Pennod 3 04 Wal

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-Tonight, we visit Penarth

-to see an old sea captain's house...

-..which has been transformed

-by Sue Roderick.

-We also discover Hendre House,

-one of the lost houses of Wales.

-It's being renovated

-by Michael Tree.

-First, the smallest house

-we've featured on 04Wal.

-Glyn and Lee Davies live here.

-Welcome to 04Wal.

-Pen-y-Graig is a stone's throw from

-this quarry in Penrhyndeudraeth.

-The house is over 300 years old.

-We rarely visit a property...

-..where you can see the whole house

-from one spot.

-Wales is a small country

-and, as we know, small is beautiful.

-We made our way to the house,

-through the jungle outside...

-..and this place

-was full of spiders' webs.

-I felt like Indiana Jones!

-It was love at first sight.

-Our offer on the house

-was accepted...

-..within three days

-of that first viewing.

-Was the house structurally sound?

-Was the house structurally sound?

-

-Yes.

-Whoever built this, 300 years ago,

-knew exactly what he was doing.

-The two main walls are between

-four and a half and five feet thick.

-The two side walls of the house

-are at least three feet thick.

-This house is completely solid.

-It has no foundations.

-This cottage was built on a rock

-and it's as solid as a rock.

-Was it always your intention

-to create a Victorian-style cottage?

-Yes, most definitely.

-Neither of us

-is overly keen on modern furniture.

-We both like antiques.

-We're very organised and we know

-where everything is in this house.

-The air turns blue on the odd

-occasion when we lose something...

-..but, that said, we know it's got

-to be somewhere in this one room!

-There isn't much scope!

-You've spent a lot of time

-in the garden.

-Are you a keen gardener?

-Are you a keen gardener?

-

-Yes.

-This was an orchard.

-Every single tree was diseased.

-I had to dig them up

-and get rid of them.

-We now have three apple trees.

-We had to wait for three years

-before we could plant them...

-..to give the disease time to clear.

-We enjoy gardening...

-..and we grow eighty percent

-of our own vegetables.

-We also keep hens.

-It's like The Good Life!

-I hope Margo Leadbetter

-doesn't live next door!

-No, luckily for us!

-There are no prizes

-for guessing this is the bedroom.

-It's quite cramped

-but all the essentials are here.

-There's restricted headroom

-in here, too.

-There's a television in here

-and there's plenty of storage space.

-There's a bookcase and a chair

-either side of the bed.

-There are two lamps here, too.

-When you live in a small house,

-you learn to be neat and tidy.

-This was described as the

-second bedroom, or the dining room.

-It was laughable!

-There's no room for four chairs,

-never mind a table!

-This is the lounge.

-You relax in here.

-Did you

-have that lovely window fitted?

-Yes, the window was only half that

-size when we bought the cottage.

-We wanted a bigger window there.

-It lets sunlight

-flood into the room.

-It's wonderful

-to see the sun from here.

-Why is this dormer

-higher than the other ones?

-We think

-there was a door there, originally.

-They would bring the animals

-into the house...

-..and their body heat

-would heat the house.

-It wouldn't have smelled too sweet

-in here!

-You only have two chairs, so what

-happens when you have dinner guests?

-There are two chairs in the bedroom.

-If we're having a formal dinner,

-we'll carry the chairs downstairs...

-..and move the sofa

-towards the fire.

-We normally have a buffet

-and everyone sits around the fire.

-I can't fault this cottage.

-I'm moving in next week!

-Thank you.

-We wouldn't move,

-even if we won the Lottery.

-No other property

-could mean so much to me.

-We spent a whole year

-rebuilding the interior.

-I wouldn't

-want to go through that again.

-I'd be happy

-to work on another garden...

-..but I'm more of a gardener

-than I am a builder.

-You're happy sitting here,

-by the fire.

-Yes, all I need now

-is an Irish wolfhound...

-..a cigar and a glass of rum.

-I'd be very happy!

-A book called

-"The Lost Houses of Wales"...

-..lists the lost houses of Wales!

-Hendre House was so lost, it wasn't

-even mentioned in that book!

-Hendre House, built in 1815,

-stands proud above the Conwy valley.

-It was owned by Lord Mostyn and the

-Blackwells were his first tenants.

-A local butcher bought it in 1938...

-..but, due to structural problems,

-he couldn't live there.

-Legend has it he enjoyed coming

-here to practise playing the organ.

-The house lay empty until

-Michael Tree bought it in 1997.

-He describes Hendre House

-as his ferme ornee.

-He's slowly renovating the house,

-with the help of John, the builder.

-What's so special about this house?

-It's special because

-it hasn't been spoilt in any way.

-When I first came here...

-..the rain fell from the roof,

-all the way down to the cellar.

-Most people

-would have been put off by that...

-..and found somewhere else to buy.

-That's true,

-but I wanted to buy a new house.

-I'd already sold my house,

-in Llangollen.

-I thought this was the best house

-I'd seen for many, many years.

-This is the rear of the house,

-where the maids would cook.

-The minions worked over there

-and this is where they lived.

-They lived in the basement.

-This is the most recent extension.

-As you can see, there's a crack

-going from the top to the bottom.

-The walls aren't bound together.

-They've used two different stones

-and it almost looks glued on!

-If you walk to the front, you can

-see the simplicity of the design.

-This is typical of Georgian design.

-A window on both sides of the door

-and one window above the porch.

-One thing makes this house

-rather unusual.

-There's a bay on this side

-and it stretches from top to bottom.

-You can see this side of the valley

-from there.

-You can also see all the way

-down there, to the sea.

-John, the builder, enjoys the

-scenery, when he's not hard at work!

-How much have you managed to do?

-I've done the parapet.

-I took it all down and I rebuilt it.

-I've nearly finished.

-What's the next step?

-The next step is to

-take all the slate off the roof...

-..fit new felt and new battens...

-..and pull both chimneys down.

-That sounds like a lot of work.

-That sounds like a lot of work.

-

-Yes, that's right.

-I'm sure you learn as you go along.

-I'm sure you learn as you go along.

-

-Yes, that's true.

-I watched experienced builders at

-work and picked up tips from them.

-You'll be sorry to see this job end.

-You'll be sorry to see this job end.

-

-I'll have reached retirement age,

-by then!

-Work on the interior will commence

-once the exterior is sound.

-How long will it take for work

-on the house to be completed?

-To finish everything, including

-the furniture, the garden...

-..and the cowshed?

-Seven or eight years, perhaps.

-Do you plan to live here?

-Do you plan to live here?

-

-Yes.

-Lord of the manor!

-Lord of the manor!

-

-No.

-The house servant

-would be closer to the truth!

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-I had a soft spot for this area.

-The views attracted me.

-I like to see the sea,

-like all girls from Porthmadog.

-I found this house and I realised

-it needed a lot of work done to it.

-It was a huge project!

-What condition was the house in

-when you bought it?

-It was in good condition

-but I didn't like it.

-There were small rooms, everywhere.

-This is an old pilot house

-and it's long and narrow.

-It's a three-storey property.

-The next step was to make sure

-it fulfilled its potential.

-How did you go about achieving it?

-I bought it without ensuring my

-plans for the house were realistic.

-I can be a little impulsive!

-I employed a structural engineer

-and he was crucial to the project.

-I talked to several architects

-but their ideas were boring.

-They were either unadventurous or

-their designs didn't appeal to me.

-They tended to stick to their guns.

-The structural engineer

-told me I could do all this...

-..and the house wouldn't fall down!

-That's all I needed

-because I already had the ideas.

-I wanted to open it all out.

-Taking down the walls and making

-sure the house didn't fall down...

-..was a huge undertaking.

-Were you tempted to give up on this

-house, even though it had potential?

-No, I knew this house had potential.

-I wanted to see the view

-from every part of the house.

-The house looks like a traditional,

-Victorian property from the outside.

-Once you step inside, you realise

-it's like a loft conversion.

-Yes, it's very open here.

-Furniture was a real headache for me

-when I realised there were no walls!

-I had to get rid of a lot of the

-furniture I had in the other house.

-You can't put anything

-against the wall, you see.

-There may be no walls here but

-this takes its place really well.

-Yes - it's all down to luck.

-This is an old piece,

-which belonged to my aunt.

-You can tell from these marks...

-..that this was upholstered,

-at one time.

-That makes it more interesting.

-You couldn't see

-the ornate patterns.

-I can't believe

-it was covered with material.

-I have no idea why they did all this

-intricate work if it was covered.

-Isn't it strange?

-The kitchen's through there.

-You can shout at people

-when they play the piano!

-Yes - I tell them to shut up!

-This is one, large room...

-..but you've divided it

-very cleverly.

-This must be the comfy area.

-Yes, this is the comfy area

-and there's a fire at both ends.

-It's very cosy

-when I light both fires.

-Look at this!

-Is it a gin and tonic?

-Is it a gin and tonic?

-

-A gin and tonic?!

-Sipping a gin and tonic as you

-watch the sun set on your empire!

-No, I watch the boats.

-This is the dining room.

-The dining area, to be precise.

-The dining area, to be precise.

-

-Yes, this is an important area.

-Light floods in here.

-Light floods in here.

-

-It's very noisy when it rains.

-The kitchen is very important.

-It's small but it's practical.

-Everything's within easy reach.

-I've concealed

-as many implements as possible.

-It's lovely and neat.

-You can see your guests

-while you cook.

-That must be a bonus.

-Yes, I can see people

-as they sing by the piano.

-I've never been invited

-to one of your soirees!

-You'll be invited, soon.

-The most striking feature

-of this house, for me...

-..is this atrium,

-at the back of the house.

-The garden was right here.

-This leads from the kitchen

-and the dining area.

-This was the back wall.

-This gives the owner the opportunity

-to display objects like this light.

-You could hang a picture there.

-The bedrooms are through here.

-I'm walking through the back wall!

-Easy peasy.

-The staircase was moved from here

-when the extension was built...

-..which left Sue

-with a space to fill.

-She decided to create a study here.

-This is the master bedroom.

-Here we are!

-She's an actress and, as you'd

-expect, she has lots of clothes.

-She applies her makeup in front

-of this mirror before she goes out.

-This is the piece de resistance.

-Take a look

-at this magnificent bathroom!

-A sunken bath.

-Isn't it wonderful?

-It's not ideal

-if you've had a drink...

-..and you're looking for the loo

-in the dark!

-I'm not sure I'd want to

-see myself in this huge mirror...

-..when I climbed out of the bath.

-It's very cosy in here.

-The fire makes it very intimate.

-Yes, there's

-an apartment kind of feel to it.

-I liked the idea

-of having an apartment in LA...

-..like they say in the films!

-I wanted an apartment and you

-can't beat the views you get here.

-Was this a mess

-when you bought the house?

-Yes, it was wild and overgrown.

-There wasn't much here, really.

-I had this terrace put in.

-It was a big job

-and it was quite scruffy.

-It was private and I liked that.

-There were steps here,

-in the middle, leading up here.

-I moved the steps to the side

-to make room for the terrace.

-I wanted to be able to see

-into the house from here.

-You can see the extension from here.

-Yes, you can see the atrium

-in all its glory.

-The problem with the extension

-is I can't clean the windows.

-It's really tricky.

-It was a good idea

-but the windows are filthy.

-Don't pan up there, please.

-It hasn't been painted!

-You've created a unique property.

-Yes, I think so.

-Nobody else in this street

-has opened up the ground floor.

-A few of my neighbours want to do it

-after seeing this.

-What other ideas have you had since

-you finished this house?

-Will you sell up

-and start again in another house?

-No, I'll stay here for a while.

-I'm sure I will move again,

-at some point.

-I'd love to buy an old cowshed,

-in the country and convert it.

-That's my dream.

-S4C subtitles by

-Eirlys A Jones