When David Dootson decided to build his own house, he pressed start on a thrilling project that’s now on the market for £6million
Kate Houghton was invited to view
David and Tabitha Dootson’s Over Alderley home is as bespoke as a self-build can be. David designed Finlow Hill himself although he is not an architect, nor an interior designer, rather he is a name in the video-gaming industry.
‘It took quite some time to find the place where I wanted to build the house,’ he says. ‘Eventually, we found this plot, which already had an old farmhouse on it, but it was very dark with low ceilings and all that kind of stuff, so I designed the home I wanted, using a piece of 3D modeling software called Sketchup, and then handed the designs to an architect and said: this is what I want.
‘There were no arguments from the planning office; it went straight through in nine weeks, and so it was all go from then.’
Driving up the curved entry road, the visitor’s first sight of the home is relatively conventional—a quadruple frontage with a double-height portico—but once you start to travel deeper into the home, things get rather more James Bond.
‘There are walkers’ paths on each side of the house,’ David says, ‘so we wanted to make sure it was fairly traditional from their perspective, and then it’s one long curve around the back.’
The house is formed as a half oval, with a squared-off frontage, and a sweeping curve thereafter, delivering the opportunity to factor in much glass, to take full advantage of the incredible views.
On the day I visit, snow lies thick on the ground, the sky is icy blue, and we can see across to Jodrell Bank in one direction, and to the Peak District in the other. It’s breathtaking. Sheep are scattered across the field next door, and peeping through a hedge just beyond are the unmistakable fluffy shapes of alpaca.
There’s little in the house itself to distract from the view, no clutter or ‘stuff’, just the essentials to ensure comfortable living, and shots of color from glorious artworks David and Tabitha bought from Northern Makes gallery, in Bollington.
‘They’re by Mel Hood,’ Tabitha says. ‘We first found the ones in the living area, and their size and color really spoke to us. Then we commissioned five more for the entrance hall. They have a gloss to them, to reflect the light that comes from the skylight above, and we wanted green to reflect the colors from outside – in spring and summer here, it’s very, very green.’
David adds: ‘It’s all about the views. Every room was designed to present the view. The windows that open up to the garden and the terrace we had designed to fit flush top and bottom, to avoid any break in the view.’
Tabitha points out that each room has its own special view, including one that looks over the six very smart stables.
‘Growing up I always wanted a bedroom that overlooked the stables,’ she says. ‘We don’t have horses here, but it’s definitely an option, or a friend suggested we offer storage for cars. The stables were built to maintain the footprint of the property and allow for future development, so really the options are very open.’
Despite the freezing weather, the house is positively toasty, in great part due to the sun cascading through the huge windows, though underfloor heating throughout must play its part – it even runs into the showers.
‘David knew the sun would have a powerful effect with all this glass,’ Tabitha explains. ‘The overhang from the terrace on the first floor creates shade in summer, when the sun is high, preventing overheating, but in winter the sun is lower and so reaches through all the windows and warms us up.’
As part of his design, David planned in an HVAC system, ensuring a constant supply of fresh air. The entire house is also wired for sound and light, allowing the owners to set times for the curtains to close and open, lighting to switch from functional to soothing, and a soundtrack to accompany calm days or party nights. And a party house it most certainly has the potential to be.
As well as extensive, beautifully kept gardens, the ground floor contains a superb gym and spa area, with a large pool (‘long enough for a proper swim’, Tabitha laughs), steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi, with a kitchenette to ensure the constant production of snacks and drinks. The kitchenette concept is repeated on the first floor, ensuring guests enjoying the huge sweeping terrace need not wander far in search of a chilled glass of fizz.
Each guest room is, of course, en suite, with every bathroom containing a bath and a shower, and every room has a glorious view.
The master suite hath glory of glories, his and her bathrooms, an idea born of genius, I can only say.
On the landing, David slides open two narrow doors to reveal a spiral staircase, which leads directly to the roof. At the moment, access is simply for cleaning purposes, but there is an opportunity to develop the roof into another terrace, providing spectacular 360-degree views across Cheshire.
‘If we were staying, we’d definitely be looking to make that happen,’ Tabitha says, ‘but as we’re moving away, it’s an option for the next owner.’
This brings me to the question – why are they leaving this stunning custom-built home?
‘It’s just us and two chihuahuas,’ Tabitha tells me. ‘We’re rattling around in here. Four years ago, we hired a motorhome and tootled along the south coast, and totally fell in love with the area. Our first love was Milford-on-Sea, and one day we went for coffee and couldn’t find a place to park, so headed along the coast a little, discovered Christchurch and just loved it.
‘It has everything we have here – walks, the countryside, forest (the New Forest is so close by) and on top of that there are dog-friendly beaches. I also have family nearby, so it will be lovely to be closer.
‘Dave has retired early, and I am a yoga teacher, owner of Yoga In Cheshire, so can work anywhere – and because during Covid I took everything online, I can keep working that way, too.’
Won’t they miss Cheshire?
‘Oh, there’s so much we shall miss – the walks, the village; it’s a real community – for all its reputation Alderley Edge is a true community, and we love it.’
But the open road calls?
‘Before we buy a house in Christchurch, we are going to take a motorhome and travel across Europe,’ Tabitha says. ‘We’ll get the dogs the necessary passports, and just head off.’
Finlow Hill is for sale, for offers in excess of £6,000,000, with Jackson Stops, Alderley Edge.
jackson-stops.co.uk