At home with the Horlicks

A barn in Ruardean, reputed to be where the Horlick brothers developed their famous malted milk drink, has been given a new lease of life as a holiday getaway.

Horlick Barn, which is located opposite Horlick House in West End, has been completely refurbished in a manner sympathetic to its heritage and renovated with sustainable and recycled materials but with a contemporary feel and modern amenities, said owner Samantha Wilkins.

She added: “I purchased Horlick Barn in March 2024 and spent 18 months bringing it back to life as an homage to its heritage and transforming it into a holiday home for future generations to enjoy.

“My husband and I did much of the work, stripping out the existing interior and rebuilding everything from scratch.

“This entailed building a bespoke kitchen, cladding the walls, mending and painting the exterior, tiling, replacing the guttering, making bespoke pieces of furniture, sanding and oiling the floor, painting absolutely everything, and making the garden .

“We employed local tradespeople to do the things we weren’t able to do, such as the electrics and plumbing, and a local blacksmith to renovate the exterior metalwork.

“A local signage company made the new sign to our design.

“We wanted the renovation to celebrate the heritage of the building and its humble beginnings but to incorporate modern touches for comfortable, contemporary living.

“Wherever possible we used local and recycled materials and kept the original enamel advertisements to use as decor.

“We sourced sinks from a local school that had closed down, and taps from a local farmhouse. We also scoured the internet for original Horlicks memorabilia which, alongside some items kindly donated by the previous owner, you can find in the cabinet below the stairs.”

For more information visit: airbnb.com/h/horlickbarn