Was feeling very sorry for itself when we bought it. Having been rented out for years and partially neglected, it needed a lot of work.​

 

A new roof, re-plumbing, rewiring, new bathrooms and kitchen, there was very little that didn’t need doing, and as it is Grade II Listed, there were some strict parameters. We approached it very much in the way we approach all our projects: peel back the layers, see what we’re dealing with, and take it from there.

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It had been a private house, the village post office, and unfortunately this meant that on the ground floor at least, there were few original features to speak of.

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Jane spent a lot of time sourcing the right materials, 200 year old bricks to rebuild the chimney breast, reclaimed terracotta roof tiles from Eastern Europe for the ground floor, ceramic light switches and sockets to minimise the use of plastic wherever possible.

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Mark learned many new skills on the job, using a soda blaster to strip back the wooden beams, how to do lime plaster, and together with the amazing team he put together, did everything from replacing a purlin in the roof, to renovating all the windows, to laying all the tiles.

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The before and after shot shows the difference. She glows with pride, having been given a new lease of life, and the roof, which is Collyweston, will be good for the next 150 years.