An isolated hilltop in the Brecon Beacons might seem an inhospitable place for a couple's first home. But Adrian and Corinna both grew up in the area, and the ruined farmhouse they chose to restore had been in Adrian's family for generations. The site's lack of mains water and electricity gave them no qualms. True, the track up the hill was often inaccessible in winter. But the landscape was beautiful and they both felt they belonged there.
Budget And Build
Cost of site and land: £15,000
Cost of build: £75,000
Total cost: £90,000
The purchase - £15,000 for the house and six acres - was the simple part. Then came long negotiations with the Brecon Beacons National Park, which has strict limits on building.
Adrian and Corinna planned to rebuild the farmhouse to its original design, using traditional techniques and recycling the old stones and tiles that were still scattered on the site. The house would have an open-plan living room downstairs, with just one modest addition: a new kitchen/dining room in an extension along one side. Upstairs would be two bedrooms and a bathroom.
The roof would be rebuilt with new joists and trusses of green oak. These would be cut from trees in managed forests nearby and made by local carpenters. Window frames would be made of mature oak, which wouldn't contract or expand once in place. Local contractors Pete and Chris, experienced in traditional building techniques, would do the construction.
The build, begun in late summer, soon had to contend with extreme weather. In the autumn, heavy rain held up supplies and flooded the site. In winter, gales threatened to blow off the new roof trusses. Windows had to be boarded up and work went on in near-darkness. The extension wall - built of breeze blocks and due to be faced with stone - crashed down in a storm. Then in March, foot-and-mouth disease struck the valley and no one was allowed near the site for six weeks.
Adrian and Corinna stayed remarkably sanguine. And despite nature's best efforts, a year after the build started the house is nearly finished. Built of stone and slate, with local labour and expertise, it looks completely at home in the landscape. Inside, simple decorative techniques bring out the rugged grace.
This house is, in Kevin's opinion, one of the most sustainable houses he's ever filmed. It scores very highly on recycling as it's built largely out of stone and slate found on the site. Lime for the mortar was locally dug and the oak roof frame was sourced from a wood nearby and built by local carpenters. Such local sourcing cuts down on transport and the attendant pollution and, just as importantly in Kevin's view, helps sustain the local economy.
Energy-wise, the house has under-floor heating powered by an oil-fired Rayburn, which is economical and involves little heat loss. The breeze-block walls have insulation-filled cavities, and there are effective insulation boards in the roof. Finally, the farmhouse scores green points by being small and modest: it cost little to build and will cost little to run.
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Want to be a self-build guru? Then read on....
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