Grand Designs

Stonemason Adam Purchase and his partner Nicola Brennan have 12 months to convert a silver-mine engine-house in Cornwall into a home, in what soon becomes a race against time.

Ever since he was a child, stonemason Adam Purchase has loved the old silver mine engine houses that characterise Cornwall's landscape. When he and his partner Nicola Brennan chanced upon a dilapidated Grade II listed engine house with planning permission to turn into a home, it was a dream come true.

But converting this important historic ruin into a place to live was never going to be easy. The building itself was little more than a shell, with crumbling plant-infested walls and no roof, windows or floors: a challenge for even the most experienced builders like Adam. Meanwhile, the banks refuse to lend them more than £100k, which Adam and Nicola both know is barely enough to get them through.

As Adam begins to painstakingly restore the building stone by stone, he soon finds himself in a race against time. As his 12-month schedule speeds by and the money drains away, Adam and Nicola rely on barter, favours and hard work to try and save this historic monument and transform it into a unique and beautiful home.