April 4, 2025

Grain to Grandeur: The Silos in North Yorkshire for Sale

Written by Charles Lowe

Photograph: Iain Shaw, Brilliant Lighting

The Silos represent one of England’s most interesting renovations. Large, cylindrical grain containers from an Edwardian era model farm have been converted into a luxury family home by Richard Dales and Olivia Ward, a father-daughter developer duo. It’s now on sale for £4,250,000. IQ was involved with the project’s roof glazing from an early stage, in collaboration with Ward as the architect. 

In countryside next to the beautiful Howardian Hills National Landscape, the unification of these silos into a single home creates a series of interconnected, open-plan living spaces, filled with natural light by a stunning array of glazing. There’s four en suite bedrooms, with views out to the North Yorkshire Moors. 

Challenging as it was, Dales and Ward devised clever solutions to the unconventional layout imposed by the silos’ circular, modular shapes. Many architects will relate to Ward, “kept awake at night worrying about the sociable dynamics of the circular kitchen”. As she told The Times, “It’s very easy to make something look pretty, but not easy to make them work.” Accordingly, almost everything curves sensitively through the circular motif, from kitchen cabinetry to motorised curtains. 

The internal gadgetry is that of a truly modern home. An incredible fireplace hangs dramatically from the ceiling, and a recovery system powers the air conditioning, water, and underfloor heating – with any excess sold on to the National Grid. Resultantly, The Silos achieve an EPC ‘A’ rating; significantly above the UK’s best efficiency rating. Aluminium from the original farm conveyer belts was even reused for cladding, further reducing the property’s embodied carbon. 

Other glazed elements include floor to ceiling windows and a full height glazed front door, where IQ takes centre stage: 

The silos are linked with a glass addition that houses a 10ft-tall olive tree, thriving under the natural light streaming down from one of three rooflights supplied by IQ Glass (Jayne Dowle, The Times) 

As such, we’re happy to see the finished result after a successful collaboration on this unique project. Would you like glazing for an energy efficient masterpiece? 

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