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Help! We Bought a Village - Season 4 Episode 34
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04:24Words can't express how pleased I am that they've done it now
04:28Now we know the house is not going to move anywhere
04:32And no walls are going to fall down
04:34Which is brilliant
04:35I can't believe the size of the rocks that are coming out of the floor here
04:44It's amazing
04:46Today, Kelsen and Stuart are excavating the concrete floor of the farmhouse
04:50With an able assistant on wheelbarrow duty
04:53That'd be me for the day
04:57I can say I helped out
05:01I've contributed
05:02Phew, I need to go and have a light down now
05:05In the past, heat was generated by burning wood
05:10But Louise and Paul want to bring the home into the 21st century
05:14By installing a more sustainable underfloor heating system
05:18So the builders need to dig deep
05:21Whack
05:30Oh, take that
05:35It reminds me of like a bar of chocolate
05:38It's just breaking up like a bar of chocolate
05:40I will be really glad when this is totally out
05:54Because the only way we can get it out
05:57Is with a small dig around a wheelbarrow
05:59So I was Mr Wheelbarrow today
06:01So yeah, I'm glad when it's done
06:04Two months later
06:13The underfloor heating and new concrete floor are down
06:16Framing for partition walls has been installed
06:19As have First Fix Electrics
06:21I'm extremely happy with the rate of progress at the moment
06:25And they've really done a lot of work up until now
06:29They're cracking on with the inside
06:32So I couldn't be happier really
06:35I absolutely couldn't be happier
06:36We're currently insulating the upstairs at the moment
06:42So we're putting in 200ml of insulation
06:44To keep it nice and toasty and warm
06:47We've put these rails on
06:49And we can fix the plasterboard to it then
06:51Great stuff, isn't it?
06:56Look, wow
06:57It all feels a lot warmer
06:58That's amazing
07:00It's super thick, this stuff, isn't it?
07:04Yeah, it's 200mm
07:06It's funny, isn't it?
07:09Because the more that gets done
07:11The more I get excited about the possibility of moving in
07:14And now when I'm seeing, like, this stuff going in
07:16And, you know, and the walls going in
07:19And the electrical cables
07:20I'm thinking, well, maybe it will be real
07:23You know?
07:26Although the journey to get to this stage of the project
07:28Hasn't been an easy one
07:30For Louise and Paul
07:31The dream of bringing this former farming hamlet
07:34Back from the brink
07:34Is finally within touching distance
07:44In another part of Normandy
07:46Another English couple are also invested
07:49In restoring a once-lost village
07:51With a deep connection to the region's past
07:53La Cloutière is a historic settlement
07:57Thought to date back to the Middle Ages
08:00I love the history here
08:03I love the medieval stuff
08:04And then even going back to the Viking stuff
08:06Which is Normandy
08:07I love all that as well
08:09So that was one of the big factors
08:10For us to move here
08:12Originally from London
08:14Husband and wife Budo and Tracey
08:16Are three years into the renovation
08:18Of their historic village
08:20We didn't want to be where it's too hot, Eva
08:29It's lovely if you're on holiday
08:30But if you're doing a renovation
08:32And you're constantly in the heat
08:34We'd be having a lot of sit-downs
08:37A lot of siestas, as they say
08:39A lot of siestas
08:39Having cops a day
08:40And we love the seasons, don't we?
08:42Yep
08:43And we love seeing the changes
08:44The winter snow
08:46The summer heat
08:47Beautiful
08:47And the rain in between
08:49And it's just a beautiful place to be
08:52You know?
08:57It's August
08:57And today marks the start
08:59Of another new project
09:00Budo is about to breathe new life
09:03Into this very old
09:04And abandoned building
09:06This is what we're up to
09:07And believe it or not
09:08This is a day's work
09:09We've done already
09:10The earth was up to this here
09:13While we're bringing it down
09:14The reason is
09:15Water is penetrating inside the building
09:18This level that I'm standing on now
09:21Is slightly below the inside level of the floor
09:25But we wanted to pull this back
09:27So this building can start to breathe properly again
09:29And not sitting in water all the time
09:31Why we're doing this is
09:33This barn is a game changer for us
09:37I am a joiner
09:37I'm a carpenter
09:38And I work making things
09:40I make windows, doors, staircase, kitchens
09:42Whatever it be
09:42This is going to be my new workshop
09:45And this will help me
09:47Repair and rebuild
09:49The whole of the village
09:51Because we're working out
09:52Of a little room in the house at the moment
09:53And it's really going to change things for me
09:55I'm going to be able to move along a lot quicker
09:57It's got a roof
09:58It's got good walls
09:59All the prettiness of it
10:01If I need it
10:02Will come later
10:03Helping Budo is son James
10:08A landscaping contractor
10:09Who's out in France
10:10Visiting his parents
10:12And enjoying a working holiday
10:14Using heavy machinery
10:16Certainly speeds things up
10:27But it's not long before history buff Budo
10:34Spots some interesting artefacts
10:37Hidden under the earth
10:38Found some more pottery
10:43We're seeing lots of shards coming up
10:45But these more significant parts
10:47This looks definitely medieval
10:49This looks like a leg
10:51Of a pot
10:52And then we found a bit of glass
10:54A neck
10:55But you can tell it's old
10:57Because the top
10:59Is not symmetrical
11:01It's just roughly blown
11:03And this is the sort of thing
11:05You find all around this village
11:08These aren't Budo's first vines
11:13He's been amassing quite the collection
11:15Painting a fascinating picture
11:18Of La Cloutière's former life
11:20We keep bringing up little items
11:23From the past
11:24We've got some sort of a
11:26A neck
11:27Of a vessel
11:28Maybe a round pot
11:30Of some sort
11:31Looks quite old to me
11:33A bit medieval looking
11:35This one
11:36Is a little cotter bell
11:39Still got the pip in it
11:41I looked into it
11:42And I believe
11:44It was made between
11:451500 and 1700
11:47And it's still going today
11:49And I found this in two halves
11:51Believe it or not
11:52And what I believe that is
11:53Is a stopper
11:55For maybe a decant
11:57Or for maybe wine
11:58Or sherry
11:59And then
12:03What I like
12:04Because it's related to military
12:05Still investigating what it is
12:08But we believe it's a belt buckle
12:11I believe it's from the Napoleonic period
12:14This armour
12:17It is famous in France
12:18This chest
12:20Breast armour
12:21They wear
12:21But that was a lovely little find
12:23And that's definitely going to go in my man cape
12:26And then we're finding quite a lot of these
12:29Loads of little sort of bottles
12:31I like
12:32You know
12:33Keeping things like this back
12:34Because
12:35They give a bit of history
12:36To the village
12:37If you like
12:38And when you hold something like that
12:40If that is 100 years old
12:42Or more
12:43You know that someone else
12:44Was holding it a long time ago
12:45So
12:46I don't know
12:47It's just got a bit of nostalgia for me
12:48You know
12:48I like to keep old things
12:50And because they're coming out of the ground
12:52Not broken
12:52They're worth keeping
12:54You know
12:54This area is full of history
12:58You know
12:58And to be part of that
13:00You know
13:00We're a part of that now
13:01Because we're putting our mark on this place
13:03And
13:04When we find things
13:05It's just respectful to keep them
13:07And just
13:07You know
13:08Put them by
13:09And
13:10Just
13:10Something I like about it
13:11You know
13:11History
13:12Unearthing secrets of the past
13:14Is part of the charm
13:15In restoring lost villages
13:17And for Budo
13:18It's definitely giving him the motivation
13:20To continue with his mission
13:22Coming up
13:29We've got a lot of good preparation
13:31And we've got people in place
13:32Who are really good
13:33Village saviors in Spain
13:35Take a leap into the unknown
13:37Have we managed and opened a restaurant before?
13:40No
13:40But that's okay
13:41While in France
13:42I'm going to paint one of the walls here blue
13:45Are you?
13:46Yes
13:46Why?
13:47Because I want to
13:48Louise and Paul's decorating visions
13:50Are miles apart
13:52It's not going to match the floor in
13:53We'll see who wins the battle of colours in this room
13:55Yeah, yeah
13:56Purchasing one of the abandoned villages of Europe
14:11Can be fraught with risks
14:12Centuries old crumbling structures
14:15Are not the best place to put your life savings
14:18Particularly if seeking a quick return on your investment
14:21Nestled within the misty mountains of Galicia
14:24In the northwest of Spain
14:26Lies the tiny village of La Brada
14:28Once abandoned and left to crumble
14:33Large parts of it have now been lovingly revived
14:37La Brada shows just what a ghost village can become
14:43For generations farmers cultivated cereal crops
14:52And grazed cattle on these lands
14:54But today, thanks to Ben and Susanna
14:58Its once ruined structures have been transformed
15:01Into a stunning contemporary bed and breakfast complex
15:05All achieved without losing its historic charm
15:09It is a responsibility
15:16The village was all but abandoned when we first came here
15:20And it's just, we're, let's say, saving it for the next generation
15:23We're reforming it
15:25But it's like, you don't own these things
15:27You just look after them for a generation
15:30And that's what we're doing
15:32Ben, originally from Newcastle
15:36And his Spanish wife Susanna
15:38Began their journey with La Brada in 2008
15:41When they purchased and renovated
15:44A dilapidated farmhouse to use as a holiday home
15:47Falling in love with the village
15:49They then purchased more of the abandoned buildings
15:51And set to work breathing new life into them
15:54It's been a challenge
15:56And we thought, is this the right thing to do, etc
16:00Because we've done it bit by bit
16:02We've done one building by one building
16:05One floor by one floor
16:06One brick by one brick
16:08Be perseverant
16:10It's as well attitude
16:11And really what it gives you all the strength to go on
16:17We first met Ben and Susanna in 2023
16:24As they looked to expand their business
16:26Turning one of La Brada's previous ruins into a restaurant
16:30The beauty, obviously, is this stone
16:35So these are coming from houses in the area
16:39Which are demolished or in ruins
16:40But this is really a craft which doesn't exist anymore
16:44Like thatching roofs, I guess
16:45The specialist nature of the stone craftwork
16:49Meant the restaurant renovation fell behind schedule
16:52Pushing back the chefs, etc
17:01We can't hire them
17:02Could take two or three weeks
17:04But really, in September
17:07There we go, so we'll miss Summer Peak
17:09But we are where we are
17:11Despite setbacks
17:14They did finally manage to open
17:16But were only licensed to serve their B&B guests
17:19We need to move on
17:23And the important thing is
17:24When we open, we are ready
17:26Everything is perfect
17:28Always, always
17:30We see the positive things
17:31It's now July in La Brada
17:38And with the stonework complete
17:40Ben and Susanna have finally got permission
17:44To open the restaurant to the public
17:46So we open the restaurant at the beginning
17:49Just for our guests
17:51For dinners
17:52It's like opening the restaurant progressively
17:55And we are planning to open the restaurant to the public
17:58For lunches next week
18:00They've hired head chef Noelia
18:03Who has big ambitions
18:05Hemos preparado una tarta de queso
18:11Utilizando uno de nuestros quesos regionales y locales
18:17Que es el queso cebreiro
18:18Respetamos el producto de proximidad y el producto local
18:24Entonces en nuestros platos siempre intentamos utilizar el producto de cercanía
18:29Por eso la utilización siempre de los mejores productos de la zona
18:34The restaurant has been a big investment
18:39And while they have experience hosting B&B guests
18:42Neither of them has ever run a restaurant before
18:46I mean, I think we've got a lot of good preparation
18:49And we've got people in place who are really good and experienced
18:53And know what they're doing
18:54If you've got a good team, then things are going to work
18:56We managed and opened a restaurant before
18:58No, we're expecting teething problems
19:01But that's okay
19:02We'll overcome them
19:03The proof really will be in the pudding
19:08Ben and Susanna's restaurant will need bookings
19:11If they're to see any kind of return on their investment
19:14Back in France at the 300-year-old village of Le Où
19:25This is the last piece of studying and insulation
19:29To go in downstairs
19:31So there's light at the end of the tunnel
19:34It's January
19:35And after four months' hard work
19:37The farmhouse renovation project is edging ever closer to completion
19:42We've got full insulation
19:45All the walls are straight inside
19:47It's amazing
19:50And this is where the kitchen will go
19:52It's going to be black
19:53With gold handles
19:56How posh am I?
19:59And it's going to have a marble effect worktop
20:03So it will, I think it will be very modern
20:07But at the same time, kind of in keeping with the surroundings
20:12With the majority of the farmhouse now boarded and insulated
20:17Louise and Paul are keen to retain a feature fireplace wall
20:21As a nod to the building's past
20:23The original fireplace would have provided much needed warmth
20:28Against the harsh Normandy winters
20:30The farming family who lived here would have kept it lit day and night
20:34To provide both heat and a means to feed themselves
20:37At one time, I think it would have had timber coming out
20:43To create a hood, essentially, over the top of the open fire
20:47Yeah, yeah
20:48But it's long gone
20:49With only the stone supports for the original mantle remaining
20:53Builder Stuart has a plan for a replacement
20:56In keeping with the building's historic character
20:59Because you're having a wood burner
21:03The timber's not an option
21:05No, okay
21:05It'll be too close to the flute
21:06Yeah, yeah
21:07So I think what we've decided to do
21:10Is to shutter this off
21:12Yeah
21:12And cast it in concrete
21:13Okay
21:14Up to the ceiling
21:15Yeah
21:16And then it comes to render it
21:17In the same colour as the pointing
21:19So it'll all blend in
21:20So it'll all blend in
21:21Yeah, yeah
21:21That'll be lovely
21:22I think that's the option we come up with
21:23Yeah, yeah, yeah
21:24That'll be lovely
21:24Upstairs, there's another room that's coming to life
21:29So this is going to be my office
21:33I'm a book person
21:34So bookcases, bookcases, bookcases, bookcases
21:38Probably filing cabinet
21:40My plan is desk probably under the window
21:44It's coming together nicely
21:47I mean, it's actually going faster than I thought it would appear
21:49All that's left to do now
21:52Is choose a colour scheme
21:54I'm going to paint one of the walls here blue
21:56Are you?
21:57Yes
21:58Why?
22:00Because I want to
22:01Okay
22:02It's not going to match the floor in
22:04Light blue
22:05It's not going to match the floor in
22:07We'll see who wins the battle of colours in this room
22:11Yeah, yeah
22:12Well, no, it's up to you, obviously
22:14It's your room
22:15The rate that it's come along is amazing, really
22:20And this, now it's all plastered
22:22It just is a completely different kettle of fish, you know
22:27It's amazing
22:27It looks like a modern home already inside
22:30Study it and see it getting there
22:32Bathroom, it's going to get there
22:33Yeah
22:34Here, once the window's delivered
22:36That bit will get sorted
22:38And it won't take long
22:39No
22:39We need to get carpet in here
22:41Yeah
22:42Do you still want carpet?
22:42Yeah, I do, yeah
22:43Yeah
22:44I still keep trying to talk
22:45Louise into laminate
22:46But she wants carpet
22:47I've already surrendered on this one
22:49Yeah
22:50In my professional life
22:51I've picked my battles
22:52I can fight
22:53That I can win
22:53This one
22:55No
22:55I'm not going to win it
22:56So
22:57No
22:57Carpet
22:58A month later
23:06And with a new staircase in place
23:07Both floors of the farmhouse are finally connected
23:11We were kind of limited with where to put the staircase
23:15Because upstairs, the roof immediately starts, you know
23:20Going into sort of like an apex situation
23:23So it had to come up in the middle
23:25Otherwise there wouldn't have been headroom
23:27The way that it's fitted in with the plan discreetly
23:31And yet still looking a little bit countryfied
23:35And, you know, really pleased with it
23:38And we've got doors
23:39We've got a window
23:40We've even got a windowsill
23:43It's amazing
23:44And seeing this, you know
23:47It feels like we're almost ready to move in
23:50You know, it really does
23:51It looks absolutely stunning
23:53Nearly five months since the renovation began
23:59The once abandoned farmhouse is slowly coming back to life
24:04And with decorating about to begin
24:06Louise and Paul can get their hands dirty
24:09Helping push the project forward
24:11To finally being complete
24:13Coming up
24:19See him going backwards and forwards with a digger
24:22And he's tracking it and compacting it down
24:24An extra pair of hands helps Budo rattle through his to-do list
24:29Well, where James is here, we can flow
24:31And get things done very quickly
24:33While in Spain
24:34He's found a pipe
24:36And he's cut the pipe
24:37Ben and Susanna
24:38Are keen that their renovations
24:40Don't create a neighbourhood dispute
24:43But what we don't want
24:44Is to find out that there's somebody
24:45Down there in the valley
24:47Who now doesn't have water
24:48Back in France
25:01At the historic farming settlement of La Cloutière
25:04It's August
25:05And Budo, along with son James
25:07Are excavating earth
25:09To help the walls of the village's medieval barn
25:11Become moisture-free
25:13James being here just pushes me on days ahead
25:16Because ordinarily, if I was doing the digging
25:18I would have to stop the digger
25:20Jump out
25:21Start the tractor up
25:22Move it into position
25:23And it just takes so long
25:26Where where James is here
25:27We can flow
25:28And get things done very quickly
25:30Budo hopes the removal of centuries of accumulated soil
25:37Will allow the building structure to dry out
25:40And Budo is ensuring nothing goes to waste
25:44Using the earth to level the track
25:46That runs through the village
25:47The soil that's coming out there
25:54Ordinarily
25:55You would normally, say, fill up a couple of skips
25:58And that would be towed away to a landfill
26:00And it's all energy, wasted fuel
26:03We've got the land here to reuse the soil
26:06So nothing has to leave our village at all
26:08We'll make sure that it's used in the right way
26:11So we're using the subsoil, if you like
26:14To bring up the land
26:15Helping Budo with this big project
26:20Is his vintage tractor
26:21She's the same age as me
26:24So dare I say my age is 1965
26:29And this tractor was born then as well
26:32And she's been going all that time
26:35Beautiful tractor
26:35Four wheel drive
26:37Air-cooled engine
26:38She's a little bit temperamental
26:43But she's still going
26:44And if you maintain them
26:46And look after them
26:47Like Tracy maintains and looks after me
26:49We keep going
26:50With a load of earth moved to the dirt track
26:54Budo needs to change the digger's bucket
26:57For its next job
26:58So this is an old-fashioned way of doing the digger
27:01Because it's an old digger
27:02This is 20 years old, this digger
27:04I'm just going to drop out this one first, James
27:07Despite being semi-retired
27:13Budo's zest for rejuvenating the village
27:16Never wavers
27:18Mum and dad are very impressive what they do
27:24Considering their age
27:26We're not going to say they're too old
27:28But they do a lot for how old they are
27:30We ain't spring chickens anymore, you know
27:32We ain't got time to sit around and whinge
27:34And moan about things
27:35We just get on
27:35They're very passionate about this
27:37And I'd love to see them succeed
27:39And we can all come out here
27:41Enjoy it in a few summers' time
27:43Yeah, I'm glad you're here anyway
27:45Thank you
27:46That's all right
27:46The plan now is James is going to level off what I've put over here
27:54We're trying to build this up
27:56So he's going to level it off
27:58Yep
27:58We're lucky we got the machines to help us
28:01And in James' knowledge
28:03He's really good at this sort of stuff
28:05This track would have been a vital artery
28:16When La Cloutière was a working farm
28:18Aiding the movement of goods and produce
28:21The track would have been compacted and smoothed
28:26By the constant movement of animal-drawn carts
28:29But today it just needs a helping hand
28:34So we've made light work of that with the digger
28:38We'll keep building on this
28:39See him going backwards and forwards with the digger
28:42And he's tracking it and compacting it down
28:44Over 20 tonne there
28:45There's no cost
28:46We're reusing materials that are here
28:50And it's coming out really well
28:51I'm really happy with it so far
28:52We're happy with today, aren't we, James?
28:57Yes, we are
28:58Yeah
28:58As long as he's happy, we're happy
29:00While today has been a success
29:03Restoring a building this old is never straightforward
29:06Overgrown with ivy
29:08All sorts of hidden problems may still be lurking
29:12Back in La Brada in northern Spain, it's November
29:20And Ben and Susanna have finally opened their restaurant to the public
29:24It's good, we're completely fully booked all the weekends
29:29So that helps, that helps a lot
29:31And customer feedback is immediately positive
29:35I don't like the chase
29:37But this cave is incredible, it's amazing
29:40A hillside village, La Brada is set across two levels
29:45The lower village with the restaurant and B&B is now complete
29:49However, further up the hillside
29:51Lies another group of abandoned buildings all crying out to be saved
29:55This includes an old barn
29:58Which Ben and Susanna are keen to transform into luxury holiday accommodation
30:03So this is the romantic barn
30:08Fireplace in the middle
30:10A nice bed here
30:11We'll likely have a hot tub as well outside
30:14Nice bottle of wine sitting on the veranda there
30:17In the hot tub
30:19But I mean, yeah, what more do you want?
30:23As well as the barn renovation
30:25Ben and Susanna have also earmarked another building in the upper village
30:29To become their dream home
30:31This is our place
30:33Might have seen better days
30:36But basically we have a vision for this
30:39If the bottom part of the village is the after
30:41Then this is the real before
30:43This is dangerous to go into right now
30:46Because the roof is collapsing
30:47And if we don't do some controlled demolition
30:50In the next few months
30:51Of the roof
30:52Then the walls will fall out as well
30:54And that would defeat the object a little bit
30:58With the drawings
30:59You can see the transformation
31:02And here as well
31:04We have a little piece of land
31:06For us to chill out
31:07To have our pockets with friends
31:09And have the sun
31:11When we have it
31:12The architectural heritage of their village
31:17Is important to the couple
31:18Which is why they're retaining
31:20And reusing as much as they can
31:22Of the original construction
31:24These are the original doors
31:26Made in chestnut
31:28So they are very heavy
31:30Very good
31:31We were chatting already with our carpenter
31:34And he's going to restore them
31:37And we can reuse them
31:38Will be a beautiful door when it's finished
31:42But before any of the renovations can begin
31:48This upper part of the ancient village
31:50Needs some vital infrastructure installed
31:53To bring it into the modern era
31:54Right now we're digging a trench
31:58From our water
32:01To the top part of the village
32:04The top part of the village doesn't have water
32:06Suddenly excavations are brought to a halt
32:11He's found a pipe
32:13And he's cut the pipe
32:14But what we don't want
32:16Is to find out that there's somebody
32:18Down there in the valley
32:20Who now doesn't have water
32:21So the key question is
32:24Whose pipe is that
32:25And where was it going
32:27Susanna begins the detective work
32:29Phoning a local contact
32:31To see if they can help solve
32:32The puzzle of the mystery pipe
32:35Susanna's speaking to the son of Eleanor
32:38Who used to live here
32:39He knows these mountains
32:40Like the back of his hand
32:41Etc
32:41Knows where all the water fountains are
32:42Water sources
32:43And he's just confirmed
32:45Originally went to this house
32:46So it's all okay
32:50It's all good
32:51We didn't affect the water
32:53For our neighbours
32:54So that's perfect
32:55So good
32:56No bad news
32:57As the digger driver
33:01Returns to the vital work
33:03Of bringing utilities
33:04To the upper village
33:04The couple are excited
33:06By what this new chapter
33:08For La Brada
33:08Will bring
33:09I mean we're very very close
33:11To putting this in place
33:13And once this is in place
33:15Then we've basically got
33:16Another 12 people
33:17Will be able to stay
33:19In these accommodations
33:21So that makes the whole village
33:2440
33:2440 odd people
33:26Once we're full
33:27Which would be every summer
33:28So that's good business
33:30For the restaurant
33:30And yeah
33:32We're so close
33:32So close
33:33Coming up
33:39The ivy
33:40It grows in between
33:41These joints
33:42And it pushes
33:43At La Cloutier
33:44Tracy and Budo
33:46Go to war
33:46With mother nature
33:48Never ever
33:49Let ivy grow
33:50In your house
33:51Because it just
33:51Causes so much damage
33:53While at Lou
33:54The only challenge
33:56Is Lou
33:56Doesn't like it
33:57If I drip
33:57Louise becomes
33:59A hard taskmaster
34:00I think it's a shame
34:02To mess it up
34:03By doing bad painting
34:05This is why
34:06I'm keeping an eye
34:07Back at the farming settlement
34:22At La Cloutier
34:22In Normandy
34:23It's September
34:24And Tracy and Budo's
34:26Latest project
34:27Breathing new life
34:28Into the village's
34:29Medieval barn
34:29Moves on to the next stage
34:32Will we get this tower built
34:35Yep
34:36Let's go up on
34:37Then we can start
34:37Working on that ivy
34:38Yep
34:39Because that's going
34:39To be a really big job
34:41Isn't it
34:41Trying to get that
34:42Down for me
34:43While the ground
34:45Around the barn
34:46Has been lowered
34:47To stop water ingress
34:48Ingress
34:49Of a different sort
34:50Is plaguing
34:51The structure's stonework
34:52Well the ivy's been there
34:55For a long time
34:56Something's like this round
34:57And it's grown into the wall
35:00So we've got to be very delicate
35:01But before we get there
35:02We've got to go and build
35:03The scaffold first
35:04So
35:04That'll be fun
35:05One thing that sort of
35:06Goes against for me
35:08Is that I'm not very tall
35:09No but you cope well
35:11She's quite strong like
35:12So she's got some muscles
35:12I've trained her up well
35:13You know over the years
35:14She's been
35:14You get two of them
35:18Or one
35:19I'll take two
35:19With a lifetime
35:21In the building trade
35:22Budo not only has the knowledge
35:24He also has all the equipment
35:26Using their own scaffolding
35:28Is saving them a small fortune
35:30Right
35:34So this one's alive now
35:35Right
35:36So standing
35:36Freestanding
35:37Yeah
35:38You just want to put your hand
35:39On that for us
35:39So we've got another pole up
35:41These are heavy
35:44You okay to hold them?
35:51Cool
35:52As we whack them wedges in
36:01It locks it all up tight
36:03But we're semi-solid now
36:07While often mother nature
36:11Can appear pretty
36:12She can also be
36:13Incredibly destructive
36:15The ivy
36:18It's shoving the building around
36:19So it grows in between
36:21These joints
36:22And it pushes
36:23And eventually
36:24It'll just push this corner
36:25Of that building over
36:25Never ever
36:27Let ivy grow on your house
36:29Because it just causes
36:30So much damage
36:31Working in tandem
36:34Soon enough
36:35The scaffolding begins to rise
36:37To reach the highest parts
36:38Of the barn
36:39Right
36:41Just push that post in a bit
36:42Trace at the top
36:43You're carrying that
36:46Like a pro
36:47I know
36:48You're like a pro
36:49Got to keep her going
36:50There we go
36:53That's that floor in now
36:54Lovely
36:55Do you know what
36:56I could think of better things to do
36:58When you're nearly 60
36:59Despite all the hard work
37:03Tracey and Budo's passion
37:05For the history of their village
37:06Is what drives them on
37:08So I've been doing a bit of investigation
37:10On this building
37:11The general size of it
37:13And the fact that it has a timber frame
37:15Construction inside
37:17Which would have been before the stonework came
37:19And the shape of the windows and doors
37:22I believe that this was the original house
37:24That this is the oldest part
37:25Of this village
37:26It's been used as a barn
37:28But it's not got proper barn doors on it
37:30So big animals
37:31Wouldn't have been able to come in and out of here
37:33Reminds me of
37:34You know
37:35The very early
37:36Viking buildings
37:37Going back to that time
37:38Normandy was a very Viking area
37:40The Vikings ruled this part of Normandy
37:45Between the 9th and 11th centuries
37:47Typical Viking dwellings
37:50Were wood or stone built structures
37:52With a turf or thatched roof
37:54Inside, Viking families
37:59Originally from Scandinavia
38:00Would have likely lived alongside their animals
38:03While the scaffolding has gone up quickly
38:07The removal of the ivy
38:09Will be a far more delicate
38:10And time-consuming operation
38:13I'm just going to be very careful
38:16As I'm taking the ivy down
38:18Because I just want the ivy to come off
38:20I don't want the stone as well
38:21It's going to be a slow and tedious job
38:23I don't want a couple of days of masonry work
38:25Putting it all back together again
38:26Hopefully in six to eight weeks
38:28It'll be looking pretty
38:30And working functionally
38:31As a workshop for me
38:33And I'll be in my element
38:34Two months later
38:41And progress is slow
38:42Taking this ivy off
38:45Is so tedious
38:47Because the trunks are really thick here
38:49But above here
38:51We have a lot of loose stones
38:53And Budo has to rebuild the wall
38:56So that we make the gable end very safe
39:00While the scaffold's up
39:02Work can't continue inside the barn
39:04Clearing everything
39:05So once we get this down
39:07Then we can start doing the work inside
39:10As is often the case with ancient villages
39:13It's only when you peel back the layers
39:16That the scale of the work
39:17Becomes truly clear
39:19It's clearly going to take some time
39:22To bring this latest building
39:23Back to life
39:24Back at Laou in Normandy
39:34It's February
39:34And upstairs in the old farmhouse
39:37Builder Kelson
39:38Is plastering the walls and ceilings
39:40While downstairs
39:43Stuart is working on the restoration
39:45Of the future stone wall
39:46Of the open plan living area
39:48So we've sandblasted it
39:51Cleaned out all the joints
39:52The new mortar has been pumped in
39:55Up to this level
39:56As you can see
39:56That's then been struck back
39:58With a trowel
39:59To push it fully into the joints
40:01Now we've just got to wait for it to dry
40:03Enough to be able to brush it back
40:06The new mantle is also now set in place
40:09Above the fireplace
40:10Creating a stunning feature wall
40:13The colour is just perfect
40:16Yes
40:17The colour's perfect
40:18And with the big feature stones
40:19It sets off very nicely
40:21Yeah, yeah
40:21Like that
40:22I love the niche as well
40:23The way that's
40:24Yes
40:24It's looking amazing, isn't it?
40:32A month later
40:33And with the plastering complete upstairs
40:35Louise and Paul
40:37Are painting their master bedroom
40:38We've undercoated all of the walls
40:42And I've done some snagging
40:45Where there were drips and whatnot
40:46So it'll be a nice finish
40:48And the next thing is really
40:50To put the top coat of white on
40:52The only challenge is
40:53Louise is a perfectionist
40:54When it comes to painting
40:55I am, yes
40:56And she doesn't like it
40:57If I drip
40:58So I'll get it pulled off
40:59Kelson's plastering is perfect
41:02And so I think it's a shame
41:04To mess it up
41:06By doing bad painting
41:07So
41:08This is why I'm keeping an eye
41:10Can I just say
41:14Just one thing?
41:16Depends what it is
41:17Well
41:17Where you've got
41:18Where you've come down there
41:19And you've got that line
41:20Yes
41:20What you need to do
41:21Is go horizontally
41:23And smooth that line
41:25The watcher
41:26Is it gouges
41:27The plaster
41:27Because the plaster's
41:28Very sensitive
41:29No
41:31That's fine
41:31We are so happy
41:36With how things are going
41:37I mean
41:38Really
41:39It's amazing
41:39It's difficult to put into words
41:41Really
41:41Because
41:42We've waited so long
41:43Because we did the sheets first
41:45We did the pool first
41:47Everything
41:48You know
41:49For the business
41:50We did first
41:51And we've waited
41:53Five years
41:54To do this
41:55And
41:56It's just amazing
41:57To think that
41:58We've come along so far
41:59That we're getting our
42:01Lovely little house done
42:02Which will be our forever home
42:04Really
42:05So it's exciting
42:06Yeah
42:06Super exciting
42:08With the old farmhouse
42:13Lying empty
42:14Since the 1960s
42:15It's lacking many
42:16Modern amenities
42:17So today
42:19Stuart and Kelsen
42:20Are back on site
42:21Luckily the sun's come out
42:24We've been able to come outside
42:27And continue with the excavations
42:28Around the back
42:29The land drainage
42:30We're now at the front
42:32Putting the land drainage in
42:33At the front
42:34And then the next step
42:36Will be
42:36Dig a big hole
42:37To put the septic tank in
42:38Hopefully there's no surprises
42:40There is an electric cable
42:42Running across
42:43So we need to try
42:44And avoid that
42:44And I hope there's no big boulders
42:47Indoors
42:49Louise and Paul
42:50Are eager for the next phase
42:51Of their large
42:52Open plan living area
42:54To begin
42:54So we now have
43:01A proper floor
43:02Been drying for the last
43:03Two weeks
43:04Yeah
43:04And it needs another
43:05Couple of weeks to dry
43:06Before it can be tiled
43:08Which is the next big project
43:09In here
43:09And we have a new fire
43:11Ready to go in there
43:12That's sat outside
43:13In the plastic
43:14Just waiting to go in
43:15Yeah
43:15So it's going to be lovely
43:17For Louise and Paul
43:21The journey to reach this point
43:23Has had its ups and downs
43:25So as they approach the end point
43:27They can now begin to imagine
43:29Their new life
43:30In a building
43:32That could have easily
43:33Disappeared forever
43:35We're feeling great at the moment
43:37Really positive
43:38Because the guys have come on
43:40In leaps and bounds
43:40With the house
43:41And hopefully within a month
43:43We'll be able to move in
43:44Which is amazing
43:45Because you know
43:47It's going to have
43:48Everything
43:49It's going to be the dream home
43:50So this is
43:51It's like all our Christmases
43:53Basically
43:53Looking forward to being in there
43:55Sitting down
43:56And going
43:57We haven't got any big jobs to do
43:59No
43:59No
43:59No
44:00Next time
44:07Louise and Paul's village restoration
44:09Draws close to completion
44:11It's been five years
44:13I'm itching to get in
44:15While elsewhere in Normandy
44:17Budo builds a kitchen
44:19By hand
44:20There we go
44:21And that's what we call a
44:22Dovetail joint
44:23And in Spain
44:25Ben and Susana
44:26Begin a project
44:27To transform an ancient wreck
44:29Into their forever home
44:31The first time
44:32We saw the village
44:33We saw the potential
44:34We're driven
44:35To complete this mission
44:37We've started
44:37And that's what we call a
45:07Ever
45:09After
45:10The first time
45:17The first time
45:17We've heard
45:17The first time
45:18The last time
45:20We reviewed
45:20The second time
45:21We'll be right
45:21We'll be right
45:22Over
45:22The first time
45:23We'll be right
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