A walk around St Cuthbert's House

The Cuthbert Room

Come in through the entrance vestibule, and you arrive in the beautiful main meeting and living room. It’s 13m by 5m, running the full width of the building, and was created from the main sanctuary of the church.

It provides an eating area and a lounging area, and can be easily laid out to become a ‘presentation’ space for larger groups. The room has been seriously insulated internally to meet modern Building Regulations, but also incorporates some original pillars, panelling and the original timber floor. We've also put back some original ventilation ducts.

Effectively we have built a new building inside the old stone shell. The insulation and damp-proof membrane is incorporated into a timber framework built inside the stone wall.

We were a bit disappointed to find that all our great intentions to use an eco-friendly heating system were dimmed and eventually extinguished by a combination of planning constraints and impractical expense. So, we have a serious oil-fired central heating system, which will cost an ever-spiralling amount to refill until one day we convert it to bio-diesel. Bring it on. But it does keep the place toasty and snug…

There’s a ‘state-of-the-art’ technology installation in this room: high powered adsl router giving 12 (cat6) network access ports, 8Mbps fast internet access, with wireless access throughout; NEC 2500ansi lumen ceiling mounted digital projector; 2 metre-wide 4:3 electric screen; and sound system with integrated DVD, music and radio player.

The lighting system has been carefully designed to allow various ‘moods’ to be created in this multi-functional space. All the new construction elements give outstanding acoustic and thermal insulation. The artwork and photography around the house is by local artists, and is entirely in keeping with the setting and the story. It's also for sale!

Next - Bede & Oswald Rooms