Metters and Wellby Architects

16/05/2026

Richard Wellby 1943 - 2026

It is with great sadness that we share the news of Richard Wellby’s passing.

Richard co-founded Metters and Wellby Architects in 1986, following 15 years of working overseas in Africa, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

With a Master of Arts in Conservation and a Master of Philosophy in Architectural History, Richard dedicated much of his career and personal time to preserving listed and historic buildings. This included The Old Vicarage at Morwenstow, which he and his late wife, Jill, purchased in 1986, and was the former home of the famed Robert Stephen Hawker.

His work helped shape much of the local community, from The Bude Light to the conversion of the Neetside Community Centre, along with many important buildings and properties throughout the town and surrounding area. Richard’s influence can still be seen in every part of the community he cared so deeply about.

Richard created a long-lasting business that not only influenced the local architectural landscape but also provided opportunities for young people to begin their careers in architecture. He was one of the few who never fully moved away from drawing by hand; his sketches became a familiar and iconic part of the practice, and these plans will be truly treasured.

Richard will be greatly missed by all of us, both professionally and personally. His talent, quiet guidance, dry wit, and passion for design have left a lasting mark on the practice and everyone who had the privilege of working with him.

We will continue to take inspiration from his work and values, and strive to create designs that he would have been proud of.

Richard’s funeral will be held at Morwenstow Church on 8th June at 11am.

05/05/2026

Designing within Cornwall's Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty brings unique opportunities and responsibilities. 🌊

These protected landscapes require careful consideration of materials, scale, and visual impact.

Our 40+ years of local experience means we know how to create contemporary homes that complement these precious environments.

Every constraint becomes a creative opportunity.

01/05/2026

The best Cornwall homes feel like they've always belonged. 🌿

Our landscape design service ensures buildings and gardens work as one:
→ Native planting that thrives in coastal conditions
→ Outdoor spaces that extend living areas
→ Sustainable drainage integrated naturally
→ Wildlife habitats preserved and enhanced

Architecture in harmony with place.

24/04/2026

Our award-winning home in Porthcothan is taking shape floor by floor, with the first floor now up.

Long Cove was recognised with a UK Property Award for Best Architecture Single Residence Cornwall, and it's a real privilege to see the design move from drawings into something you can walk through.

Thinking about a project of your own on the Cornish coast? Every build starts with understanding what your site can do. Our Project Feasibility Appraisal is designed to answer exactly that, before any design work begins.

Get in touch to find out more.

07/04/2026

07/04/2026

A Cornish dream home, shaped from the ground up.

For a local family already rooted in the area, this project began with a single bungalow at Widemouth Bay, and grew into the opportunity to reimagine the entire site. By bringing two plots together, we’ve been able to design a home that truly reflects how they want to live, with spaces shaped around light, views and everyday life by the coast.

Planning approved, and now moving into delivery. We led the design and planning, and are continuing through technical design, interior design and landscaping to ensure a consistent, carefully considered result.

01/04/2026

Every project starts with a conversation and considerations.

Conservation areas are one of them. In Cornwall, a significant number of properties sit within conservation areas or near listed buildings, and the planning rules are different.

Materials, scale, roof form, even window proportions, things that might be straightforward elsewhere, need careful thought when heritage is part of the picture. It's not about being restricted. It's about understanding what's expected so the design works with the context, not against it.

The earlier you know where you stand, the fewer surprises down the line.

Good homes start with good planning.

30/03/2026

Every project starts with a conversation and considerations.

In Cornwall, mining is one of them. Centuries of tin and copper mining have left a legacy beneath the surface that most people don't think about until it shows up in a search report.

Old shafts, adits, unstable ground. If your site falls within a mining consultation area, you may need specialist surveys before anything can move forward. It can affect foundations, drainage, and even whether certain parts of a site are buildable.

It's one of those uniquely Cornish considerations that comes with building in a county shaped by its industrial past. And it's exactly why local knowledge matters.

Good homes start with good planning.

28/03/2026

Every project starts with a conversation and considerations.

Materials are one of them. In Cornwall, what a building is made from matters as much as what it looks like. Local stone, natural slate, timber, these aren't just aesthetic choices. They're often a planning expectation, particularly in sensitive coastal and rural settings.

Planners want to ensure that a building fits its landscape. That means understanding the local vernacular, what's already there, what's traditional to the area, and how new materials will sit alongside them. It also means thinking about how materials weather over time. Cornwall's climate is hard on buildings, and the right choices age gracefully rather than fighting the environment.

Getting material selection right at the planning stage strengthens your application and avoids costly redesigns later.

Good homes start with good planning.

23/03/2026

Every project starts with a conversation and considerations.

Access is one of them. It's rarely the exciting part, but it can be the thing that determines whether a project is viable.

Visibility splays, turning circles, gradient, shared drives, rights of way, highways requirements aren't negotiable, and they can shape where a building sits on a plot, how it's oriented, and sometimes whether it gets permission at all.

It's the kind of detail that doesn't make it onto Instagram, but it's exactly the kind of thing that needs to be understood before design starts.

Good homes start with good planning.

18/03/2026

Every project starts with a conversation and considerations.

Views are one of them. In Cornwall, they're often the reason someone falls in love with a site in the first place. But capturing a view isn't as simple as putting a big window where it looks best.

It's about understanding which views matter at which time of day. Where you'll actually spend your time versus where you imagine you will. How to frame a view without compromising privacy, or how to screen a less desirable aspect without losing light.

A well-framed view changes how a room feels. A poorly considered one becomes something you stop noticing.

Good homes start with good planning.