Gary and Annette's glassy designs

Gary and Annette met at Wolverhampton University, where they studied glass design

After a two year slog converting an old barn next to their house, Gary and Annette McMillan have achieved their dream, and opened a new glass studio and gallery in Low Bentham.

The space created showcases glass, ceramics and sculpture by local and national artists and craftspeople.

Also on show is glass work by Gary and Annette, made in their own studio.

"We wanted to create a space where people could come and see what is possible in glass," explains Annette.

The barn has taken two years to convert into a modern studio

The village of Low Bentham, only ten minutes from Kirkby Lonsdale, is an unassuming place surrounded by beautiful scenery often passed through by Sunday drivers heading north to the Yorkshire Dales or south into the Forest of Bowland. It's also the place that glass artists Gary and Annette McMillan decided would be the perfect place to realise their dream of opening a glass studio and gallery.

"We couldn't believe our luck when we found the property," Gary says. "It's the sort of building artists spend their lives searching for. To find a home with a barn attached which is ripe for conversion into a working glass studio and separate gallery space is very rare. Properties that do come onto the market are generally farm buildings far off the beaten track. We wanted to live somewhere that was quiet, with a garden for our little girl to run around in, that we could open to the public."

This is the eighth year in business for the couple who previously had a workshop and home in Lindale near Grange-over-Sands which wasn't open to the public and had no room for expansion.

"To be honest we didn't know anything about Low Bentham when we bought the house," says Gary. "As we came to explore the surrounding area we quickly realised we had moved to a very beautiful and quiet part of the country. I used to work as a glassblower in Ambleside many years ago and during tourist season it could take an age sitting in traffic getting to work or heading for the fells. Here you can get out onto the hills and not see a soul all day. There's even a public footpath that cuts down the side of our barn to a lovely walk along the river Wenning."

Glass artworks

The sandstone barn with 1779 on the date stone was used in the 1980's as an upholstery business and more recently the barn and courtyard were a small garden centre specialising in herbs. Now after two years of slow conversion it is home to Stonegate Glass Studio and Gallery.

DECORATIVE GLASS Etched glass A process that changes the surface of the glass by sandblasting or acid treatment Fused glass Fascinating effects can be achieved with bubbles, colour and texture Stained glass Different lighting conditions can subtly change the qualities of the glass

The studio designs and makes a wide selection of glass from stained glass windows to kiln formed splashbacks for kitchens and bathrooms to large scale glass artworks for offices and homes.

Gary and Annette met at Wolverhampton University, where they studied glass design: "We were taught all the main disciplines of glass from stained glass, glassblowing and kiln forming but it is the design skills which we learnt on our degree course that have been the most useful, enabling us to cope with all manner of projects," explains Annette.

"One week we're making stained glass windows for a castle conversion in Tunstall, the next we are on scaffolding in an empty swimming pool in Cheshire installing illuminated glass panels for an ex-Liverpool footballer, and we've recently finished making some embossed recycled glass blocks for the winners of the 'Green Awards.' It's so varied and interesting that most of the time we don't feel like it's real work."