would really make the best use of their budget.

By asking the right questions and looking at how the family wanted to use the garden, the brief evolved into a complete garden redesign. It was agreed that the aim should be to create a stronger connection between the house and the barn, which could become a destination and entertaining space for family and friends. The design would also introduce more practical areas for gardening, together with new, sunny seating areas around the barn at the southern end of the garden.

The garden was cleared, retaining only the established trees and hedging. The boundaries were strengthened with new beech hedges, pleached trees, wooden trellis and carefully positioned metal estate fencing. This created a sense of enclosure and privacy while retaining views out across the paddocks and surrounding countryside.

Rather than simply removing everything, opportunities were identified to reuse existing materials. The old northern patio was taken up and its antique limestone paving was repurposed to create a gently curving gravel path along one side of the garden. This is now richly planted with shrubs and perennials in a palette of blues, pinks and greens, giving the garden a softer, more naturalistic feel.

At the heart of the design are four large beds planted with hornbeam trees, underplanted with grasses and perennials. These provide structure, rhythm and a strong central focus, while a new central axis draws the eye through the garden towards a small patio beneath an existing willow tree.

At the barn end, a sunny new terrace was created for relaxed seating and a hot tub. Roses climb the barn’s pillars, while gravel planting around the terrace creates a warm, Mediterranean feel. A more contemporary paving has been used here to provide an intentional contrast with the traditional Cotswold stone of the barn.

The finished garden has transformed the way the family uses the space. The house and barn now feel connected, with the garden providing a natural journey between the two and a series of spaces for entertaining, relaxing and gardening. The barn has become a much-loved gathering place for family and friends, while one of the unexpected successes of the project has been the client’s growing enthusiasm for gardening.

Importantly, the project was achieved by making thoughtful use of the existing garden and materials, rather than simply starting again. Reusing the antique limestone paving, retaining established trees and hedging, and investing the budget where it would have the greatest impact allowed the garden to be transformed in a considered and sustainable way.

If your garden has a building, outbuilding or forgotten area that you’d like to connect more successfully with the rest of the space — or if your existing patio simply isn’t working for you — do get in touch and we can transform your garden too!