Prest Vale Architects extends a listed Cotswolds rectory near Blenheim

This Grade II-listed rectory near the Blenheim Estate in Oxfordshire has been growing for three centuries, and London studio Prest Vale Architects wanted its addition to read as the next step rather than an interruption. Co-founder Michael Vale described the silhouette as having evolved over 300 years, so the studio simply added another gable to the row of three on the 17th-century south facade, this one topped with a stone sundial as a nod to the sun it faces.

The new wing, in local Cotswold stone with crisp white Portland stone around the windows and gable end, holds a kitchen and enlarged dining area, plus a study with a deep sit-in window wrapped in planting. A steep bank that once blocked the southern views has been flattened by landscape architect Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, who added a ha-ha to divide garden from field.

The extension reaches towards a mid-18th-century stone barn, now a guest annexe with a double-height living space beneath a new Douglas fir roof and a mezzanine balcony. Both buildings share a pool with a stone terrace and a small oak poolhouse.

It's a private home, so nothing to visit, but a thoughtful study in adding to a listed building without imitating it.

Our summary of a story from Dezeen, published 22 October 2026. Read the original

Photos: Dezeen · See all 8