Utility Room (drying room and ‘muddy boot entrance’)
The utility room is located on the ground floor, in the former vestry on the South East side of the church. This provides a ‘back door’ entrance to the property, via a paved path leading around the building. The external door is opened in the same manner as the main entrance door in the front porch, either by using the same keypad code provided in your welcome email in advance of arrival, or by tapping a smartphone/smart watch on the sensor, provided you have downloaded the digital access app from the link also provided in that email.
Internally, the utility room adjoins the kitchen area, but is visually and thermally separated from the main living area by another ultra-insulated door between the two spaces. This door marks the boundary of the ‘thermal envelope’ of the Passivhaus main body of the building, and as such should kindly be kept closed when not in use.
The utility room is equipped with a sink, washing machine, tumble dryer, and overhead drying rack. It also provides ample space for drying and airing outdoor clothing and walking boots, perhaps after returning from a day out on foot along Hadrian’s Wall, or a bike trip on the hundreds of miles of near-zero-traffic backroads and forest tracks around Wark and Kielder, which make this part of Northumberland such a paradise for cyclists.
Plant Room (in basement)
The utility room sits directly above the former 19th Century coal store, which has now been transformed into the zero emissions, silent, smart energy hub of this 21st Century home. Whilst this basement area is normally inaccessible to guests, the hosts are happy to offer a guided visit to guests with an interest in the energy saving and carbon reducing technologies employed at Warksburn Old Church.
