![\"Green](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/green-dragon-barn-south-hams-devon-outside-view-of-property.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAn iconic Grand Designs house has hit the market for \u00a31.5 million after a 20-year renovation project. <\/p>\n
Green Dragon Barn in South Hams, Devon, was transformed from three connected barns by Sue Charman and Martin Whitlock. It has since been praised as “the perfect home” by fans.<\/p>\n
The pair took on the mammoth renovation task in 2001, when the property featured on Kevin McCloud’s show. After two decades, the eco-project has been completed and is now listed for sale.<\/p>\n
The decision came after Sue sadly died in 2023, and Martin chose to embark on a new chapter elsewhere.<\/p>\n
The five-bedroom property boasts a large kitchen area which connects to an incredible 30-foot reception room, kitted out with an oak floor and wood-burning stove. <\/p>\n
The lucky buyer can also enjoy an atrium and grand hall with dramatic pillar features.<\/p>\n
Sue and Martin enlisted architect Adrian Slocombe of Earthway Design to navigate building on the sloping landscape. <\/p>\n
Martin explained they chose the location in 2000 because they wanted to be near the sea and Totnes.<\/p>\n
Green Dragon Barn has been described as ‘perfect’ by property enthusiasts<\/p>\n
Stags Estate Agents<\/p>\n
![\"Green](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1748865732_305_green-dragon-barn-south-hams-devon-outside-view-of-property.jpg\")
‘Something on the scale of Green Dragon Barn is really a once-in-a-lifetime project’<\/p>\n
Stags Estate Agents<\/p>\n
“The barn was a complete wreck – actually three barns built together over three centuries – and a bigger project than we were planning, but it allowed us to really go to town and create some stunning rooms,” he said.<\/p>\n
When Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud revisited the home in 2021, after last seeing it in 2001, he said: “This is a home lovingly, painstakingly, time-consumingly transformed. Resplendent with 20 years of devoted care.”<\/p>\n
Martin explained the gradual nature of their renovation approach. “Although it took 20 years, it wasn’t 20 years of work on the house,” he said. <\/p>\n
“We moved into two rooms in 2001 and gradually expanded out from there as we found time to do the work in our busy lives.”<\/p>\n
“So every so often there would be new rooms or features to enjoy. A real adventure.”<\/p>\n
The couple focused on environmental sustainability throughout the renovation. Martin stated: “Sue was passionate about environmental issues and we were determined to make the house as natural and sustainable as possible.”<\/p>\n
Indeed, the property uses traditional materials including lime, stone, cob, slate, and thatch, while incorporating modern features like double glazing, a reed bed, heat recovery system, and wood pellet boiler.<\/p>\n
Green-thumbed buyers may also be enticed by the property’s 1.3 acre garden and accompanying orchard.<\/p>\n
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n ‘This is a rare opportunity to own a home of genuine architectural significance and enduring quality’<\/p>\n Stags Estate Agents<\/p>\n Green Dragon Barn is now listed by Stags Estate Agents near Blackawton village, which offers a primary school, parish church, and traditional pub.<\/p>\n Kingsbridge lies seven miles west, whilst Totnes sits seven miles north with a mainline railway station providing direct London services.<\/p>\n Considering his future in property, Martin said: “I can’t imagine living in any house that I didn’t want to make changes to, so I’m open to a new project if I can find one.<\/p>\n “But whatever happens it will be a lot smaller – something on the scale of Green Dragon Barn is really a once-in-a-lifetime project.”<\/p>\n Stags described Green Dragon Barn as an “exceptional” detached property, with both “generous and highly flexible” accommodation.<\/p>\n “Lovingly” crafted by “visionaries” Sue and Martin, the South Hams property is not one to bypass.<\/p>\n Praising its “eco-conscious design and striking architectural detail”, the estate agents offered the ultimate praise.<\/p>\n “This is a rare opportunity to own a home of genuine architectural significance and enduring quality,” they said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An iconic Grand Designs house has hit the market for \u00a31.5 million after a 20-year renovation project. Green…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":152036,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3939],"tags":[4021,4020,4022,77,388,12,2516,512,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-152035","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-design","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-lifestyle","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-property","15":"tag-sgg","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114613672327493301","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152035"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152035\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Green](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/green-dragon-barn-south-hams-devon-inside-property.jpg\")