Filming Location · Private Stays · Hertfordshire

A circular house,
built from materials with a past.

The Roundhouse is a five-bedroom, 4,820 sq ft modern home in Old Knebworth, Hertfordshire — a Lutyens-inspired circular design constructed almost entirely from reclaimed materials, on the footprint of a disused above-ground water reservoir. Within thirty minutes of Elstree, Leavesden and Sky Studios, and walking distance from Knebworth House.

Book for filming Stays & private hire
LocationOld Knebworth, Hertfordshire
Size4,820 sq ft · 5 bedrooms · 3 floors
Studios within 30 minElstree · Leavesden · Sky Studios
UseStills · film · TV · private stays
The Roundhouse — front exterior with the conical reclaimed-tile roof framed by mature trees, Old Knebworth, Hertfordshire
The build

A house that tells the story of where its materials came from.

Designed in a contemporary language. Made by hand. Built from materials with a past.

The house was raised on the footprint of a disused above-ground water reservoir. The reservoir's concrete lid was crushed and reused as cladding for the façade; its Edwardian steel struts now carry the balcony. Larch, ash and oak were milled less than a mile away on the neighbouring Knebworth House estate.

Three floor levels and a sweeping irregular roofline radiate from a towering reclaimed steel pipe at the centre. Crittall windows, lightwells, a conical reclaimed-tile roof, rooftop solar, rainwater collection, a clean-water septic tank and 10 kWh of battery storage allow the house to operate almost entirely off-grid. Bee bricks set into the façade encourage pollinators to nest.

Designed and developed by Cobbold Together Ltd. Built in partnership with master builder Ecovril Ltd. Funded through Lloyds Bank's Clean Growth Financing Initiative.

Internal area
4,820 sq ft
Bedrooms
5 across 3 floors
Form
Circular plan
Build
Reclaimed materials
Filming & Photography

Built for distinctive screen and stills work.

The Roundhouse offers a rare combination of modern architectural form and warm, hand-crafted texture — equally suited to fashion, interiors editorial, drama and commercial work. The open-plan top floor is wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass with vaulted ceilings; the lower level houses a bar, gym/studio and workshop. On-site parking, off-grid power capability, and unit-move distance from every major Hertfordshire studio.

Internal area
4,820sq ft
Floors
3
Bedrooms
5
Power
Single phase
Reception
Open-planvaulted
Lower level
Bar · gymstudio
Parking
Multipleon-site
Connectivity
Wiredhigh-speed

Distinct shooting zones

Vaulted open-plan top floor with floor-to-ceiling glass; five bedrooms with contrasting palettes (clay plaster, encaustic tile, larch); bar, gym and workshop on the lower floor; balcony, terrace and landscaped grounds outside.

Materials & texture

Solid larch flooring, reclaimed Edwardian steel, crushed-concrete cladding, lime-finish surfaces, oak joinery and zellige tile — a deep, varied texture palette across a single location.

Day rates & tech pack

Day rates on enquiry. Full tech pack including floor plans, room-by-room photography and access notes available on request. Recces by appointment.

Request the location pack Make an enquiry
Stays

An overnight stay in a one-of-a-kind house.

The Roundhouse is also available for private stays — for weekends, family gatherings, working retreats and small private occasions. Five bedrooms across three floors, with vaulted living space, a wood-burning stove, an oak bar on the lower level, and direct access to woodland and country footpaths.

Direct booking with the owner. Knebworth House is a short walk; The Lytton Arms and The Robin Hood — two classic country pubs — are reachable on foot in around twenty minutes.

Sleeps 10
5 bedrooms
3 bathrooms
Private grounds
Wood-burning stove
Oak bar & gym
Off-grid capable
Country pubs at 20 min walk
Walks from the door
Check availability
Design & Build · Cobbold Together

Build your own.

A 21st-century take on living above the shop — modern, sustainable, hand-built, designed for entrepreneurs.

The Roundhouse exists because Cobbold Together set out to prove what a modern hybrid live-work property could be: sustainable, tech-enabled, hand-crafted, and built almost entirely from reclaimed materials. We design and build for clients who want the same.

The team brings a decade of experience designing hybrid working environments and experience centres through DVSI, in partnership with master builder Ecovril, and has delivered development projects funded through Lloyds Bank's Clean Growth Financing Initiative.

01

Architecture & design

Modern architectural language tailored to site, brief and user. Concept, planning support, interior design and landscape considered together.

02

Sustainable construction

Reclaimed and locally sourced materials. Traditional craft skills. Off-grid systems, biomass, rooftop solar, rainwater capture. Low-impact ground works.

03

Live‑work integration

Spaces engineered to flex from home into office. Tech-enabled by experience-centre specialists who design hybrid work environments globally.

04

Funded development

Experience structuring development finance — including under Lloyds Bank's Clean Growth Financing Initiative for sustainable building projects.

As featured in Lloyds Bank — Cobbold Together case study
Discuss a project
Location

Inside the Hertfordshire studio belt.

The Roundhouse sits in the heart of the UK's most active film and television cluster outside central London — within easy unit-move distance of every major studio in the county.

Knebworth House & Country Park
Working film location · neighbouring estate
Walking distance
Knebworth rail station
Direct to London King's Cross in under 40 min
14 min walk
Elstree Studios
The Crown · Strictly · Star Wars (historic)
Under 30 min drive
Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden
Harry Potter · Mission: Impossible · Aquaman
Under 30 min drive
Sky Studios Elstree
Borehamwood
Under 30 min drive
Stevenage Old Town & rail
Moorgate · Cambridge · Edinburgh · Gatwick
10 min drive
Luton Airport
M1
20 min drive
St Albans
A1(M)
25 min drive
Heathrow Airport
M25 / A1(M)
50 min drive
Stansted Airport
A1(M) / M11
50 min drive
Questions

Practicalities.

Can I do a recce before booking?

Yes — recces are by appointment, normally weekdays. Contact us with the dates of your shoot and we'll arrange a window.

What's your cancellation policy?

A 50% deposit confirms the booking; the balance is due two weeks before the shoot. A refundable damage deposit (typically £1,000–£2,500, scaled to crew size and use) is held against the booking. Full refund of the balance for cancellations with 14+ days' notice; the deposit is retained inside that window. Force majeure handled case-by-case.

Is there parking and access for crew vehicles?

Yes — there is plenty of room on site for crew parking and unit trucks. Hardstanding driveway and grounds suit cars, vans and larger production vehicles. Tell us what you're bringing and we'll confirm specifics.

What's included in the day rate?

Exclusive use of the property and grounds for the booked hours. On-site contact during the shoot. Heating, wifi and single-phase domestic mains power suitable for stills and smaller crews. Use of WCs and kitchen for catering. Pre-shoot recce by appointment.

What about electrical power for larger productions?

The Roundhouse runs on a single-phase domestic mains supply, which is fine for stills shoots and smaller crews. Larger productions — TVCs, drama, music videos with substantial lighting rigs — are asked to bring their own generator. There is plenty of room to place one on site, well away from the house. Battery-electric and hybrid silent generators are preferred, both to keep noise out of takes and to protect the property's eco credentials.

Are there sound or lighting restrictions?

No specific restrictions beyond what would normally be allowed in a residential, rural setting. We're happy to discuss anything unusual at the recce stage.

Can the property be hired exclusively for private events?

Yes — exclusive private hire is available, subject to suitability criteria. Tell us about your event and we'll confirm.

Enquire

Tell us about your project.

Producers, scouts, agencies and direct enquiries all welcome. We typically respond within a working day.