Bolton Revisited

Back in 2015, traditional builder Paul and his wife Carol set out to create a bold, fortress-like home on the southern edge of the wild West Pennine Moors. This angled, offset new house, modelled on local dry stone walls, was to be Paul's swansong in the construction industry, much larger in scale and ambition than any of his previous projects. Despite a lifetime of using traditional masonry, their new

home was to be timber built, eco-friendly and energy saving, with the stone elements reserved for a few ground-floor walls. Paul was way out of his comfort zone.

 

With Paul at the helm, Carol, daughter Abby and friend Graeme threw themselves into construction. With a tight 15 month schedule and even tighter 350k budget they were immediately up against it. After spending a small fortune getting out of the ground, the site was repeatedly battered by torrential rain and freezing temperatures. Exhausted, but finally making progress, then the money ran out. When their schedule was up, the house was still unfinished. Instead of seamlessly fitting into its rugged setting, it sat in a muddy, scarred landscape with the interior still to complete.

 

Now, six years later, Kevin McCloud is back to see if this home is finally finished, if it's given Paul and Carol the lifestyle they wanted, and whether Paul has finally managed to put down his trowel.