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Ffion and James Baker renovated a Grade II-listed Georgian farmhouse in rural Cornwall over two years, updating its layout, heating and interiors while restoring historic details. The family also adapted a barn as an alternative roost for protected bats found in the roof, and converted outbuildings for new uses.
Ffion and James Baker have completed a two-year renovation of a Grade II-listed Georgian farmhouse in rural Cornwall, reshaping it for family life while retaining features including its beams, staircase and archways. The account, published by Ideal Home, describes how the couple updated the house’s layout, insulation and heating and addressed the presence of protected bats in its roof.
The Bakers bought the property despite not having planned to move, Ffion told Ideal Home, because they considered the house a rare opportunity. Before the renovation, it had been used as an equestrian centre, with land, stables and run-down outbuildings. Ffion described the interior as dated, with brightly coloured walls, but said the house had character. The couple planned to make it a family home and develop barns as holiday accommodation.
A major change was removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room to create a shared family space. Ffion said an archway was retained to preserve original coving while helping bring light through the home. The kitchen was replaced with hand-painted grey units and marble worktops; elsewhere, the couple restored beams and the staircase, updated bathrooms, added panelling and used muted paint colours.
The work also addressed practical issues in the granite-built house. Ffion said the couple concentrated on insulation and a new heating system to help keep the building warm and dry, and dug a trench across fields to bring in a new gas pipe. When they discovered bats in the roof, she said they followed conservation advice and created an alternative roost in the barns. The report says the renovation took two years.
Balancing Family Needs and Heritage
The project shows how changes to a listed home can involve more than choosing finishes: the Bakers had to address comfort, layout and wildlife while working with an older building. Their reported approach combined alterations to the interior with repairs and restoration, including retaining architectural details rather than treating the farmhouse as a blank slate.
The bat roost also illustrates how protected wildlife can affect renovation plans. Ffion said the family sought conservation advice after finding bats, and arranged an alternative space in the barns. The account does not identify the species or describe the advice in detail, but it makes clear that the discovery shaped the work.
For the household, the changes expanded how the property is used: the home now accommodates the family, while a converted outbuilding houses Ffion’s holistic therapy business, The Healing Barn. The couple also planned to develop the barns as holiday accommodation, although the report does not give details of bookings or operating status.
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From Equestrian Centre to Home
The house is a Grade II-listed Georgian farmhouse, a designation that identifies it as a building of special architectural or historic interest. James Baker is a property developer who specialises in listed buildings, according to Ffion. The couple’s experience did not remove the difficulties of the work: she described the renovation as stressful alongside raising a young family.
Ideal Home’s report presents the finished home room by room, including the open-plan family area, a refitted kitchen, bespoke hallway storage and updated bedrooms and bathrooms. In one daughter’s bedroom, Ffion said plaster had been falling away, so the room was stripped back to brick and fitted with new windows; the space was also divided to add an en suite. The original bathroom window, she said, was badly rotten and had wisteria growing through it.
“We weren’t looking to move when it came up for sale, but a house like this one is such a rare find we knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
— Ffion Baker, speaking to Ideal Home
Project Details Not Reported
The house tour does not provide the purchase price, renovation budget or a detailed account of planning and listed-building approvals. It also does not specify the heating system installed, the insulation materials used, or which conservation advisers helped with the bats. The report attributes the description of the work and its outcomes primarily to Ffion Baker; it does not include independent verification of the renovation timeline or technical details.
The article says the couple intended to develop barns as holiday accommodation and later planned an orchard and chickens. It does not establish whether those plans have since been completed. The current status of the holiday let and the alternative bat roost is not detailed.
Plans for the Farmstead
Ffion told Ideal Home that the family planned to grow an orchard and raise chickens, echoing the farmhouse’s agricultural past. The couple had also planned to develop the barns into holiday accommodation, while one converted outbuilding is used for her therapy business. The report does not give dates for the next projects or confirm when they will proceed.
Any further work on a listed property or around protected wildlife may require specialist advice and relevant permissions. Whether the Bakers have applied for or received approvals for their future plans is not stated in the account.
Key Questions
Where is the renovated farmhouse?
It is a Georgian farmhouse in rural Cornwall, according to Ideal Home’s house tour.
Who lives in the farmhouse?
Ffion and James Baker live there with their daughters and their cat, Poppy. Ffion is a holistic therapist, and James is a property developer who specialises in Grade II-listed buildings, the report says.
How long did the renovation take?
Ffion said the renovation took two years. The report does not provide a start or completion date.
What changed inside the house?
The couple removed a wall between the kitchen and dining room to create a shared family space, replaced the kitchen, updated bathrooms and restored features including beams and the staircase. They also added hallway storage and panelling.
What happened after bats were found in the roof?
Ffion said the couple followed conservation advice and built an alternative roost in the barns. The report does not identify the bat species or provide further details about the relocation.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
