Situated in the grounds of Whitby Abbey, the Monks Brewhouse was originally built in the 16th century by the Tudors where it operated until the 1800s. Following this, the building was rendered and used as a water tank for the Whitby headland up until 1913 when it fell into disuse. Purchased by our client in 2001, the site was no more than a Grade 1 listed ruin, with little hope of permission to restore ever being granted, though following a years long battle with English Heritage, they eventually agreed that without development the remaining ruins were likely to be lost.

We took over the renovation which had been attempted by another company who the client was unhappy with, especially with such stringent monitoring by English Heritage throughout the build.

To make the structure habitable, a full internal stud work skin was built and fully insulated before being boarded to form the new internal walls, ensuring the highest thermal values possible were achieved within the stone walled home. Manufacture and installation of a traditional oak front door in keeping with the building, and secondary security doors formed the entrance to the property.

Sympathetic to the historic feel, the oak staircase accessing three floors was manufactured from the oak of old brewery vats salvaged by the clients business, providing an excellent feature piece as well as giving him a more personal tie to the restoration. Fortunately, we had enough remaining oak from the vats to also manufacture a large amount of the flooring.

Sat atop the famous 199 steps from Whitby centre, the views from the brewhouse are astonishing, and subsequently the top floor was transformed into the kitchen and living area, the oak and glass gable end allowing the rooftop view of the quaint seaside town to be enjoyed from the comfort of a sofa.

Below on the ground floor sit the bedrooms and bathrooms, all fitted out with custom built units and furniture to the exact needs of the client. The basement provided the perfect space for a games room, that could double up as a third bedroom at a later date if needed.