In 2015, Richmond Bell Architects were commissioned to restore and extend a large Georgian old rectory near Tisbury, Wiltshire. The rectory had been divided into separate apartments in the 1970s and fallen into disrepair. RBA devised a scheme to build a large, new kitchen wing to the west of the rectory and add a double height bay and gable to the front to match the one already there. A new front door with large square porch was designed to provide a grand entrance to the house.

Much of the stone used in the original building was preserved and used in the new extensions – particularly notable are the blocks around the side door, which have sets of initials carved into them from when the house was used as a military hospital for Canadian soldiers in World War Two.

Internally, the house was completely reconfigured. The hallway was opened up and a sweeping new stone staircase constructed. A master bedroom suite with separate his and hers dressing rooms was created, along with a large party room on the first floor that opens up into the new gable.

Externally, the Old Rectory has undergone extensive landscaping work, including the installation of a tennis court and ha-ha that marks the end of the formal garden yet allows views across the sweeping landscape. As part of the project, RBA also designed a contemporary, timber-clad pool house and Pilates studio to sit adjacent to the rectory, providing a strong contrast to the classical Georgian building – see here for details.