Set high on the headland in the shadow of the famous Abbey with stunning views across the town of Whitby, it’s hard to believe that the Old Brewhouse, now a private dwelling was once a ruin with little future.

With a chequered and interesting history spanning several centuries the building began its life in the early 16th century as the Abbey’s brewhouse. Substantially altered during the 19th century to create a water reservoir for the headland, the building, now roofless, bore little resemblance to its original use; entrances were blocked up, pipes inserted through walls and the structure lined with brick and cement. By the early 20th century the building has once again become disused and was left to crumble and concerns over its deteriorating condition led to it being placed on English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register in 2003.

Although the site forms part of the Scheduled Monument of Whitby Abbey, the re-use of the building as a reservoir had substantially altered the interior allowing a new use to be placed inside it with very limited impact on the historic fabric. This, along with the addition of a roof to make the structure more stable, meant that the building could be adapted to accommodate a range of uses. Given its stunning location, conversion to a house was considered the most viable and sustainable solution in the long-term.

Building Link Design provided ongoing advice and support throughout the project whilst liaising with the English Heritage and the Local Authority to achieve a sympathetic scheme that respected the important historic elements of the building.