Thatched cottage restoration

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Imagine taking on a costly eight-year renovation project – a damp, waterlogged thatched cottage with no services and no road access – with the knowledge that you will never own the property. It’s not the sort of deal that would tempt many people; but former builder Andy Singleton was intrigued, especially by the cottage’s location, in the woods and beside a lake on the Knebworth Estate in Hertfordshire.

Andy recalls: ‘In 2001, the trustees of the estate advertised the cottage in The Sunday Times; they were looking for somebody to take on the renovation and resulting costs in exchange for a 21-year rent-free lease. They had an open day inviting people to put forward proposals, and it was eventually whittled down to me as I was able to demonstrate a track record of working on these kinds of projects.’

Planning... and waiting

Although he’d never renovated a timber-framed building before, and certainly not had a chance to thatch, Andy – who is originally from Yorkshire – does have many years experience working on period properties and stone barns in the Dales. ‘We agreed a specification for the renovation,’ he explains, ‘which I’ve since exceeded because I fell in love with the place and got a little carried away!’

Love is definitely what was needed here, because this was an enormous undertaking. The house was in a sorry state as it hadn’t been lived in at all in the 20th century; in fact, it had only ever been used on the odd occasion when family members from the estate stayed for one or two nights in the summer.

‘While the trustees liked my ideas, it took three years to receive planning permission,’ explains Andy. As well as being Grade II listed and part of the historic estate, the cottage is also on a Site of Special Scientific Interest: not only is it near a lake, it is also surrounded by protected plants and wildlife.

Finally, the work begins

‘I had an awful lot of paperwork to complete, but eventually my plans went through and work could begin to repair the ruin,’ he continues. ‘The thatched roof was really damp and covered in moss – there was water running down it and it was literally rotting away. I went on a course hoping to replace it myself, but soon discovered there’s a lot more to thatching than I thought.’ So Andy hired the teacher, master thatcher Keith Quantrill and his team to restore the roof. ‘While Keith was here, he taught me some more tricks of the trade,’ says Andy, ‘which I was able to use on the thatched garage I’ve built beside the cottage.’

The thatch was only one job on a very long list, though, as Andy explains: ‘When the damaged plasterwork was removed I discovered that the frame was rotten all the way round, so I’ve replaced the soleplate and added a damp proof course.’ He also had to take out sections of timber all the way round, bit by bit, and replace them with green oak; with the help of the estate’s woodland expert, Wocko Watkins, Andy felled some trees, planked them up and seasoned them. ‘The majority of the timber has come from within 100 yards of the cottage,’ he says.

‘And as there were no public utility services,’ he continues, ‘I had to run in an underground electric cable.’ Likewise, there was no mains water supply or septic tank; because of the lake Andy had to install an environmentally friendly tank that neutralises waste and discharges clean water. ‘All in all, there were seemingly endless jobs to be done to set up a decent infrastructure,’ he says.

A little help from friends

Andy has put a huge amount of effort into the project, but he’s very quick to point out that he couldn’t possibly have done it alone. Money has not been plentiful and his budget wouldn’t stretch to calling in paid specialists for everything. ‘I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have had the support of my friends and family,’ he says. ‘This house is a tribute to all those who helped me; so many people were generous with their ideas, time or money.

‘Their kindness first struck me very early on,’ he continues. ‘Before I could even begin the restoration, I needed to create an access road to the cottage; a few of my friends arrived to drive dumpers and diggers. I know some very useful people who I’ve met over the years in the building trade; others were just friends willing to lend a hand where they could.

‘Phil Spencer, for example, who I’ve worked with on many construction projects, has done the plumbing and heating for the whole site here, with no charge for labour. Similarly, Peter Walker has been a great help, doing joinery, hanging doors, and helping me with the framework for the garage roof.’

Adding the finishing touches

Now that the infrastructure and the renovation are complete, Andy has been able to dust off the furniture he acquired from family and friends and the odd junk shop and begin to take it slightly easier and concentrate on his burgeoning writing career.

‘I have another 16 years left here,’ continues Andy, ‘and can’t imagine living anywhere else, although I may have to move out eventually. The day the lease runs out I’ve no right to be here: the trustees quite rightly pointed out it would be up to whoever was in the house at that time. I’d like to think they’d look favourably upon me because of what I’ve achieved, but I’m fully aware there’s no guarantee of that.’

A lot of people have questioned the wisdom of putting so much time and money into something that he ultimately doesn’t own; for Andy, that doesn’t come into it. ‘I wake up here surrounded by the woods, with that lovely lake view,’ he says. ‘And when I’ve been working away, and come back through the gates into the estate, it hits me again how lucky I am – it’s like another world; you can’t put a price on that.’

Barns of the Yorkshire Dales by Andy Singleton and David Joy (RRP £16.99) is available from all good bookshops or by contacting Great Northern (01274 735056; gnbooks.co.uk).

FEATURE NAOMI JONES STYLING SIAN WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHS BRENT DARBY
Featured in the May 2010 issue of Period Living