Channel 4 - Restoration Man: Series 1 (2011)

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Channel 4 - Restoration Man: Series 1 (2011)

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All over Britain, thousands of old buildings lie forgotten and neglected, tangled up with red tape and development restrictions. Many of these property orphans are steeped in history and are of outstanding architectural interest, yet are slowly being left to rot. Luckily these forgotten gems are being bought by stubborn romantics who all share one dream – they want to create a home which is totally unique. Architect George Clarke is passionate about Britain’s architectural heritage and wants to help breathe new life into these architectural treasures. Sharing his vision and expertise to help these restoration warriors realise their dreams, George tours England, Wales and Scotland to find the finest examples of windmills, follies, gate houses, ice houses, towers, and churches.
Each of the nine episodes focuses on the architectural and historical significance of these interesting and mysterious buildings, and the dreamers whose grand designs are transformed into a home which is totally unique.

Part 1: Bath Lodge
Builder Mark Horton has for years harboured a dream to live in a unique house. With this in mind he buys an 18th century folly and plans to convert it himself into a luxurious family home. On the ‘Buildings at Risk’ register for ten years Bath lodge is just a derelict shell with no access road or utilities.

Part 2: Llanreithan Church
Despite no previous building experience, Gareth Williams buys a disused Victorian welsh church and plans to convert it himself to save money. But the church sits in a graveyard surrounded by hundreds of dead bodies and that means lots of red tape.

Part 3: Melin Newydd Windmill
Clive Bolton and his wife Jane dream of retiring and making their new home in a Grade II listed windmill in Anglesey. Derelict since the 1920s it’s situated on an island with picturesque views but fierce winds. Architect George Clarke discovers its rich history and helps tackle the many design constraints of this beautiful round tapered structure.

Part 4: Towers
Architect George Clarke takes on the enormous task of advising two stubborn romantics who each own derelict military towers and dream of converting them into unique homes. Although the years have gone by, their restoration dreams remain in limbo as progress has been very slow and neither of them has planning permission.

Part 5: Field House
Former childhood sweethearts Chris Kelly and Sue Hindle rekindled their romance 8 years ago and have dreamed of uniting their families under one roof. With this in mind, they fall in love with a tiny cruck-framed Field house and plan to convert it into their first family home.

Part 6: Thorington Gate Lodge
Former heavyweight boxing champion and star of Guy Ritchie’s smash hit ‘Snatch’, Scott Welch has spent 20 years harbouring a dream that he would someday own Thorington Gate He plans to convert it into a weekend retreat; however, it soon becomes clear that Scott’s fight to get planning will not be tougher than any previous bout.

Part 7: Ice House
Ten years after buying a remote Scottish Ice House, Laird Henderson plans to live onsite in a caravan while he converts the 19th Century stone fridge into an idyllic hideaway. George Clarke advises and helps design a 21st century glass extension to provide access to the stunning views.

Part 8: Coach House
Lisa and Darren Walker dream of converting a Coach House into a unique family home. Despite having no previous building experience, Lisa plans to project manage the entire restoration and build a kitchen from scratch at the same time.

Part 9: Medieval Hall
Architect George Clarke takes on the task of advising two families who have bought rare and nationally important buildings in Wales. First up is the conversion of an ancient Grade I listed Medieval Hall into a unique home, the second project is a neglected 70 room mansion with a dream to lavishly restore back to its original glory.

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Channel 4 - Restoration Man: Series 1 (2011)

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Channel 4 - Restoration Man: Series 1 (2011)

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Channel 4 - Restoration Man: Series 1 (2011)

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Channel 4 - Restoration Man: Series 1 (2011)

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