Fremington Hall Farm

About Us

Chris grew up in Cumbria, where he acquired an appetite for the outdoors, walking and pubs. Knowing that he wanted to settle in the North, Chris bought the property in March 2012. The main house, Fremington Hall, (south of Fremington Hall Farm) was in disrepair and took a number of years to become habitable again. At the time of purchase, it hadn’t been updated in about 50 years and hadn’t been lived in for six.

During 2012 -2015, Chris was living and working in Brighton, East Sussex. He spent countless weekends staying at the local caravan site in order to get Fremington Hall back to being a in a liveable state.

Chris works in the renewable energy sector. During his 19 years living in Brighton, his career led to working on the development of the Rampion Offshore Windfarm, which can be seen off the Sussex coast. It is safe to say, he is certainly not shy of a project and when he took on the house and barn, his dream was always to settle up here and convert the barn into an eco-friendly holiday home.

Chris and Claire met in Brighton and have been together since 2016. Claire is an Art teacher and currently works at The Wensleydale School in Leyburn. She has been visiting Fremington in school holidays for several years. She fell in love with the area, (and Chris) so made the Northern leap in summer 2022. Chris set out to pursue his dream and now Fremington Hall Farm is a joint venture. 

Restoring the barn

The barn restoration took three years to complete, (and not without its setbacks). Chris was granted permission to convert the building into a dwelling in 2018 and started works in 2019. The Covid pandemic slowed things down, but by summer 2022 it was finally complete.

A barn restoration is not an easy feat but it is a very rewarding process. It is a joy to see a derelict building come to life. The aim was always to restore the building sensitively, keeping its integrity and to ensure its longevity. Old stone barns of course were intended for livestock, which was the case with Fremington Hall Farm, so it’s been quite an undertaking. Repairing the roof and waterproofing it was the first stage, as well as connecting the building to water, electricity and sewage. The final touches, were choosing carpet and curtain fabrics. Needless to say, there has been a great deal of thought and attention that has gone into every detail in this charming abode. 

Every endeavour has been taken to ensure that Fremington Hall Farm was restored in a sustainable way. The building meets criteria as an eco-friendly holiday let. Find out more about sustainability at Fremington Hall Farm below.  

Electric Vehicle charging points will be coming to Fremington Hall Farm in 2024!


Sustainability at Fremington Hall Farm

  • Positioned solar panels on the roof of the two outhouses. There is 19 altogether, which contribute 5.68kW of power.
  • The ground source heat pump generates enough energy to produce heating, under floor heating and hot water for FHF.
  • Efforts to protect bats by using a suitable membrane in the roof that prevents these curious creatures from becoming entangled. Introduced bat boxes on the front elevation to provide an appropriate habitat.
  • Used materials, wherever possible that are sustainable and less impact on the environment.
  • Used original materials that were always part of the barn. For example, the cobbles in the courtyard, and the huge flag that now sits behind the fireplace were all part of the original site. Also adding character to the finished building.
  • Reclaimed York stone flags for the kitchen floor, utility and courtyard.
  • Utilised stone from the estate for all external boundary walls, (not a a single piece of stone has been bought for this).
  • Insulation of a high specification has been used throughout the floor, walls and roof, with diathonite (a natural product being used to insulate the walls to retain the original sloping and contours of the structure).
  • The reclaimed teak worktop in the kitchen has been sourced from a school science lab, originally installed in 1963.
  • Much of the furniture has been sourced from antique and vintage shops. Or second-hand online. Some items are handmade in the UK, such as the coffee table and curtains.
  • The kitchen units were handmade from timber by Chris’s brother.
  • Efforts were made not to purchase products that are made in China. (This was not always easy)! The crockery is all UK made, and most other things are made in Europe. Obviously some things are very difficult, or impossible to buy that are not produced in China (such as some electrics).
  • All the oak is sustainably sourced, the vast majority being from Europe.
  • The windows and doors are all handmade my Paul Young, (joiner and builder).
  • All the duvets and pillows are made from recycled materials and made in the UK.
  • The induction hob is the most energy efficient form of cooking.
  • COMING SOON IN 2024 – two electric charging points.