Country Mouse on extensions

The concept of building a much-needed extension to his house lights Mark's imagination when he realises he might be able to attract new wildlife to it

Country mouse, Country Life magazine
country mouse new

Our latest plan is to build an extension; with teenage children, the house is bursting at the seams. The answer is to extend the study, pull down the garage and build a games room. That's the easy bit. The hard part is deciding when, where, how big, and, more especially, how it's going to look. Everyone has a bright idea except me. Polly came up with a brilliant plan for the wash kitchen; Stacey has wonderful ideas of how to make the most of our spectacular view. I continue to contribute nothing. On Sunday, we went to look at some work our architect had done on another house in the village. It looked excellent, although I could feel myself struggling to take in the details almost as I was looking at it. Then, in an instant, my heart sprang.

Outside on the paving stones were a dozen owl pellets. Clearly, one of the local tawny owls used this new roof on which to regurgitate the bones and skins of its suppers. Now, if I could have an extension that attracted the local owl population, that would be something special. Suddenly, the whole project has become much more exciting.

Country Life

Bringing the quintessential English rural idle to life via interiors, food and drink, property and more Country Life’s travel content offers a window into the stunning scenery, imposing stately homes and quaint villages which make the UK’s countryside some of the most visited in the world.