Restoration Home (TV series)

Restoration Home is a BBC television series produced by Endemol who created the BBC series Restoration. The series follows owners of historic buildings as they restore them into 21st-century dream houses.^[1] The show is presented by Caroline Quentin who has an interest in the history and restoration of old buildings, architectural expert Kieran Long and social historian Dr Kate Williams who investigate the histories of the properties.^[2]

Publication

A tie-in publication book, titled Restoration Home by Gavin Weightman published by BBC Publications accompanies the series.

Series One

The introduction titles to the program were filmed at Bank Hall which was a building featured in the 2003 BBC series Restoration.

Episode 1

The first building to feature is St Thomas à Becket Church, Pensford in Somerset, which is on the heritage critical list. A flood in 1968 led to the church's deconsecration and it has been declared redundant. The owners saw it in 2007 and bought the listed church with plans to convert it into a three-bedroom house. As the church is transformed, its past is revealed.^[3]

Episode 2

The second building is Nutbourne Common Pumping Station, Nutbourne, Horsham, West Sussex, which closed in the 1970s. The building is a ruin which contains all its old mechanisms and machinery. The owners aim to turn the concrete carcass into a carbon efficient home. Research by Kieran Long and Dr Kate Williams reveals the history of property.^[4][5]

Episode 3

The third building, Stoke Hall in Derbyshire, a 30-room Georgian country house suffered from a leaking roof and widespread rot. The hall's 250-year-old décor was at risk of being destroyed. The restoration reveals the history of the house, with architectural and social connections to influential people. Research reveals that the hall's architect designed Chatsworth House.^[6]

Episode 4

The fourth building, Stanwick Hall in Stanwick, Northamptonshire, was in poor condition and on the Buildings at Risk Register. Years of neglect have left fungus growing on walls running wet with damp and timbers so rotten that one good storm might bring down the roof. Evidence is uncovered showing the hall was built as a result of a financial scandal of the early 18th century.^[7]

Episode 5

The fifth building, Calverton Manor in Calverton, Buckinghamshire, is a mixture of different architectural styles, with parts thought to date from the 14th century. It is connected to a legend involving a rich widow, the local butcher, pots of gold and murder. As the building's architectural and historical secrets are revealed, the owners are faced with woodworm problems in the buildings main structure.^[8]

Episode 6

The sixth building Big House in Landshipping, Pembrokeshire. Now a carcass, it was once a building of grandeur and influence. Historical and architectural research reveals it was built on the proceeds of the coal industry. The owner bought the property 10 years ago for restoration.^[9]

Series Two

Airing in 2012 Series Two featured six more buildings and their journeys as they are restored by their owners. The introduction piece to camera was filmed at Houghton House

Episode 1

The first building of the series is Coldbrook Farm, a 17th-century Grade II listed Welsh farmhouse. The run-down farmhouse is at the centre of the working farm buildings, which retains its lavish carved Tudor timberwork, which reveals the true age of the building. The owners are restoring the building while attempting to mix the old building with modern aspects.^[10]

Episode 2

Following the restoration of Sandford House in Scotland, designed by Baillie Scott.^[11]

Episode 3

Following the restoration of The Elms, a Grade II listed Georgian house in Derbyshire.^[12]

Episode 4

A couple want to turn the 16th-century Old Manor in Norfolk into a dream home.^[13]

Episode 5

A couple turn 16th-century One Abbey Lane, Southam, Warwickshire into a family home.^[14]

Episode 6

A couple are attempting to restore Coulton Mill, a 13th-century, 10-acre site in Yorkshire.^[15]

Series Three

Episode 1

A couple have bought a Georgian House at Rock Farm and an extraordinary discovery is made.^[16]

Episode 2

A couple sink into their live savings by saving a long-lost estate.^[17]

Episode 3

Two friends buy a neglected 19th-century school and to try and save it.^[18]

Episode 4

A couple with a small budget attempt to transform a Victorian chapel, Nebo, Hirwaun, in the Welsh valleys.^[19]

Episode 5

Kate Armstrong attempts to restore the 110 rooms of Cassillis House in Ayrshire.^[20]

Episode 6

Simon Kelsey attempts to save a once grand Victorian townhouse in Hull.^[21]

Episode 7

A couple buy a once grand and wealthy estate, St Peter's Barn had been overlooked for generations and carved up by modern farming practices.^[22]

Episode 8

A couple's dream home proves to be a nightmare, as costs spiral out of control.^[23]

References

External links

• Restoration Home at the Internet Movie Database
• Restoration Home at BBC Programmes
  
• Nutbourne Common Pumping Station images
• Stoke Hall image in Country Life article
• Big House Official Website
• one abbey lane Official Website