A new farm dwelling

A new home designed for modern living but well-suited to its rural situation has been built by the Ernest Cook Trust as part of a major upgrade to a dairy operation in Dorset.  

The four-bedroom detached house sits just outside the local conservation area but has been designed to fit with the character of the village of Trent, near Yeovil, and is faced in local stone with raised parapets.  

It took around ten months to build using South West based contractors and reflects The Ernest Cook Trust’s policy of investing in its land and buildings, creating quality assets that will last. 

Lady’s Lane Cottage is insulated to the highest standards and heated by an air source heat pump. Solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of the detached double carport alongside the house help cover the cost of running the heat pump.  

The new house sits alongside a modern 24-48 swing over milking parlour allowing for the milking of 250 cows and puts the farm manager close to his place of work. Milk from the farm is sold to Somerset cheese-maker Barbers. 

Claire, our Head of Estate Management, worked alongside Maintenance and Construction Manager Chris on the project. Claire said:  

This project has been part of a larger consolidation and investment project which has involved the release of three listed dwellings – two of them Grade 1 – which had become unviable for use within the farming business. 

Two of these properties have now been sold to raise capital for this and other investment projects across the estates. This revenue helps to support the Trust’s charitable object of education, funding and delivering Outdoor Learning opportunities.