Sustainable Essex home with sustainability award relisted at £1.5m
The house has dropped in price by £500,000(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
An energy-efficient home in Tolleshunt Knights, Essex, has been relisted at offers over £1.5 million after a recent price reduction.
Paternoster Lodge was recognised with the Maldon District Council Sustainability Award and received a design commendation for its use of low-impact construction, materials and systems.
With an A+ EPC rating, the property integrates solar, battery, ventilation, and rainwater technologies and occupies a 1.1-acre site surrounded by farmland, offering an insight into one of the UK's most sustainable eco homes.
Integrated energy and environmental systems
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(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
18 solar panels line the roof of the award winning home
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
The property’s environmental credentials are reflected in its combination of renewable and low-energy technologies.
It features 18 solar PV panels connected to three 6 kW battery storage units, allowing for energy capture and use outside daylight hours.
A mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) system supports low-energy internal climate control, and an air-source heat pump provides heating and hot water.
A rainwater harvesting system is also installed, with above-ground storage units visible on site. The building is fully triple-glazed and has been awarded an A+ energy performance certificate, which places it in the top tier of UK domestic properties for energy efficiency.
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Judges awarding the council’s Sustainability Award said the house showed “carefully considered design and workmanship”, citing its integrated approach rather than any one system in isolation.
Unique entrance for full accessibility
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(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
The entrance was made to be future-proof and accessible for all
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
Clad in standing seam zinc is arranged over two floors with level access throughout. A full-height hallway with an oak staircase and a lift serving both levels.
The internal layout includes an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area, with wide openings to the rear garden and a centrally placed log burner for additional heating.
The kitchen features granite worktops, a Neff double oven, and a walk-in larder cupboard, while a separate utility room offers secondary storage and laundry facilities. Upstairs, three ensuite bedrooms are arranged around a galleried landing.
The main bedroom includes a vaulted ceiling, dressing room, and freestanding bath. Glazed doors open onto a roof terrace, fitted with an automated awning and oriented for open rural views.
A Murano glass chandelier and oak flooring continue the material palette across both levels, with underfloor heating and LED lighting integrated throughout.
Site, landscape and outbuildings
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(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
A timber-framed outbuilding is used as an office
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
The plot extends to 1.1 acres and includes mature trees, a wildlife pond, and a Gabriel Ash greenhouse, all arranged to the rear and sides of the main house.
A timber-framed outbuilding with its own WC stands apart from the house and could serve as a studio or workspace.
To the front, a gravel driveway leads to a detached double garage with an adjoining workshop. An external staircase gives access to a first-floor storage room.
A second outbuilding – currently a covered carport – was purpose-built to meet residential structure standards and includes three storage cupboards.
Planning context and local recognition
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(Image credit: Fenn Wright)
The home was granted planning permission due to its amazing sustainable design
Paternoster Lodge has been noted by both planners and design panels for its approach to site integration.
It was described during the Planning Awards judging process as “a carefully negotiated scheme in the most sensitive of landscapes”, with particular emphasis on how the form and materials were used to reduce visual impact in open countryside.
In addition to the Maldon District Council Sustainability Award, the house was highly commended for design, with judges recognising its attention to detail across both the technical and aesthetic aspects of the build.
The house is now available for £1.5 million via estate agents Fenn Wright.
News Editor Joseph has previously written for Today’s Media and Chambers & Partners, focusing on news for conveyancers and industry professionals. Joseph has just started his own self build project, building his own home on his family’s farm with planning permission for a timber frame, three-bedroom house in a one-acre field. The foundation work has already begun and he hopes to have the home built in the next year. Prior to this he renovated his family's home as well as doing several DIY projects, including installing a shower, building sheds, and livestock fences and shelters for the farm’s animals. Outside of homebuilding, Joseph loves rugby and has written for Rugby World, the world’s largest rugby magazine.
