Born from a barn,
built for Dorset
Stour Spaces began with a vision: to create the kind of storage facility that North Dorset deserved but didn't yet have. Here's how we got here.
The barns
The site at Stour Provost had stood as working chicken barns for decades. When the Ottewill family came to consider what to do with the land, they saw something with real potential: generous, solid structures with good proportions, well-positioned in the Dorset countryside, with the kind of character that modern industrial units simply can't replicate.
The conversion wasn't done quickly or cheaply. Every unit was stripped back, properly insulated, re-roofed where needed, and fitted with electrical supply and running water. The result is spaces that feel properly made — clean, practical, and built to last — while keeping the warmth and texture of the original buildings.
When you step into one of our bays, you're in a space that used to be part of a working Dorset farm. That history matters to us. We think it should matter to you too.
The vision
Aden and James Ottewill set out to solve a problem they saw throughout North Dorset: people and businesses that needed extra space simply couldn't find anything good. The options were distant, impersonal, poorly equipped, or committed to five-year leases that didn't suit anyone trying to grow flexibly.
The Stour Spaces model was built around four beliefs: that security should be a given, not an add-on; that electricity and water should be included as standard; that contract terms should be fair and flexible; and that the setting matters.
A facility in the Dorset countryside that you'd actually enjoy visiting — one that treats your car, your tools, your heirlooms, or your stock with genuine care. That's what we built.
Barn exterior photo
Stour Provost, North Dorset
Stour Provost is a village in the Blackmore Vale area of North Dorset — surrounded by the rolling hills and patchwork fields that make this part of England so distinctive. We're easy to reach from Shaftesbury, Gillingham, Sturminster Newton, and the wider A30 corridor.
What we believe
Four values that shape every decision we make — from how we designed the bays to how we talk with customers.
Security first
Every decision we've made — from coded gate access to full-site CCTV — starts from the same principle: your belongings should be exactly where you left them.
Genuine flexibility
Life doesn't run on five-year leases. We offer rolling monthly terms because we want our customers to feel in control of their space — not trapped by it.
Quality over shortcuts
We could have done the barns up cheaply and quickly. Instead, we took the time to do it properly — so the spaces feel right, work properly, and last.
Community at heart
We're a family business in a Dorset village. We care about the people who use our site — tradespeople, collectors, families, small business owners. We want them to thrive.
The family behind the bays
Stour Spaces is run by Aden Ottewill and James Ottewill — two brothers with deep roots in North Dorset and a straightforward ambition: to build something genuinely good for the community they grew up in.
Between them, they bring practical knowledge of construction, land management, and customer service — exactly the combination needed to refurbish old agricultural buildings and run them as a premium local business.
If you have questions, you'll speak to Aden or James directly. No call centres, no automated systems. Just two local people who know the site inside out and care about making sure every customer is well looked after.
Come and see for yourself
We'd love to show you around. Come and visit the site, see the bays, and ask us anything. No pressure, no commitment.
Book a site visit