Smiths & Co Building Ltd
Smiths & Co Building Ltd
Call 07956 757412 WhatsApp us
Rural garden retaining wall on a Forest of Dean property near Bream

Builders in Bream

Builders in Bream

Bigger, rural plots, long driveways and the odd barn or outbuilding waiting to become something else. We’ve just finished converting one in Bream, the kind of job this village and the countryside around it throws up more than most.

Barns, outbuildings and rural plots

Buildings that weren’t built to be lived in yet

Bream and the countryside around it have more space between properties than the towns, and a fair few stone barns, workshops and outbuildings sitting on that land with potential nobody’s used yet. We’ve just completed a barn conversion here, new floors and openings into the existing frame, insulation and services fitted into a building that started life holding hay, not people.

The rest of our work in Bream is a similar mix: renovations on older rural cottages, the odd new build on a larger plot, and roofing repairs on buildings that have been standing a long time.

New roof structure and carpentry on a barn conversion near Bream

The Bream barn conversion

A closer look

Roof structure and carpentry mid-build on the Bream barn conversion
New roof structure going in over the existing frame
Roof felting and breather membrane fitted during the Bream barn conversion
Felting and breather membrane, weathertight before the finish
Stone porch with a slate roof, built to match surrounding stonework
Original stonework kept and repointed, not covered over
Smiths & Co digger and dumper parked, ready for a rural site near Bream

Out from Cinderford, no bother

Rural access is normal for us, not a special case

Bream is a straightforward run from our yard at Ruspidge, and long, narrow driveways or fields with no made-up road are ordinary territory for us, not something that needs a special quote just for getting there.

Rural plots need the right-sized machine rather than whatever happens to be free, so we look at the access and match the plant to it before we commit to a date.

★★★★★

“Cracking pair of lads, done amazing job of our garden wall.”
Bob Harris · Google review

Common questions

Bream, answered

Yes, we’ve just finished a barn conversion in Bream. It’s a different job to a house extension: usually more structural work to the existing frame, new floors and openings, and getting insulation and services into a building that was never designed to be lived in.

Generally yes, since it’s a change of use from agricultural to residential, and the rules vary depending on the building and its history. We’re not planning consultants, so we’ll point you toward one early on, but we can advise on what the build itself will involve once consent is in place.

Usually. A lot of the rural plots around Bream have exactly this kind of access, which is why we run a compact mini digger rather than relying on hired full-size plant. We’ll check the route at the quote stage.

Yes. Whether that’s re-using existing tiles, matching slate, or a considered modern covering where the original material isn’t available, we’ll talk through the options for keeping the building’s character once it’s weathertight.

Often, yes. Septic tanks, soakaways and private supply pipes all need locating and working around before we dig, and any changes may need their own approval. We check this at survey stage rather than after the trench is open.

Got a barn or outbuilding in mind?

Let’s talk about your Bream project

Tell us what you’re starting with and what you want it to become. We’ll come out, take a proper look, and give you a free quote.

WhatsApp Get a quote
Chat on WhatsApp