A Builder for Crowborough Homes
G Willard Construction is a builder based in Bodiam, East Sussex, carrying out building work for homeowners in Crowborough and the villages around it. We build home extensions and loft conversions, carry out structural alterations and full property renovations, fit new kitchens and bathrooms, build new homes and finish projects with landscaping. We manage each project from the first visit to the final clean, and every quote is free with no obligation.
Crowborough is about 17 miles from our base in a straight line. Its homes range from large Victorian and Edwardian houses on the upper slopes to railway era terraces near the station and the estates built after the war, so building work here covers almost every type of house. This page explains how we approach projects in the town, how planning works locally and which nearby villages we cover.
Crowborough at a Glance
The main facts for anyone planning building work in the town.
- Our base
- Bodiam, East Sussex, about 17 miles away in a straight line
- Planning authority
- Wealden District Council
- Conservation area
- Crowborough Conservation Area, covering The Cross and the northern High Street
- National Landscape
- The High Weald National Landscape surrounds the town; most of the built up area sits just outside it
- Ashdown Forest
- Proposals for new homes are screened for their effect on the Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area
- Postcodes we cover
- TN6, TN3, TN7 and TN22
- Quotes
- Free, with no obligation
Homes in Crowborough
Much of Crowborough was built after the railway reached Jarvis Brook in 1868. Large Victorian villas went up on the upper slopes from the 1870s, around Church Road, Beacon Road and Southview Road, and in the early 1900s the Beacon Hill and Crowborough Warren estates were laid out with large detached houses on roads such as Aviemore Road, Rannoch Road and Warren Road.
Since the war almost all of those large gardens have been divided and built on, so many homes on the upper slopes are now detached houses built since 1945, set among mature trees, with some of the original villas still standing between them. Away from the villa roads, Whitehill and the streets near the station at Jarvis Brook have smaller Victorian and Edwardian semi detached and terraced houses built for working families, and New Road and Nevill Road, east of the High Street, were being built up with smaller semi detached and terraced houses by the late 1890s.
Later growth added the Alderbrook estate in the 1950s and the Forest estate in the 1970s, both mainly semi detached houses, along with bungalows at Poundfield, detached houses off Eridge Road and Millbrook Road and a large 1980s estate on the slope between Crowborough Hill and Blackness Road. Brick is the main building material across the town, with local sandstone, tile hanging and weatherboarding on some of the older cottages and farmhouses.
Extensions and Loft Conversions for Crowborough Houses
Detached houses on the upper slopes often have room for a larger rear or side extension, a new kitchen and family room, or a loft conversion with dormers or roof lights. Mature trees are common in these gardens, so we take account of trees, access and ground conditions when the foundations are planned.
The Victorian and Edwardian semis and terraces of Whitehill and Jarvis Brook suit single storey rear extensions and loft conversions that add a bedroom or an office, and many bungalows can gain extra bedrooms in the roof. Where walls come out to open up the ground floor, we fit steel beams to a structural engineer's design and work with building control throughout.
- Single and two storey extensions
- Side and wraparound extensions
- Loft conversions with dormers
- Bungalow roof conversions
- Garage conversions
- Load bearing wall removal
New Kitchens for Crowborough Homes
We fit new kitchens as projects on their own or as part of an extension. Our kitchen refurbishment work covers removing the old kitchen, layout changes and wall removal, new units and worktops, appliance fitting, tiling, flooring and lighting, with the plumbing and electrical work coordinated as part of the job.
In the older semis and terraces the kitchen is often a narrow room at the back of the house, and opening it into the dining room or adding a small rear extension can change how the whole ground floor works. In larger houses a new kitchen can be combined with an extension to create one open plan space for cooking, eating and living.
Bathrooms, En Suites and Cloakrooms
We carry out complete bathroom refurbishments in Crowborough, from family bathrooms and en suites to downstairs cloakrooms, walk in showers and wet rooms. The work includes stripping out the old room, pipework and drainage, tiling, new suites and fittings, heated towel rails and extractor fans, all completed to current regulations.
A loft conversion or an extension is often the right moment to add an en suite or a second bathroom. We plan the pipework, drainage and ventilation for it at the start, so the finished rooms work properly and nothing has to be added as an afterthought.
Our Building Services in Crowborough
Alongside extensions, kitchens and bathrooms, we cover the full range of building work for homes in and around the town.
Property Renovation
Full and partial renovations of older houses, with new plaster, flooring and joinery, upgraded services and care taken to keep the features that give a period home its character.
Structural Alterations
Removing load bearing walls, fitting steel beams and reconfiguring rooms, always to a structural engineer's calculations and with building control approval.
New Builds
New homes built from groundworks and foundations through to the roof and the finishes, for clients who have planning permission or are working towards it with their architect.
Barn Conversions
Converting agricultural buildings in the countryside around the town into comfortable homes, keeping their character while meeting modern standards.
Garage Conversions
Turning an attached or integral garage into a home office, playroom, utility room or extra bedroom, with new insulation, flooring and electrics.
Landscaping
Patios, paths, steps, retaining walls, fencing and drainage, including the levelling work that sloping gardens often need before a patio or lawn.
Planning, Conservation and the Ashdown Forest
Planning applications in Crowborough are decided by Wealden District Council. The town does not have a neighbourhood plan, so applications are assessed against Wealden's own planning policies. The Crowborough Conservation Area is small, covering The Cross and the northern part of the High Street, so most houses in the town sit outside it.
The High Weald National Landscape surrounds Crowborough, although most of the built up area itself is outside the designated boundary. That matters because homes inside the National Landscape, or inside a conservation area, have fewer permitted development rights: side extensions, cladding, rear extensions of more than one storey and roof enlargements all need planning permission there. Many homes in the villages around the town are in that position.
Proposals that create a new home, such as a new build or a barn conversion, also have to account for the Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area, and Wealden screens them under the Habitats Regulations. An extension to your own home does not add a new dwelling. We work alongside your architect or designer and your structural engineer, and we recommend checking the position with Wealden before a project is designed in detail.
Villages We Cover Around Crowborough
We work across the whole of Crowborough, including Jarvis Brook, Crowborough Warren and Steel Cross, and in these villages and hamlets nearby.
- Jarvis BrookTN6
- Crowborough WarrenTN6
- Steel CrossTN6
- RotherfieldTN6
- Town RowTN6
- Mark CrossTN6
- BoarsheadTN6
- PoundgateTN6
- Eridge GreenTN3
- GroombridgeTN3
- WithyhamTN7
- HartfieldTN7
- FairwarpTN22
- NutleyTN22
- High HurstwoodTN22
For Royal Tunbridge Wells and the villages on the Kent side of the border, see our page for Tunbridge Wells.
Why Choose G Willard Construction in Crowborough
Homeowners choose us because the work is planned properly, priced clearly and finished to a high standard.
Clear, Free Quotes
We visit, talk the project through with you and provide a free quote with clear pricing, no hidden costs and no obligation.
One Team in Charge
We manage the whole job, organising the trades, materials and building control visits, so you are not left to coordinate them yourself.
Period and Modern Homes
Our experience covers both period properties and modern homes, from Victorian villas to the estates built in the decades after the war.
Tidy, Considerate Work
We keep the site safe and tidy, work to the agreed timescale and keep you updated at every stage of the project.
Building Work in Crowborough: Your Questions
Answers to the questions Crowborough homeowners ask us most often.
Yes. We are based in Bodiam, about 17 miles from Crowborough in a straight line, and we work throughout the town, including Jarvis Brook, Crowborough Warren and Steel Cross, as well as nearby villages such as Rotherfield, Groombridge, Hartfield and Nutley.
Wealden District Council is the local planning authority for Crowborough. Crowborough Town Council can comment on applications, but the decision is made by Wealden. The town does not have a neighbourhood plan, so Wealden's own planning policies apply.
The High Weald National Landscape surrounds Crowborough, but most of the built up area of the town sits outside its designated boundary. Many of the villages and much of the countryside around the town are inside it, where some extensions that would otherwise be permitted development need planning permission.
It depends on the size and position of the extension and on where your house is. Some extensions can be built under permitted development rights, but many need planning permission, and the rules are tighter for homes in the conservation area or the National Landscape. We recommend confirming with Wealden District Council, or applying for a lawful development certificate, before work starts.
It mainly affects projects that create a new home. Crowborough is close to the Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area, so Wealden screens proposals for new dwellings under the Habitats Regulations and may require mitigation, such as a contribution towards managing visitor pressure on the forest. An extension to your own home does not add a new dwelling.
Yes. We carry out loft conversions with dormers or roof lights, including bungalow roof conversions, and convert garages into offices, playrooms, utility rooms and bedrooms. Each conversion includes the structural work, insulation, stairs where needed and all of the finishing.
Yes. Quotes are free and come with no obligation. Call us on 01580 472062 or 07935 917043, or send your details through our contact page, and we will arrange a time to visit and talk through the work.
Contact a Builder in Crowborough
For a home extension, loft conversion, new kitchen or bathroom, or a full renovation in Crowborough, call G Willard Construction or send us your details for a free, no obligation quote.