Following a devastating fire at the Star Inn at Harome in November 2021 we were approached by Michelin Starred chef Andrew Pern and his team to assist with the restoration of the much-loved thatched inn, which is Grade II listed. The fire destroyed a section of the thatched roof and caused significant damage to the building’s interior.

The restoration sought to retain as much historic fabric as possible; much of the timber roof structure was retained. Where replacement was necessary hand-carved local timber components were used. A surviving section of thatched roof was retained, and a new section was installed and seamlessly integrated by a local artisan using locally sourced materials.

The refurbishment provided the opportunity to rectify some of the mistakes of the past. Cracked gypsum plaster and cementitious renders were removed to allow the stone walls to dry out and were replaced with traditional lime-based finishes. The fire stripped back layers of 20th Century renovations revealing a historical cruck-frame that had previously been hidden from view. The Star Inn reopened exactly one year after the fire.