While taking regular holiday rentals nearby on the island, Jonathan had watched the house with interest for many years before acquiring it. ‘It seemed as if no-one was ever there,’ he says. ‘We left notes on the doorstep asking the owners to contact us if they were ever to sell but we never heard from them.’ But two years later, the call came that was to change the Burden family’s future. The owners, an elderly couple who had lived on the farm since the Sixties, were ready to sell. Without hesitation, the property swiftly changed hands.
‘It had been a working farm with a cow, a pig, a horse and hens,’ says Jonathan. ‘There was also a barley field. The owners fished in the summer, raised livestock in the winter and sold produce, more or less living off the land.’ Eager to retain the house’s rural character, the Burdens made few changes. ‘We redecorated and added new windows,’ says Jonathan. ‘Plus the screen porch and an outdoor dining area.’
This story is from the November 2019 edition of Homes & Gardens.
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This story is from the November 2019 edition of Homes & Gardens.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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