0:00:02 > 0:00:06Over the years, Britain's Empty Homes has been on a mission to show
0:00:06 > 0:00:08what can be down to revitalise and transform
0:00:08 > 0:00:12some of the UK's estimated one million empty properties.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Here I find you, ankle deep in snow!
0:00:15 > 0:00:19In this series, I'll be catching up with some of the people who took the plunge,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22and staked everything on turning unloved houses
0:00:22 > 0:00:24into bespoke family homes.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Today I'll be catching up with a lady from an earlier series,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34who bought a slice of country life in the Cotswolds,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37and I'll be seeing how she's getting on.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41That is amazing! It's beautiful and you've kept all the original features!
0:00:41 > 0:00:46And we'll see how the project to restore Britain's oldest concrete home is going.
0:00:46 > 0:00:52It's wonderful that we can celebrate a piece of high technology from 1871.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55We'll also be visiting some of the derelict dwellings
0:00:55 > 0:00:58our property detectives have been working hard to save.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01- You've made a great start here, haven't you?- Yeah.
0:01:05 > 0:01:0913 months ago, I came to meet Camilla Hanchett at her chocolate box cottage in the Cotswolds.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Camilla had been looking for a new village to call home
0:01:13 > 0:01:17and a new property to match. She promptly fell in love with this thatched cottage
0:01:17 > 0:01:20which had be lying empty for some time.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21Can I go in?
0:01:21 > 0:01:26Camilla became the proud owner of the 300 year old building following a turbulent period in her life.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29I had what you could call a life-changing accident.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34I slipped and fell, broke my right arm, upper arm into four pieces.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39I was also burgled twice in the house that I lived in.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40And then I had a car crash.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43So I thought, "I'm going to do something completely different."
0:01:43 > 0:01:47I remember saying to my colleagues, "I fancy moving somewhere beautiful."
0:01:47 > 0:01:52After 25 years of living in Berkshire, Camilla decided to move closer to some of her family
0:01:52 > 0:01:59who lived in the picturesque village of Churchill, in the Cotswolds.
0:01:59 > 0:02:06I've taken on a cottage that I felt very much, when I saw it, needed some love, some TLC.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11Camilla paid £215,000 for the empty property, which needed major modernisation.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14With help from her brother, David, Camilla rolled up her sleeves
0:02:14 > 0:02:18and prepared to turn the cottage into the dream home where she could start her new life.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22I want to restore it and make it beautiful again.
0:02:24 > 0:02:30When I first met up with Camilla, I was keen to hear about her plans for this exciting new project.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37- Hello there, I'm Joe.- Hi, I'm Camilla.- Camilla, nice to meet you.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38My brother David.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- Hi.- Hello, David, how are you? It's a beautiful place.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43What do you know about it? How long has it been empty?
0:02:43 > 0:02:45I believe it has been empty for about three years
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and nothing had been done to it for a very long time either.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51- It's Grade II listed.- Intriguing.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54About 300 years old and it had just been neglected for a long time.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58What was your reaction when you found out your sister had bought this?
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Pretty brave, to be honest.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03It's not something I'm sure I'm ready to do, but fantastic.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Well, let's find out just how brave, shall we,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and pop inside and explore?
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Wow, look at this.
0:03:13 > 0:03:20The builders had started work on the property three weeks earlier, gutting and stripping the inside,
0:03:20 > 0:03:25which left Camilla to figure out just how she could renovate and preserve this beautiful cottage.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29- This will be the sitting room. - So you come straight into the sitting room.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33What will you do with the walls, are you going to plaster?
0:03:33 > 0:03:37We'll have all the inside of the inglenook exposed and the rest of the walls will be plastered.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41- That is great. You've really got a lovely feature here to work with. And it's stunning, isn't it?- Yes.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- It is the sort of focal point of the room.- It's quirky and I like it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46It's got some interesting little features.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50There's a little seat in there which the builder only uncovered last week.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- Possibly somewhere the homeowner would have sat to keep warm in the winter.- To keep warm.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57- It's a lovely idea, isn't it, going back 300 years?- Yeah.- Mmm.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00And then there's this little cupboard which, I've been told,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03would have been used to store salt.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- Salt?- To keep it dry.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08David, you saw this property when Camilla first bought it,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10how's it looking, you know, because of the changes?
0:04:10 > 0:04:14It's incredible. It's a complete transformation, it feels a lot bigger, a lot roomier.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- I know Camilla will make it into a beautiful home.- Yeah.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Next door to the living room was a small dining area,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26leading into the kitchen, which Camilla has stripped back
0:04:26 > 0:04:30to the original stonework and planned to turn into a modern country kitchen.
0:04:30 > 0:04:36Upstairs, she intended to keep the layout the same with two bedrooms to the left of the property
0:04:36 > 0:04:39and a sizeable bathroom to the right.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41This is going to be the bathroom.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44There's some great head height in there, that's very nice.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46I know, I love that high ceiling.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- So presumably this is going to be your bedroom?- It is, yes.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55It almost feels like the bottom of a boat, dare I say?
0:04:55 > 0:04:56So what is going on here?
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Well, I've been told by the neighbours,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02about 25 years ago whoever owned the house decided to make it open plan downstairs
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and took out this main supporting wall.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07The roof then started to dip, like so,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and they very quickly had to reinstate a wall which they've done.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13It's block work wall, right the way up.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16You can see it goes up into the roof space.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19So it did move but I've had a structural engineer sign it off. It's all OK.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20It's stopped moving now.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24I love all this bowing and this quirkiness.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25It's all fine now.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29That's the point with empty properties. You do have a chance to strip it right back.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32This is the first time you have taken on a renovation like this,
0:05:32 > 0:05:37what are your fears, what are the big challenges that come with this?
0:05:37 > 0:05:42Dealing with the fact it's a listed building, although I don't want to modernise it too much.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45I want it to be in keeping with the style of the property.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Do you know where you go with that?
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Do you know what sort of style you aim for?
0:05:50 > 0:05:53I'm uncertain, I've got a rough idea.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Standing out here it just looks beautiful, doesn't it? The stone is great
0:05:58 > 0:06:01But the thatch, what a striking feature of the house.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- Is it the first time you've lived in a thatched cottage?- Yes, it is.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I'm looking forward to it.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Later we'll see what happened when I took Camilla to meet Lynn and Dean,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14who had taken on a renovation project of a 200-year-old
0:06:14 > 0:06:17thatched cottage very similar to Camilla's.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20It is making me feel quite excited again,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22it is such a shell at the moment.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Across Britain there are many buildings like Camilla's
0:06:24 > 0:06:27just waiting to be discovered and renovated.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29In every part of the country,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32there is a team of empty property officers whose job it is to
0:06:32 > 0:06:35spot these buildings and get people living in them again.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Birmingham empty property officer Matthew Smith leads a team
0:06:44 > 0:06:46handling more than 2,000 cases.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50When we caught up with him just over three years ago
0:06:50 > 0:06:53he was on his way to a house that he had been dealing with for some time.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57It is a really sad tale, this one,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00the owner, who has been living in the property until the last
0:07:00 > 0:07:04two or three months, has now been taken into residential care.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08You will see from the look of the property that it is as bad as it gets, basically.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14The owner was an elderly man who had struggled to care for the property.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17It had been subject to break-ins and vandalism and the police
0:07:17 > 0:07:22have called Matthew in to make sure that the house is secure.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26You can see from the window frames, they are as rotten as rotten can be.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31Broken glazing up top, curtains, basically the whole house is falling to pieces.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Matthew was concerned, not just for the state of this place,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37but for the knock-on effect it would have on the whole street.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Properties like this will always devalue the whole neighbourhood,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42although it is a very sensitive case,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46in reality it is still lowering the cost of the neighbouring properties.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47It may devalue them by 20%.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50The house was open at the back
0:07:50 > 0:07:53so Matthew needed to stop any further damage occurring.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58The property always runs the risk of being set on fire,
0:07:58 > 0:08:03antisocial behaviour, people breaking in, drug taking, all sorts of goings on.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Local builders were called in to make the house secure.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09They had a quick look inside and then,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13certain that no one was there, the building team boarded up the house.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Over the coming months the property will be placed in the hands of
0:08:17 > 0:08:20a solicitor who will put the property up for sale.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23At the end of the sad tale, hopefully there is a silver lining,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26the owner is in residential care now being looked after.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28From the neighbour's point of view the property will be sold,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31repaired and done up and hopefully they will not have to live next door
0:08:31 > 0:08:34to such a problematic property from now on.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Today, over three years later, Matthew is back to see
0:08:41 > 0:08:44the property and find out if it has changed for the better.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46It was only sold two months ago
0:08:46 > 0:08:49but the renovation is already well under way.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Matthew Smith, Birmingham City Council, nice to see you.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57The new owner, Amjad Ali, was keen to start the work as soon as possible.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- I'm sure the neighbours are happy already, aren't they?- I hope so.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04There is a tree gone, last time I was here there was a tree there.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07The first thing he did was to chop down the huge branches that
0:09:07 > 0:09:12- overshadowed the building.- You have made a good start on the windows.
0:09:12 > 0:09:13Yeah.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Double glazing. The last time I was here the woodwork was falling out.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21I remember pressing the windows and it was coming away in my hands.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25- Good, sturdy door, yeah. And again, the door was actually falling down. Can we have a look inside?- Yes.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27After you.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37You have made a difference in here. The walls are looking good.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40It is so much lighter than before, with that tree outside it was
0:09:40 > 0:09:46all dark when I was in here three years ago. Put new floorboards down, as well.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Do you want to show me upstairs?
0:09:48 > 0:09:52The structural work is well underway, there is a new roof,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56the house is being rewired and all the walls have been replastered.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- It looks better than since I was last here. Are you pleased?- Yeah.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Thanks for showing me around. Cheers.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08It has been a fabulous meeting with the owner, half hour,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12it is superb to see the property now finally being restored
0:10:12 > 0:10:14into its former glory.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18The neighbours will be happy, Birmingham City Council is already happy, the house looks superb
0:10:18 > 0:10:20so I will move onto the next one.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Seeing the houses seems to have put a spring in Matthew's step,
0:10:26 > 0:10:31it is a derelict wreck, but potentially a comfortable family home.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Transforming an empty property has its rewards
0:10:34 > 0:10:35but it is never going to be easy.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39However, when you speak to people who have been through it, they will tell you that the hard work,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43the stress, the sacrifices are all worth it in the end.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48Three years ago, Michael Cullinane and his family decided to take on
0:10:48 > 0:10:51one half of a former prep school in Dorchester.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54They certainly needed plenty of vision.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58The main thing about the property that really appealed to us
0:10:58 > 0:11:01was the size. From the road looking at it, it was four storeys,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05so the sheer scale of the property really appealed to us.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09The family spent almost two years working on this large end-of-terrace
0:11:09 > 0:11:16house and now have a four-bedroom, three bathroom family home with a vast 70 metre rear garden.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21When we first walked into this house it was vacant for two years
0:11:21 > 0:11:24so it was incredibly damp, there was water running down the walls.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Without us getting it at the price we did and doing the work ourselves
0:11:28 > 0:11:31it was impossible for us to afford such a thing.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33They renovated one room at a time
0:11:33 > 0:11:35with the whole family getting involved.
0:11:35 > 0:11:42We bought the property for £265,000 and so far, to date,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45we have spent between 85 and £90,000 doing it up.
0:11:45 > 0:11:51As an estimate, it is probably worth about £500,000 at the moment.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56By taking on this abandoned old school Michael and his family have
0:11:56 > 0:12:00ended up with a home they simply couldn't have otherwise afforded.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06One of my favourite bits in the house is the hallway floor, that leads nicely to the original staircase,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09the original staircase is just stunning.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Also we have always wanted a kitchen diner and when we have parties
0:12:13 > 0:12:17and dinner parties everyone is in the kitchen, it is the hub of the house, really.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24This house has improved our family life completely,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28it has given us the room to expand so I can see us being here,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30forever really, it is a bit of a forever house.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Earlier in the programme I met novice renovator Camilla who had spent
0:12:37 > 0:12:41£215,000 on a Grade II listed thatched cottage.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43She has taken on a mammoth task
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and had big plans to modernise the whole site.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52So I took Camilla and her brother, David, to meet a couple who had undertaken a very similar project.
0:12:53 > 0:12:59Lynn and her builder husband Dean bought a three-bedroom thatched cottage in Oxfordshire
0:12:59 > 0:13:01that had stood empty for two years.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04It was a one up, one down cottage,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08an old traditional cottage with an old washroom at the back, no bathroom.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13I was bowled over by it.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Despite the amount of work the building required to make it habitable,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Lynn and Dean were determined to fulfil its potential.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25We've tried to keep the property as traditional as possible
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and the way we've done that is by sourcing local materials.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32We just tried to be sympathetic to the cottage.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Guys, thank you for having us in the cottage. The first thing I'm struck by is the similarity, actually,
0:13:37 > 0:13:42as we walk straight in here to a really cosy room, exactly like you have.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Here we have a wood-burning stove. Was this always here, or something that you had to put in?
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Actually, that wall was plastered up.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52We decided that we'd just put a little French stove sticking out into the main room
0:13:52 > 0:13:56and then you drilled a hole through the wall, didn't you?
0:13:56 > 0:13:59- Yeah.- And said, "Have a look in there."
0:13:59 > 0:14:02It's exciting when you uncover things like that.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Yeah, definitely but that's what these places are all about, I think.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07How tricky is it putting this in
0:14:07 > 0:14:09and having an active chimney when you've got a thatched roof?
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Basically, you have to have the chimney lined
0:14:13 > 0:14:16and, on top of the chimney pot,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18you have to have what's called a spark arrester.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Once the fire is on, it's great, yeah.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Is this how you picture it, in terms of the snugness of your room?
0:14:25 > 0:14:27- It's so similar to mine.- Is it? - Yes.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29It's making me feel quite excited again,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31it's such a shell at the moment.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Yeah.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Lynn and Dean paid £295,000 for their cottage
0:14:37 > 0:14:41and spent £50,000 on renovations, adding underfloor heating,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45opened up the kitchen, to make room for an Aga,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and turned the extension into their main living space.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Upstairs featured three bedrooms and two bathrooms
0:14:51 > 0:14:55that have been lovingly restored to make the most of the period features.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Oh, that's lovely.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Instantly the exposed stone catches your eye.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Is that something that you would consider, Camilla?
0:15:05 > 0:15:11Definitely, I'm really liking this mixture of exposed stone and plaster.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Yeah. Really nice on an end wall.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18How is it to actually be in here, does it cause any problems?
0:15:18 > 0:15:21It's lovely, but it does get very dusty.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23So you have to Hoover the wall?
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Outside, Lynn and Dean have nurtured a picturesque garden
0:15:30 > 0:15:33which is complemented by the rustic thatched roof.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36These type of roofs need regular care and upkeep
0:15:36 > 0:15:38and, having lived in the cottage for some time,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42they understand exactly what the maintenance involves.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Well, this is great, I have to say.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48I love it out here and, for the first time,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51we can really clearly see the roof. Let's start there,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54have you had to do any work to the thatch since you moved in?
0:15:54 > 0:15:58About six months ago we had the ridge redone.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01The ridge gets the main part of the rain.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05So that ridge will stop it seeping into the top
0:16:05 > 0:16:08which is going to be the most vulnerable part of the roof.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13Of course, with thatch you don't have gutters, or any of that rigmarole.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14The water what, just drips off?
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Yes, it just literally pours off the roof.
0:16:20 > 0:16:26So you have to definitely have a good bit of drainage, on the ground, so that it runs away.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31As well as renovating the cottage, Lynn and Dean have also converted their outhouse,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34joining it to the main building with a conservatory,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38an alteration which Camilla hoped to undertake at her property.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43It's nicely linked up, your downstairs area here, and, Camilla,
0:16:43 > 0:16:44if planning permission could be granted,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47it's something you could consider to link up your outside
0:16:47 > 0:16:50with a conservatory or a glass corridor.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54The man who lives next door said that he had an idea of putting glass between the two
0:16:54 > 0:16:57so you could link them with the conservatory definitely, like this.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Yeah. Very good.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Is there a certain amount of satisfaction, bringing something back to life,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05something that wasn't used and can be used again in the future?
0:17:05 > 0:17:10Yeah, definitely, you've saved a little part of history, really.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It's like having an antique, isn't it, you've got to look after?
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Yeah, definitely.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Later on, I will be catching up with Camilla to see
0:17:18 > 0:17:22if this visit helped her with her vision for her own thatched cottage.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Over a year ago I went to see a project to save
0:17:27 > 0:17:31and restore Britain's oldest standing concrete building,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35dating back to the 1870s in Southwark, London.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Concrete House was built in one of South London's most desirable
0:17:40 > 0:17:44residential areas, but the iconic 100-year-old building had
0:17:44 > 0:17:48become completely derelict and had been the focus of a long campaign
0:17:48 > 0:17:52by local empty property officers to bring it back to its former glory.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56It was built by the architect Charles Drake,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59the era's most enthusiastic promoter of a revolutionary,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03and back then, expensive building material, concrete.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07The fascinating restoration project was being overseen
0:18:07 > 0:18:10by architect Paul Latham.
0:18:10 > 0:18:11Hello, Paul, how's it going?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- Hello, very good thanks. - Good to see you.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16First of all, it has been years, hasn't it,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18- to get inside this.- 13 years.
0:18:18 > 0:18:2113 years of campaigning and dedication,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24but I have got to see inside now that we are allowed in. After you.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- Wow! There is no ceiling and no floors.- Exactly.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34- It is a total wreck, isn't it? - It's amazing.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37I know there are no floors here, can we go upstairs?
0:18:37 > 0:18:38We can go upstairs, yes.
0:18:38 > 0:18:45When fully renovated the building was intended to be put to good use as affordable housing.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47We have one flat down there, one flat here,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51the same on the other side and the top floor will be the fifth up there.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52Exactly.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56The material you are celebrating is concrete but it's also, I assume, the bane of your life.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01That is why it is such a difficult project and that is why it will cost so much money.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Indeed, it is why the building is still surviving,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08because a brick building without the floors would have collapsed.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12This is special because of the unique stage in the development
0:19:12 > 0:19:14of the material of concrete.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18This is using steel plates as the first system,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21now we build tower blocks with this same system
0:19:21 > 0:19:24so it is a very important building from that point of view.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Part of the project is that from the outside it will look absolutely
0:19:27 > 0:19:32correct that it would have done in 1873 when Drake finished this
0:19:32 > 0:19:36building which, incidentally, took no more than 10 days to build.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- 10 days! That is phenomenal. - Exactly.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43In Victorian times it took much longer to build a typical
0:19:43 > 0:19:46house made of bricks, but the architect Charles Drake
0:19:46 > 0:19:50had a dream of building housing quickly by using concrete.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55But his plans had one central flaw.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00Unfortunately he did not understand the small detail that is
0:20:00 > 0:20:04you need reinforcing rods otherwise the building is not strong enough.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08To conclude, this is going to be a project that will provide
0:20:08 > 0:20:13affordable housing but so much more, it is an homage to Drake
0:20:13 > 0:20:15the first constructor in concrete,
0:20:15 > 0:20:20who pioneered many of the principles we still build by today.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Absolutely, yes. That is a very fair comment.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Today, one year later,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Paul Latham is back to check on how the renovation is coming along.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33We have done 90% of the underpinning,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37the building is safe. We can concentrate on the internal.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39It has been a painstaking process
0:20:39 > 0:20:44but they have managed to save most of the original fabric.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Here we have some of the original pieces of the building that we
0:20:47 > 0:20:50have dug up, we are pinning them
0:20:50 > 0:20:54back on to the building in the same position that they were originally.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58Where we are missing some of the parts we have got some
0:20:58 > 0:21:01craftsmen to actually create new mouldings to match.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05It is quite skilled work and it has taken us six months to get this far.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09I think Mr Drake could be horrified. I don't think he would be too impressed.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Inside, Paul's designs are slowly coming to life,
0:21:13 > 0:21:18there are many challenges to deal with before the work could even begin.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20It has come quite close to being demolished
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and it has come very close to falling down.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27We had big mature trees around it and the roots had gone under the building.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35There were major cracks so as well as underpinning the building
0:21:35 > 0:21:39we have had to put metal stitches to tie across the cracks
0:21:39 > 0:21:42like sticking plaster to make the building stable.
0:21:42 > 0:21:49The floors had all gone, the roof had nearly gone so we really have
0:21:49 > 0:21:53just grabbed it in the nick of time to save it from being lost forever.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57This Grade II listed building will soon become
0:21:57 > 0:22:01home to five housing association flats.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05It is wonderful that we can celebrate a piece of high technology
0:22:05 > 0:22:12from 1871 and also deliver affordable homes for people to live in.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Mr Drake would be very pleased to see it coming
0:22:15 > 0:22:18back into use as houses, he would really like that.
0:22:18 > 0:22:2213 months ago I met Camilla Hanchett
0:22:22 > 0:22:26at her 300-year-old cottage in the Cotswolds.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29She was hoping to turn the empty house into a comfortable home
0:22:29 > 0:22:32whilst retaining its original period features.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I have come back to Churchill in the Cotswolds to see how Camilla
0:22:39 > 0:22:40has been getting on.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43The last time I saw this cottage it was just a shell
0:22:43 > 0:22:47but now, standing here from the outside, it looks picture perfect.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50There is even smoke coming from the chimney.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53It looks like the fire is lit, I better go and say hello.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Camilla wanted to give this pretty cottage a complete facelift
0:22:58 > 0:22:59without losing any of the character.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Potentially a rather tricky balancing act.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11- Camilla, good to see you. How are you?- You too, very well, how are you?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Very well. This looks incredible. Just a bit different, isn't it?
0:23:14 > 0:23:18- Slightly, yes.- It looks so neat and clean and beautiful.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20- Can I have a look inside? - You can, come in.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28Hey, look at this. That is amazing.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29It is beautiful,
0:23:29 > 0:23:34and you have really kept all of the original features, haven't you?
0:23:34 > 0:23:39Yes, I think the beams were black when you last saw this.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43We shot-blasted all the way through, all the beams including this one.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47So you get this lovely very, sort of quite light wood traditional feel.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51I love the colour of them. It goes well with the stone which
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I have also had shot blasted in this area here because behind the
0:23:54 > 0:24:00wood burner was all black and sooted up from many years of an open fire.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04I don't think there was a floor in last time and you have gone for flagstones, which look brilliant.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06I have replaced what was here.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09The colour is crucial here, because everything you have done
0:24:09 > 0:24:11has kept it a very warm feeling
0:24:11 > 0:24:14because of the colour of the wood and flagstones and the stone.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19How difficult has that balance been? Before you were talking about modernising in that you want to live
0:24:19 > 0:24:22in a modern home and not the 300-year-old cold
0:24:22 > 0:24:25draughty home, but you also wanted to keep that traditional feel.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28We have kept the original features but I have put in a new kitchen,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31new bathroom, central heating, it has been rewired, replumbed.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35- Wow, the whole works.- But I haven't actually changed the character of it. - Yeah.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38You decided not to keep too much stone on show,
0:24:38 > 0:24:43because you make this a real feature by just having the stone revealed here.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47That's right, and there is also some stone in there but that is new Cotswold stone,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51the back of the fireplace is original but the front was a bit damaged.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54This had been empty for three years as you remember.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- No one had touched it for years anyway.- It works so well.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Shall we see some more?
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Yes, of course, follow me.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08Now I remember this ceiling, and what a great bedroom!
0:25:08 > 0:25:11This has worked out really well, it's so hard to visualise this,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14when you are just dealing with rafters and stripped back walls.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19- It's pretty much what I had in my head, I haven't done a huge amount in here apart from decorating.- Yeah?
0:25:19 > 0:25:24It's really good. I do like this, I know it wasn't originally supposed to be like that
0:25:24 > 0:25:27hundreds of years ago, but things move and wood bends and bows
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and I think it gives it really good character, doesn't it?
0:25:30 > 0:25:32It is, I love the character.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35- Shall we go outside? We can go and see what's happened, shall we?- Yes.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44It's a really nice sized garden, isn't it? And it's turned out so well!
0:25:44 > 0:25:50It looks absolutely fantastic. you come out and you think, "This is the garden and that's the garden wall."
0:25:50 > 0:25:54But it's not, that's a sort of false fence, that's not on your boundary, is it?
0:25:54 > 0:25:59No, the boundary is just beyond so that is a gravel path and the fence is there to disguise the oil tank.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01- And the bins.- Clever.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06- I have also got an external boiler, which is in that cupboard there. - Oh, OK.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10And the thatched roof, it's the first time you've lived in a thatched cottage,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- has it caused any problems? - No. Not at all.
0:26:12 > 0:26:19It's like having a duvet over the top of the house. It's very cosy and when it rains you don't hear the rain.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- It just drops off the edge.- The building is just looking glorious.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26So, I'm so pleased it's worked out so well and you've got planning permission
0:26:26 > 0:26:29to develop the rest of it whenever you want,
0:26:29 > 0:26:30- congratulations! - Thank you.- Job well done!
0:26:34 > 0:26:35Hasn't it worked out well?
0:26:35 > 0:26:39It is not always simple to balance the needs of a modern home with a traditional
0:26:39 > 0:26:43look at feel, and yet, Camilla here has made it look easy.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46And to think this place was abandoned for three years,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49it just goes to show how things can be turned around.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52And now, Camilla has her perfect home.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd