An old market town with newer homes
Bingham received its market charter in 1341, but most of its buildings are relatively new. After the Second World War the rural district council inspected more than 2,000 houses to decide which to demolish or repair, and the 1960s and 1970s brought almost constant building. Since around 2018 the Romans' Quarter, north of the town, has been adding homes as well, with around 1,000 planned. That mix decides what sort of partition a house needs. We are based in Mapperley, about eight miles to the west, so the whole town is within easy reach, from the Market Place and its Butter Cross to the new streets on the northern edge.
Reworking a 1960s or 1970s layout
Houses of this period often have a through-lounge, a dining area open to the living room, or a long main bedroom. A stud wall can turn the dining end into a separate study or playroom, give a big bedroom a dressing area, or close off a cloakroom under the stairs. The plumbing for a cloakroom is down to a plumber, and any new switches or sockets to a qualified electrician.
Since you are adding a wall anyway, make it quieter than the ones the house came with. Acoustic insulation in the frame and a denser board each side take little extra work and make a real difference between a lounge and a study.
The Romans' Quarter
In a newer home the changes are often about splitting open-plan space. Check what your new-build warranty says about alterations, and plan the wall so it doesn't leave part of a room without its window, vents or extract fan. If the floor has underfloor heating, say so before anything is fixed down, so the fixings miss the pipes. Finding the joists or ceiling timbers for the head plate is part of setting out, and the door lining is framed as the wall goes up.
Cottages in the conservation area
Bingham's conservation area, designated in May 1970, was the first in Rushcliffe. It includes early cottages and vernacular buildings, and its 24 listed buildings and structures cluster between the church and the Market Place and along Long Acre. Conservation area status by itself is mostly about how buildings look from outside, so an internal wall is rarely affected. A listed cottage is different: internal alterations need listed building consent from Rushcliffe before work starts. In old cottages, timber studs cut and scribed to uneven floors and walls are easier to fit than metal track.
To talk through a partition in Bingham, ring 07877 353120 or email Patchmeifyoucan@outlook.com. We work every day of the week, 7am to 5pm.
