A man sold his one-bedroom flat in London to restore a dilapidated cowshed in a gamble that could have left him penniless.
But despite the odds, Simon Baker persisted, roughing it in his battered Ford estate while the 250-year-old stone Eryri building in North Wales was painstakingly brought back from the brink of ruin.
After drilling 22,000 holes into Welsh slate tiles, Simon finally had a roof over his head and was well on his way to completing an impressive renovation. Architects and designers were left impressed by a project that paid homage to the slate and farming culture of Conwy’s Machno Valley.
Not only did Simon preserve elements of the old cow shed, but he also incorporated clever interior design elements, some seemingly inspired by 007 and the Starship Enterprise.
Now, his dream home, Beudu Dyfnant Cowshed, is in contention for the BBC Wales Home of The Year (HOTY) title. In the first episode of the new series, which showcases properties from northwest Wales, the Cowshed will be featured alongside a bungalow near Caernarfon and a cottage on Anglesey.
(Image: Simon Baker)
The judges of the home renovation series were completely swept off their feet when dropping by Simon’s “heart-over-head” restoration marvel.
Interior design expert Mandy Watkins was in awe, describing the rural gem as both “cute and unassuming”, a stark contrast to its glorious interiors amid breathtaking countryside, reports North Wales Live.
Architect Glen Thomas couldn’t hide his excitement either, saying he was “so impressed”. Meanwhile, Radio 2’s very own Owain Wyn Evans was left speechless, dubbing the abode “breathtaking and astonishing”.
Simon, 52 from Edinburgh, was living in London while working as an incident manager for Network Rail. On the look-out for a renovation project, friends highlighted the old cowshed.
(Image: Simon Baker)
It was up for auction but its farmer-owner preferred a quick sale. This was in late 2013, some months after the spring snow crisis had shut off the valley, killed thousands of sheep and brought down scores of newer livestock sheds.
Simon was awestruck when he came across the shed, estimated by the National Trust to be from around 1760, and despite its dilapidated state, he saw great potential in it. With walls thick enough to shrug off the harshest winter and sited to dodge rain run-off, the interior’s raised platform with hefty slate flags suggested it was once a cattle shelter.
“In fact, some older people in the valley remember it being used for cows,” Simon reminisced. “But as farms got bigger, the shed became too small for modern use.”
However, the road to renovation was fraught: no planning consent, a National Trust covenant, a crumbling structure without access or utilities.
(Image: BBC Wales)
“It was a ruin, it was literally falling down,” admitted Simon. “A storm had blown down some of the west wall and taken off part of the roof. It had no access and there were no services.”
Still, that very ruinous charm captivated him.
“That’s what I liked about it – I wanted to retain its original look. I thought it looked amazing but I knew it would be a lot of work.
“Neither did I get any assurances from the National Trust they would allow me to convert it into a house. So it was a massive gamble.”
(Image: BBC Wales)
He decided to sell his London flat and, using his life savings along with a self-build mortgage, he took the leap. He was determined to carry out a sympathetic conversion, employing local tradespeople, and finally managed to secure the necessary permissions.
Simon also needed plenty of resilience. “I did stay for a while at my friends in Llanrwst but for long periods I slept in a sleeping bag in my old Ford estate car,” he revealed.
“As soon as the roof was on, I began camping inside. And when the mezzanine was installed, I slept there, climbing to it up a ladder. Being on site enabled me to carry out small jobs before the builders arrived – it helped keep costs under control.”
Simon, who faced an agonising wait for permissions, seized the time to meticulously plan out his shed’s cosy interior. Despite its compact size by today’s standards – just right for a two-bed space – he didn’t shy from ambition and crafted cardboard models to envisage what would work best.
(Image: BBC Wales)
Centred around the crucial mezzanine level, every other aspect was derived from it, including a space-saving, curved staircase. To complement this elegant feature, a sweeping curved kitchen was favoured.
The unique curved kitchen, akin to a maritime command hub, floored the Wales HOTY judges with its awe-inspiring look.
And it wasn’t just the kitchen that wowed – the judges also marvelled at the bathroom boasting an indulgent sunken bath beneath an innovative part-oak, part-acrylic staircase, equipped with a switchable film for privacy at the touch of a button.
Simon finally moved in just before Christmas 2017. By then the money had run out, so completion was another year off. Being single, most of the design was his. He describes the building as being like a tailor-made suit: for his own purposes, it fits him perfectly. “There’s something incredibly rewarding about living in a space you designed,” he said.
(Image: BBC Wales)
“Some people might say a few of the design elements are a conceit. But really they’re just practical solutions for what is a building with a relatively small footprint.”
He’s now learning Welsh and is grateful for the community welcome he has received. Beudu Dyfnant Cowshed may not be one of the country’s great mansions, nor does it have any great historic links. But it was part of a rich farming tradition that underpinned Welsh culture and sustained its language. “I feel proud to have played a part in its restoration,” said Simon.
The episode is available to air on BBC iPlayer.
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