Historic thatched roof cottage for sale in Hampshire
The exposed timber beams, brick fireplace and vaulted ceilings are just some of the charming reminders of this cottage‘s traditional origins. The converted farmhouse is believed to date back to the 17th century, and the village of Cliddesden has its roots even further back – as far as the 11th century.
Today, the charming village is a tight-knit community with a friendly atmosphere, not to mention a great place for hikers and cyclists, who enjoy meandering the many scenic routes in the surrounding countryside.
The south east facing gardens at Manor Farm Cottage join seamlessly to the surrounding farmland, as fields become foliage and flower beds, until finally, they reach the brick paved patio terrace at the back door, a wonderful space for long summer evenings. The garden is also host to a greenhouse, two sheds and a garden room.
Entering the French patio doors takes you into the sitting room and dining room, fresh, open spaces, punctuated by the stunning timber beams.
Meanwhile, a bright and fully-fitted kitchen with access to the patio leads to a cosy study, where golden oak panelling makes it a compelling spot for reading and relaxing.
Upstairs, new owners will have no shortage of space – the five bedrooms, four of which are doubles, all have built-in wardrobes.
This property is currently for sale for £1,050,000 with Knight Frank.
15 stylish garden parasols and garden umbrellas for summer
Geisha Purple Parasol
A charming addition to any outdoor setting, we love this domed parasol in a pretty purple colourway. It has an easy-to-use pulley system, making the umbrella simple to open and close. You might also like the light brown version here.
Staycation Vintage Parasols Tassel Fringed Outdoor Parasol
This FSC-certified garden parasol is sure to make a style statement, thanks to its playful print and charming tassels. It can be tilted in multiple different ways, so you’ll always be protected from the sun, and it comes in a carry bag for convenience.
Staycation Vintage Parasols Outdoor Parasol
We love the vintage look of this striped garden parasol. It’s been constructed with a solid beechwood pole (FSC-certified) and a UVF50 and water-resistant canvas canopy. The multi-position tilt function means you can avoid moving the parasol around throughout the day. It’s available in four colours: pink, aquamarine, blue and brown.
Garden Parasol
This classic garden umbrella from John Lewis’ Anyday range is a great budget option. It doesn’t skimp on quality though, with a decent sized, water-resistant canopy providing UV50 sun protection. It’s available in blue and grey.
Business Pleasure Co. Lemon Print Woven Outdoor Umbrella
From retro-inspired deck chairs to canvas cooler bags, Aussie brand Business Pleasure Co. always nail the beachy aesthetic. This pretty parasol is made for lazy summer days by the coast, surrounded by family and friends. The UV and water-resistant canopy should look lovely for years, while the crank handle and cantilever action offers easy adjustment.
It comes with a matching carry bag for faff-free transportation, too.
Parasol with Solar Lights
Here’s another one with lights to enjoy, but it’s in dark grey instead. It also features solar lights, so you can enjoy it as the evening draws in, and a tilting mechanism.
Banana Parasol
No parasol hole in your garden furniture set? No problem. This sleek overhanging umbrella from VonHaus will sit neatly next to your table instead, reaching overhead for all your shading needs. We’d say it’s suitable for small-to-medium tables; we tried it with our 10-seater setup and a few seats at the end didn’t get the full benefit. Choose this to accompany bistro or dining sets sitting up to six.
Nonetheless, it’s easy to set up, taking about 15 minutes, and earned multiple compliments from guests on its Smart looks. The crank handle works smoothly, and the parasol has UV30 coating for an extra boost of sun protection. You’ll need to buy the base separately, but it’s currently on offer with a £5 discount.
Floral Garden Parasol
Oliver Bonas’ gorgeous garden parasol is top of our wishlist right now. The delicate floral print and elegant tassel trim makes for an eye-catching piece that we would happily sit underneath for hours. It’s certain to get compliments from your guests.
Sundown Parasol Handmade Balinese Garden Parasol
Handmade by Balinese craftspeople, this beautiful parasol features hand-painted gold inked detailing and hand-sewn tassel and ornament details. It’s a real statement piece that’ll add an airy boho feel to your space.
Freestanding Parasol Base
This wind-up parasol will provide plenty of shade, thanks to its ability to rotate 360-degrees. Its weather-resistant canopy features a UV50 protection, and the pole is height-adjustable. It’s freestanding too, meaning you don’t need a table to prop it up. Just fill up the included base with sand or water to keep it steady. It comes in two colours.
HK Living Graphic Twist Beach Umbrella
This retro-inspired umbrella is perfect for the garden, but can also be packed up and taken to the beach, too. The colourful print and mustard detailing is sure to attract attention for all the right reasons. It doesn’t have a base, but it has a pointed tip so you can secure it in soft grass or sand.
Snap it up if you’re tempted, as it’s selling out fast!
The Little Top Garden Parasol
This beautiful handmade garden parasol is adorned with fringing and tassels for a lovely finish. We think this would look lovely at a garden party or alfresco event. It’s available in two more colours.
Carousel Grey Crank and Tilt Parasol
This grey option features beaded tassels for additional decoration, and it can be tilted to shade you no matter the direction the sun is shining. It also includes a carry bag, so you can tuck it away neatly once you retreat inside.
Dakota Fields Traditional Parasol
This garden parasol has four solar-powered LED lights inside the canopy to add a pretty twinkle to your space. Once charged, the lights can last for up to eight hours. The UVF50 canopy is also made of fade-resistant, water-repellent polyester, ensuring it will stay beautiful season after season.
A light beige option is available, too.
The Forest Co Fringed Beach Umbrella
Perfect for the beach or in your garden, this striped parasol makes a real statement, adding colour and character to any space. It comes with a matching fabric carrier bag, and it’s available in three colours.
Modern Home with a Thatched Roof
This classic country home is a great example of how beautifully solar panels can be integrated into a traditional thatched roof design. The Dutch architects Möhring Arkitekten have created an exterior that is almost indistinguishable from the homes of yesteryear, while producing an interior that offers an unashamedly contemporary design. The property lies close to a village on the peninsula of Dass, a German city on the southern shores of the Baltic Sea. The architects have used many of the traditional local construction materials and this may explain the understated integration of contemporary and traditional styles. But the real highlight in this home is a series of skylights that run along the roof of the main living area. For beautiful photos and more details, join us on a photo tour of this very unique country home.
Thatched roof with solar panels
Thatched homes of the past had a cosy but decidedly private facade. But this modern bungalow presents a much more open approach. While there is a thatched roof and a traditional red ochre facade, it is teamed with floor to ceiling glass walls on both sides of the building. This creates a sense of airiness that is continued on the thatched roof. There, a series of glass solar panels run along the spine of the roof to really elevate the home into another level of light airiness.
Angular layout
The floor space of this home is just 145 square meters, but owners wanted a single-storey holiday home for around 6-8 occupants. The solution was to build an angular house with two equal-length sides enclosing an existing courtyard. From this angle we can see the small courtyard area, the bare grass lawn and the simple, open glass walls of both buildings. This layout enabled the architects to build in a central social area that could work for a large amount of people, while allowing the bathrooms and bedrooms to be located on the quieter end of the building.
Spacious living area
From this viewpoint we can see the interior living area at the intersection of the two buildings. A generous, built in fireplace offers warmth and a long wooden dining table promises leisurely lunches. While the dominant decor is minimalist, traditional warmth is created by the use of natural materials in the slate grey floor and wooden detailing.
Sky Windows
Here in the open plan kitchen is the real highlight of this home—a stunning series of skylights. The minimalist kitchen design has few details and simple finishes of pale wood and white. But it’s the skylights that really catch our attention. The skylights zig-zag across the roof and peak into this stunning inverted cascade.
Transparent walls
The glass walls here provide an unobstructed view of the green woodland surroundings. This unifies the interior and exterior spaces and invites the natural beauty of the surroundings to play a part in the decoration of the home. Recessed sliding doors are used throughout the main rooms of the building as well. With up to nine people occupying the space, the sliding rooms are useful for allowing the occupants the flexibility of adapting the space into an open plan layout.
Country bedroom
This home is not just a place for entertaining, it is also a place of quiet retreat for its occupants. While the open living areas offer a sociable area to bring people together, the bedrooms offer a quieter and more traditional atmosphere. Much of this is due to the painted wooden ceiling beams and the older style wooden wardrobe. But the bedrooms are also located on the quieter end of the home to ensure the occupants can really revel in the peace and quiet of country living. If you are interested in modern bungalows, you would love this Ideabook homify 360º a modern French country home.
What do you think of the integration of traditional and contemporary elements here? We’d love to hear in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below!
Need help with your home project? Get in touch!
Rooftop Solar Panels VS Ground Mounted Solar Panels
Most people picture the roof of a building when they think about solar panels. However, did you know that in some scenarios having ground mounted solar panels actually be more beneficial?
Ground Mounted Solar Panels And Solar Farms
A ‘solar farm’ – otherwise known as a photovoltaic power station – refers to an area of land used to generate electricity through solar panels. These solar farms generally use ground mounted solar panels for several reasons;
- Ground Mounted Solar panels can follow the path of the sun.
- Allows you to place a vast amount of Solar panels, as long as you have the land available.
- No need to worry about the structural integrity of a building or roof.
- Easier access for repairs and cleaning.
- effective than mounting panels on a north-facing gable (slanted) rooftop.
As mentioned above, the ground framework allows your panels to follow the path of the sun. This means they receive more light across more hours of the day, but only in areas unobstructed by things like trees and buildings. The flatter the horizon, the more effective your panels will be.
Are Ground Mounted Solar Panels The Best?
The main thing to consider when deciding where to install solar panels is why you’re installing them in the first place.
Obviously, solar farms serve the specific purpose of generating as much solar energy as possible. If you’re seeking solar panel installation to offset energy bills at home then you would probably find rooftop mounting a better solution.
Ground mounted solar panels work for a solar farm because their sole purpose is converting UV rays into usable electricity. However, for a home or business would you be willing to sacrifice your garden, or other available land, to generate green energy?
Rooftop Solar Panels
When it comes to rooftop installation the types of roofs and access point/s to said roofs makes each job a little different. In fact, even the material that your roof is made from can impact rooftop solar panel installation!
The best types of material for rooftop solar panel installation are;
- Tiles,
- Slate,
- Composite roofing,
- Metal (especially roofs with standing seams),
- Tar and gravel (commonly used for flat roofs).
These roofing materials all make good options due to their durability, lifespan, and ease of repair/ restructuring.
Tiles and slate shingles can be removed and the solar panels mounted directly to the roofbeams, or brackets can be placed onto the shingles if they’re stable enough. Whereas a metal roof with seams allows the solar panels to be attached to these seams, potentially lowering installation costs.
Where not to Install Solar Panels?
Rooftops that we recommend against for solar panel installation are materials like thatch and wood. This is due to the risk of rotting and fire;
- Solar panels naturally block an area of your roof from receiving sunlight. For materials like wood and thatched straw this means the roof underneath your panels will decay. Especially in wetter countries like the United Kingdom.
- Wooden and thatched roofs already pose a higher risk of fire than other materials. Bearing this in mind, adding an electrical element on top is unsafe.
When installing panels on a gable rooftop they’re usually directly mounted. This means that they’re attached firmly to your roof. As such, unlike ground mounted solar panels they’re unable to be moved or follow the path of the sun; receiving less light throughout the day.
Contact Us
Now you know how solar panels are installed you can consider the difference they’ll make to your business. System EV have over twenty years in the electrical industry and are happy to work with you on your commercial project.
Please don’t hesitate to get in contact if you have any additional questions, or want to start the process of your commercial solar panel installation.
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Solar is the future of roofing
From your trusted traders at Roofing Matters Group, they have now launched Solar Matters Group, where they will officially start installing solar panels. This has been a long time waiting for them and they are very excited to reduce our carbon footprint and make the world a greener place! Here, we are going to catch you up with everything new on solar.
What is solar energy?
The sun’s energy can be converted into electricity through solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. It’s an incredible and renewable resource that has the power to fuel life on earth and provide clean, sustainable energy. In fact, more energy from the sun reaches our planet in one hour than is used by the entire population of the world in one year.
How does solar energy work?
PV modules absorb sunlight and convert the energy into a usable form of electrical current. The sun shines all over the world, making solar electricity viable anywhere. Because solar can be paired with batteries for energy storage, it’s independent of the utility grid. Making them cost-effective for remote locations.
Solar modules keep maintenance costs low, and have a long service life of 25 years of guaranteed electricity. Solar electricity relies on the sun as its fuel source, so there is no need to drill for petroleum-based fuels.
What type of roof can I fit a solar panel on?
Good news, all roof types are good for PV panels, except green roofs and thatched roofs. Some flat green roofs have free-standing PV panels on them, while PV panels on thatched roofs require a very complex restructuring. Because of their softer covering, green roofs and thatched roofs can’t hold conventional PV panels.
What can solar energy be used for?
PV panels can generate the electricity you need to light your home and power your appliances. If you make your home more energy efficient at the same time as installing your solar energy system, you could find that your PV panels provide the bulk of your electricity needs.
If you have a hybrid or electric vehicle, you can use the energy generated by your PV panels to charge your car at home.
What are the main advantages to solar energy?
A ray of sunshine travels 93 million miles to reach the Earth. Let’s make it count.
If you would like to get in contact with Solar Matters Group, you can contact their team here. They can arrange for Daryl, to provide you a free quotation.