Wood Street, Bushley, GL20

Brooklands is a substantial contemporary barn conversion in the rural hamlet of Bushley Green surrounded by a broad sweep of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire countryside. Completed in 2019, the house was created by the current owners from an old agricultural building on their land, retaining the long, low character of the original footprint whilst introducing vaulted spaces, generous glazing and a distinctly modern way of living. The home is arranged predominantly across the ground floor, with five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a superb open-plan kitchen, dining and living room, a separate sitting room, home office and practical service spaces. Upstairs, there are two bedroom suites located alongside a galleried landing that works equally well as a games room or quieter retreat. Throughout, the design is shaped by light, views and ease: a country house conceived for family life, but with enough architectural clarity to feel calm and considered.

A Sense Of Space From The Start

The driveway opens onto a generous parking area. From here, Brooklands presents as a confident modern interpretation of its agricultural origins: an elongated profile, simple lines and substantial areas of glazing that draw the surrounding landscape into the house. The entrance hall immediately establishes the scale. Its vaulted ceiling and tall windows create a bright, open space, whilst the staircase and built in storage organise the area without interrupting the sense of flow. Natural light reaches deep into the home and the principal rooms unfold from here with an ease that suits both everyday family life and larger gatherings. Underfloor heating extends across both floors, keeping the interiors uncluttered and comfortable.

Living With Light And Landscape

At the front of the house, the former pigsty has been absorbed into the conversion to form a substantial, characterful sitting room. Its proportions are generous, its outlook is broad and the Maestro gas fire provides a strong contemporary focal point. The current owners use this room as a cinema space, a role that makes good sense: it feels comfortably removed from the busiest part of the house yet remains closely connected to the central hall. Triple-aspect views are a particular feature here, reaching across fields towards Bredon Hill and the Cotswold escarpment. The larger open-plan living space at the rear has a different rhythm. Here, the kitchen, dining and sitting areas share one expansive room, with bi-fold doors opening the interior to the garden and fields beyond.

It’s a sociable home, the scale allows each area to hold its own identity, whilst the second Maestro gas fire brings warmth and focus to the sitting end. Remote-controlled day and night blinds, extensive glazing and the south-westerly outlook allow the room to change character with the seasons.

The Heart Of The Home

The kitchen is the current owners’ favourite space, largely for the view across the garden to the open fields beyond. Fitted out by Parlour Farm Kitchens, it combines painted cabinetry with quartz worktops and a large central island, creating a generous working space at the centre of the room. An electric Aga anchors the cooking area, whilst the island forms a natural point for food preparation, informal entertaining, breakfast, and overseeing children doing their homework. This is a kitchen designed to be part of the day rather than screened from it. The dining table sits comfortably between the working kitchen and the garden doors, with the living area beyond, so a quiet breakfast and a full house are handled with equal ease. Practical the heart of the home rooms sit close by: a separate laundry room, boot room and guest cloakroom, together with direct access outside. This arrangement keeps the open-plan room composed whilst giving the house the storage and working space a rural family home needs.

Space To Work, Play And Unwind

A dedicated home office sits just off the kitchen and living room, providing a useful degree of separation without feeling remote from the rest of the house. Its position beside the rear entrance and boot room also makes it practical for anyone who receives occasional visitors or works flexibly from home. Upstairs, the galleried landing is far more than a circulation space. Measuring approximately 14’1” by 12’7”, it offers room for games, reading, study or as an informal sitting area, and gives access to extensive fitted cupboards and walk in attic storage. The current owners describe the upper storage area as fully lit, with no ladder required, and the roof is well insulated. This is the sort of quietly useful space that allows the main rooms to remain orderly.

And So To Bed

Three bedrooms are positioned on the ground floor allowing Brooklands to also work particularly well for multigenerational living. The principal bedroom is dual aspect, with fitted wardrobes and a well-proportioned en suite bathroom containing both a bath and separate shower. Two further double bedrooms share the family shower room and are arranged together beyond the entrance hall. The two double bedrooms on the first floor, each have their own en suite shower rooms. Bedroom four is especially generous and includes fitted wardrobe storage, whilst bedroom five sits beside the galleried landing. The arrangement gives guests or older children a floor with a real sense of independence, without separating them completely from the life of the house below. The bathrooms were installed as part of the 2019 conversion and include Harvey George cabinetry, Beswick Stone tiling and fittings sourced from Victorian Plumbing, with Farrow & Ball paint colours used in the scheme. The result is cohesive and contemporary, with practical layouts and good water pressure.

Gardens, Sunsets And Open Countryside

The principal garden lies behind the house, where a paved terrace with a walled border provides an immediate outdoor extension to the kitchen and living room and creates that indoors-meets-outdoors vibe in the summer months. Steps rise to a broad area of lawn, with open fields beyond and woodland in the distance. Its south-westerly orientation is a defining quality: afternoons lengthen naturally into evenings here, and the current owners have particularly enjoyed the sunsets and changing skies. There is further lawn to the front, together with the large gravelled parking area for multiple cars. The overall garden area with the balance between terrace, lawn and open outlook gives Brooklands a strong sense of space without the demands of extensive land.

The Setting

Bushley Green is a small rural hamlet above the village of Bushley, with a close knit, community-minded character. The green and its cricket ground form a natural focus, whilst Bushley itself has a village hall and St Peter’s Church. Bredon School, an independent day and boarding school for pupils aged eight to eighteen with a dyslexia-friendly specialism, is based at nearby Pull Court. Nearby Tewkesbury provides for everyday essentials, including supermarkets, independent shops, cafés, restaurants, leisure facilities and healthcare, as well as the Abbey, the medieval town centre and riverside walks. The wider position is particularly useful: the M50 and M5 are readily accessible, bringing Cheltenham, Gloucester and Worcester within easy reach. Ashchurch for Tewkesbury station provides rail connections northbound to Birmingham and southbound to Cheltenham, Bristol and the West Country. For anyone looking to balance country life with schools, work and travel, Brooklands’ location is ideal.

Brooklands was not simply refurbished by the current owners; it was created by them. Their conversion of an old barn was completed in 2019. No subsequent structural alterations or major improvements have been made since because the house, its kitchen and bathrooms all formed part of that single, considered programme. That origin explains its most successful qualities. This home provides wonderful, generous accommodation for modern day living. The everyday rooms face the landscape. Three ground-floor bedrooms give the plan lasting flexibility, whilst the upper floor provides independence and abundant storage. Energy-conscious elements, including an air source heat pump, underfloor heating throughout and substantial roof insulation, were incorporated from the outset. It is a modern country house with the clarity of a purpose-built home and the individuality of a barn conversion.