We had a similar home, which was also poorly insulated, so we had insulation added around the exterior of the upper floor, which was then wrapped in hardi-plank siding, and we kept the stucco on the lower half and painted it to match the new siding. We painted the few remaining batten boards around the main floor windows in this same color, but did the window trim a coordinating color. All in all, it turned out pretty nice. It's the only way I can think of to get rid of the Olde English look - either that or re-stucco the whole house, which would be quite costly.