The adjacent building had been a dwelling, then a milking shed, before being converted to a two storey cottage.
As part of the conversion to the cottage (Stone Barns), and the rebuild of The Stables, the original partition wall had to remain in place to satisfy planning consents.
The architects involved agreed on a strategy to encase the original wall, which was in a poor state and far from plumb. This meant that new walls were constructed either side thus making a sandwich with the original stone as the filling.
I had always seen the top half of the door when working in the loft and once the ceiling in the hall came down it became apparent that it could be used as a feature, with a bit of thought and extra work. (Funny how the extra work is so easily suggested by others – who will never get a sweat on).
So it was that the wall was cut down to expose the whole door and the ceiling framework changed again to incorporate it.
The cottage is about one metre below the stables, grade to grade, so this door is acutally across the transition between the ground and first floor.
The intention is to fit it out as a storage cupboard for infrequently used items.
