Laura’s Garden in August

Sitting in Laura’s calming garden, it is impossible to imagine it ringing with the sounds of children playing, loud lawnmowers or dogs barking. ‘My garden went through various incarnations over the years — as a vegetable garden, football pitch or dog compound — until becoming my go-to place to read, relax, and practice yoga,’ explains Laura, who has retrained as a yoga teacher. It is as far removed as possible from the outlook that greeted Laura when she first viewed the Victorian house. The property been owned by the same family until 1992 when Laura moved in and, apart from replacement windows and a concrete roof, it hadn’t been modernised. ‘The advantage though is that every room has retained its original fireplace and cornice.’ The first major project was to replace a lean-to scullery with a modern kitchen extension, which opens directly onto the terrace.