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Wales Online
4 days ago
- Wales Online
I stayed at one of the most luxurious apartments in Wales with the best sea view
I stayed at one of the most luxurious apartments in Wales with the best sea view A hidden gem in the heart of one of Wales' most wonderful coastal towns that's the best I've ever seen - pop inside and have a look Mesmerising - the sea view from the French doors, not me (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) There's a hidden gem in one of Wales' most popular places to stay that is so breathtaking not just in its location but with the luxury that it offers that when we turned up to stay we really did not want to leave. If you tell people you're going to spend a night away in Pembrokeshire they usually visualise a pretty little cottage, a character-packed hotel, or a historic property but our place to spend a night was none of these and, in my opinion, it was better. Think Tenby and you probably think of the painted predominantly Georgian houses that line the clifftop roads. But our place to call home was an apartment that has gone from dated and drab to the most luxurious apartment I have ever experienced with incredible views from all the main windows but also a range of tech to keep the teenagers happy and clever, inspiring, and beautiful interiors to keep me enthralled. For more property stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here. READ MORE: Incredible transformation of dated Tenby flat in a clifftop building into a luxury apartment with the best sea views YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Inside Martin Roberts' huge Welsh pub renovation project as he addresses lap dancing club rumours Gunfort Mansion above Tenby's South Beach that's hiding a gem of a property inside (Image: Item 2 Ltd ) Article continues below Well, of course, every frontline property in Tenby has a magnificent view but at Min Y Mor the owners who spent years creating this wonderful apartment have maximised its position above South Beach with window seats, a Juliet balcony, and a designer chair nestled within the bay of one of the two bedrooms that has a direct and uninterrupted view of St Catherine's Island and fort. The kitchen diner continues the contemporary design but with a coastal influence via the bespoke boardwalk-style units (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) But before we opened the apartment's front door and the air was filled with a chorus of excitement we had to find it. On the second floor of the Victorian Grade II-listed Gunfort Mansion the front door of the building was tucked away to the side of the property. Once inside a climb to the second floor was totally worth it as Min Y Mor is waiting to mesmerise you. Step inside and the apartment welcomed us with a whitewashed and contemporary interior design. The bay window in the lounge and principal bedroom both have window seats to enjoy the view over Tenby's South Beach (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) But this is not some cold and clinical interior design – there's texture and use of a range of natural materials to ensure the spaces are visually inviting yet keeping the décor neutral perfectly frames the multiple views out of the bay windows and French doors of the stunning blue ocean and nature's own artwork of wispy clouds dancing across the huge sky. Look in the other direction to admire St Catherine's Island (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) The day was a hot one so we opened the French doors and the sound of the waves became the backdrop of our stay and the window seats were all utilised for gazing out across this landmark coastal landscape. The apartment has a way of helping you to quickly relax as you're a five-minute walk from the centre of Tenby and the steps down to South Beach are literally opposite the front door. But being this high up from the throng of people below and so connected to the views at each window you feel like you are in the view, in the water, floating through the sky. Two rooms have been made one broken-plan space with the most of the dividing wall gone (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) There are many clever features to discover in this amazing apartment – the copper bath lit from below, the circular bookshelf embedded into the wall, the bunkbeds also hiding within a wall that includes a secret door up to a mezzanine. But it was the cinema screen and access to multiple streaming channels including Disney+ and Amazon Prime that mesmerised the younger generation (and yes okay, me too). There was good free wifi too which made everyone happy. The cinema screen TV and all the streaming services were a big hit (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) Cleverly hidden behind a piece of wall art that slowly slides open, the screen impressed everyone and Peaky Blinders and The Mandalorian looked even more incredible in this mini home cinema while relaxing on the oversized curved sofa. At some point I wandered off to the second bedroom with a glass of wine and sat in the designer 'saddle' chair with footstool in the bay window and watched the tide slowly meander up the beach and people strolling around St Catherine's Island. The welcome basket of local produce left by the owners came with me and was a delightful companion. The designer chair in the bay of bedroom two has an amazing view of Castle Beach and St Catherine's Island (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) When I surfaced from my surprise kip in the chair, the result of an afternoon glass of wine, the surround sound system had been discovered and Dua Lipa was serenading us from every angle while we made plans to go out to get a fish and chip takeaway dinner. The kitchen is well-equipped but with only 24 hours to enjoy our trip to Tenby it felt almost like the law that we had to try out the town's fish and chips, eating it at the dining table. The view from the open French doors in the kitchen diner was special too (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) The kitchen diner area is another thoughtful use of space and design. The kitchen is bespoke and handmade and not sleek and shiny but more in keeping with the apartment's location. It's made from wood that has been whitewashed to give it a slightly sun-kissed and weathered look it blends into the overall design and yet stands its ground as a point of interest. Fish and chips takeaway dinner with a duet of views as a welcome guest (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) Dining chairs can take up a lot of space so to combat this two seats out of the size were built into the end of the kitchen units and work surface – genius. It's hard to describe just how relaxing and memorable it was eating as a family with the French doors open and the sound of the waves and the view of the ocean a welcome extra guest at the table as the sunlight began to fade into night. Clever way to share light between two internal spaces and yet keep privacy (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) More genius ideas to make a smaller space work well was found in the shower room – with space tight in the room that used to be a corridor the shower was a Jack and Jill shower in the middle of the room, with extra light brought into the space by high-level slatted internal windows in the dividing wall with the principal bedroom. Maybe the feature, other than the magnificent dual-aspect views and the mega TV, that impressed the most was the copper bath, lit from below and the main statement piece in the principal bedroom en suite. For more property, renovation, and interior design stories join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here. The bath was a thing of beauty (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) Both bathroom facilities were fascinatingly-designed spaces – dark colours, a mix of functional and also mood lighting, and key tactile features such as exposed brick walls, which was such a visual contrast to the white and contemporary living and sleeping areas. Lighting is always key to a successful interior design and as the evening crept in it was obvious that the family had thought about the ambience of the apartment during the dark hours when renovating this property. Fluffy cloud statement light in the lounge became very atmospheric at night (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) Hidden LED lighting and spots highlighted artwork and sculptures and statement ceiling pendants in the kitchen and bedrooms added pools of soft light. The statement overhead light in the living room was a thing of beauty – like a cloud floating below the ceiling in the day, concealing bulbs within its fluffy folds, and glowing like a dusky sunset in the night. Integrated into the wall, the bookcase was an inventive feature (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) One inventive design idea that I am definitely pinching and taking home with me is placing a mirrored coffee table under an expensive statement light – you get then two statement lights and don't have to look up to admire it. Principal bedroom had sliding doors to save space but frosted as the genius way to keep privacy but share light into the darker en suite behind it (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) So bedtime was upon us and the very comfortable beds, crisp white sheets, and soft pillows made drifting off to sleep an absolute dream. The apartment hasn't always looked like this slice of luxury – although much-loved when the owners inherited it the flat was a maze of smaller rooms with dated décor. The kitchen and living room have been connected via the open archway to create the broken-plan kitchen lounge diner which also means both spaces can enjoy a triple view of the sea, sky, and beach. All the beds were super-comfortable and the white cotton linen made them feel very luxurious (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) The bedrooms and bathrooms are unrecognisable and the clever use of space has added the extra shower room and an extra bedroom with bunkbeds – find out the renovation story and see the before and after renovation transformation photos here. The family had a vision of how they wanted to do a high-end, carefully considered full renovation of the flat, with the sea views at the core of the plan, to produce the designer apartment of their dreams and I would say they have definitely achieved that. Ship cabin-style bunkbeds built into the wall next to the kitchen would be a child's dream sleeping space (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) It is so obvious that this makeover into a luxury apartment has taken time, thought, and a significant budget but to create a contemporary space (and one that is mainly white which was a worry at the beginning of our stay because I am so clumsy) and make it welcoming too is a talent and Min Y Mor is a masterclass of remodelling and interior ideas that can inspire anyone who comes to stay – if they can ever take their eyes of the amazing sea views. To fit an extra shower room inside the space that used to be a corridor it was designed with a Jack and Jill shower in the middle and two entrances (Image: Alex Ridout, Media Wales ) Outside Gunfort Mansion looks drab next to its colourful neighbours having not been lavished with a standout shade that Tenby has become known for – it still wears its coat of grey rendering. However the owners of Min Y Mor say the building, of which the family's flat is leasehold, is soon to get an upgrade on its external and community areas such as stairs and corridors. Min Y Mor can be booked via Puffin Cottage Holidays so you can try it out yourself and one thing is for sure – I will be going back to stay again and will count the days until I do. Article continues below Find your own luxury apartment or renovation property here:
Wales Online
03-07-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Five historic Welsh buildings added to 'most at risk' register that need to be saved
Five historic Welsh buildings added to 'most at risk' register that need to be saved The annual announcement from conservation charities includes a mansion, a farmhouse, a cottage, a factory and a much-loved tourist attraction Five Welsh buildings now registered 'at risk' (Image: SAVE Britain's Heritage / John Lucas Wikimedia Commons ) The annual update to the list of Britain's most endangered buildings - those most at risk of total dereliction or demolition and being lost forever - has been announced by conservation charity, SAVE Britain's Heritage, and includes five Welsh properties. The register is now in its 36th year, and every 12 months the charity adds very special buildings that are desperate to find a heritage hero to secure their future to the UK's most 'at risk list'. Over the decades the list has grown to over 1,500 potential wrecks and historic buildings on their last legs, and now includes five new Welsh properties. For more property stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here. READ MORE: Inside Martin Roberts' huge Welsh pub renovation project as he addresses lap dancing club rumours YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Landmark former hotel 'most at risk' building in Wales The charity is celebrating its fiftieth year of campaigning to save some of the UK's most iconic and landmark buildings at risk of being demolished or developed - from cottages to cinemas, railway stations to stately homes. Article continues below Current campaigns, in conjunction with the Victorian Society, include the high-profile development plans for Liverpool Street Station, London and Orchard House, the distinctive 1930s Marks & Spencer Oxford Street store that the company wants to demolish. The five Welsh buildings added to the 2025 UK list are a mansion, a farmhouse, a cottage, a much-loved tourist attraction, and a slice of south Wales industrial past. Bontddu Hall, Dolgellau, Gwynedd This impressive building photographed in 2007 (Image: SAVE Britain's Heritage / Alan Fryer/Wikimedia Commons ) Following a serious fire in 2020, there are now plans to demolish this grand former hotel building. The building was constructed in 1873 as a country house under the name Bryn Tirion, and since its conversion to a hotel hosted Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain. After the devastating fire the house is in ruins (Image: SAVE Britain's Heritage / John Lucas Wikimedia Commons ) The fire at the property was catastrophic. It happened in 2020 after the building was reconverted into a private home in 2001. The building is now derelict, with entire rooms left as burnt-out shells. However, much survives – elaborate columns, window frames, and tiling is still intact. Urgent action is needed to save this building from demolition and to use its bones to bring the site back to life. British Nylon Spinners, Mamhilad, Pontypool This factory was constructed in 1947 for British Nylon Spinners. The brick and concrete building is distinctive for its steel, glass, and brick 'spinning tower'. At its peak, the factory employed 8,000 people, but in 2003, DuPont, which had run the factory for eleven years, moved production to Turkey. British Nylon Spinners, Mamhilad, Pontypool (Image: Google maps ) While plans for 900 homes and a primary school on the site were approved in 2023, the approval was quashed after a Judicial Review in July, 2024. These proposals sought to demolish 40% of the grade-II* listed modernist factory building, which is currently in use as office space. Space at the site is marketed for commercial and office space. However, it is not clear whether proposals for redevelopment will return. In 2016 there were exciting and ambitious proposals to redevelop part of the site as an arts base for South East Wales with both exhibits and studio spaces put together by the ex-Eden Project team. Llancaiach Fawr, Nelson, Treharris Llancaiach Fawr manor house, Nelson, Treharris, Wales (Image: Jo Ridout, Media Wales ) Most people who have visited this once ground-breaking living history museum will be very sad and also shocked to see this gem of Caerphilly County Borough's tourist attractions now added onto SAVE's 'at risk' register. One of Wales' most important and notable Tudor houses, the building has been mothballed and is now available to let. Caerphilly Council made the decision to mothball the Grade I listed building in September, 2024, as part of a broader programme of cuts. The leasehold has been marketed since February, 2025, with interest from those keen to re-open the house to the public. Find out more about the site being closed down here. The house dates to the mid-sixteenth century, with evidence of agriculture on the land dating back to 1494 BCE. The house was built for the Prichard family. Walls four feet thick and steep intra-mural stairs reveal that the house was built with defence in mind. LLancaiach Fawr when it was open and had costume stewards to show visitors around the house (Image: Mirrorpix ) The whole house could be split into two parts, with the East wing to be occupied in the event of an attack. Charles I visited the house in 1645 during his tour of South Wales to win support during the Civil War, but the Prichard family changed sides shortly afterwards, instead supporting the Parliamentarians. Find out why Llancaiach Fawr is so special here. In the mid-nineteenth century the house was being used as a farmhouse, and following its purchase in 1979 by the local council, it was restored and opened to the public in 1990. SAVE says it would be wonderful to see this house back open to be enjoyed by the public again. Groeswen, west of Gwenddwr, Powys Classic Welsh farmhouse called Groeswen (Image: Google maps ) The rear wall of this farmhouse near the Powys village of Gwenddwr collapsed in 2000, and its condition has continued to deteriorate. Built in the early nineteenth century, this farmhouse sits above the Beili Heulog Congregational Chapel, which was built around 1740. (Image: Google maps ) The farm appears to be in use, but the building itself is derelict. Groeswen ('white cross') farmhouse is of white rubble stone, with three distinctive nine-pane windows on its western façade. The property was listed by Cadw in 2001 for being 'a substantial traditional farmhouse of the late Georgian type', SAVE states that this Grade II listed building needs action soon if it is to be saved. For more property stories join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here Pantau, Powys Frozen in time cottage in Powys (Image: SAVE Britain's Heritage / Jeremy Bolwell via Geograph CC-BY-SA 2.0 ) Described as 'Withnailian' by holiday let website Stay in Wales, this early nineteenth-century farmhouse has stood derelict for years. The house remains rather frozen in time, left abandoned with hob, TV, radio, and old jackets are still hanging up, visible through a back window. According to SAVE, this Grade II listed farmstead includes a 'gorgeous whitewashed house with stone stacks and a lean-to bakehouse'. The property was Grade II listed by Cadw in 2004 (Image: SAVE Britain's Heritage / Jeremy Bolwell via Geograph CC-BY-SA 2.0 ) The property was listed by Cadw in 2004 with the comment, 'notwithstanding some loss of fabric to the rear, for its special architectural interest as an early C19 farmstead retaining original detail and its overall C19 character'. Article continues below Find your own property to renovate here:
Wales Online
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Inside Martin Roberts' huge Welsh pub renovation project as he addresses lap dancing club rumours
Inside Martin Roberts' huge Welsh pub renovation project as he addresses lap dancing club rumours Exclusive access to the Homes Under The Hammer presenter's Welsh renovation and what's been holding up the project Don't believe any local rumours - Martin Roberts' pub and hotel renovation is on its way to completion (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Almost a year to the day that WalesOnline last visited the former Hendrewen Hotel and Pub in Blaencwm to see how Martin Roberts' latest renovation we were intrigued to return with exclusive access and see the progress that has occurred over the past 12 months, and we're not the only ones. The popular presenter of BBC's Homes Under The Hammer 'accidentally' bought an empty building at the top of the Rhondda Fawr valley after it closed during the Covid-19 pandemic and has been working hard to transform it with the help of a team of builders and the support of the local community. But maybe for some local Rhondda residents the project is taking longer than expected, and into the void has appeared a number of rumours swirling about regarding the building's future. For more property stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here. READ MORE: The ordinary-looking home with an unexpected treat in the tiny back garden YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Martin Roberts ploughing half a million pounds of his own money into 'most worrying' project he's ever taken on after falling in love with Welsh community There outside might look similar to June 2024 but a lot has been happening inside (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Article continues below Martin explains: " As things go on rumours start to get rife so we have to put paid to them now - one is that it's being sold but I am not selling it, I'm not turning it into a lap dancing club, and I'm not turning it into flats!" There has been a huge amount of work happening over the last 12 months, with stripping out all the interior of the property 'back to bricks' to create just a shell. Martin says: " The biggest challenge has been getting back together, all structurally sound, and it had 150 years of stuff to strip away and it took a lot longer than we thought it would." The team uncovered some 'horrors' to deal with including a steel that was hiding a major problem. Martin explains: "One w all was held up by a piece of steel, which was supported by a bit of wood, which was supported by a final bit of wood that was holding up everything and it was a rotten piece of timber about an inch thick!" Martin standing where the central bar will be installed (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) To the untrained or novice eye, stepping into the pub in its current condition in June 2025, it might appear that not much has happened over the last year, but that could not be further from the actual situation. For a 12 month comparison, see what Martin's pub looked like when we had exclusive access back in June 2024 here. One of the main delays of the timeline - although Martin says there is no timeline as such - is the fact that the building is going to be a commercial enterprise. He says: " It's not the doing it, it's not the ideas, it's not the enthusiasm and having a great team - it's often the extra things you have to do in terms of planning and regulations because it's going to be a place of public use. "It means you have to adhere to a thousand billion more rules and regulations and it quite rightly covers everything and it takes forever, it's frustrating because I wanted to be further along but it has to be done. But we will get there." CGI of how the finished project could look including the addition of a community shop and bike hire (Image: Martin Roberts ) The building is now structurally strong and the main ground floor area of the pub that has two defined lounge bar areas connected by the central bar are at the first fix stage, so electricity and plumbing are in, the new floor is down, and the showcase bar is complete but won't be installed until a later stage, much closer to when the pub is reopened. Some of the walls are being left as exposed stone as Martin is keen to keep a country pub feel, enhanced greatly by the discovery of two fireplaces in one area that will ensure the pub always feels warm and welcoming with a 'k ick off your shoes, dog-friendly, chill out vibe'. In the corner of this room is a major addition - two sections of wall have been removed in the corner to create a seamless flow from the old pub into the new glass and oak restaurant that Martin is adding to the side of the current building that will be an absolute showstopper - offering mountain and waterfall views from its glass covered gable end. The same spot 12 months ago with no break-through in the walls for access to the new restaurant (Image: Jo Ridout, WalesOnline ) Martin says the planning has been given and that this area will serve high quality food with traditional food in the main pub section. He says: " I want it to be s omewhere special, not be over-priced but it will be a place where you'll want to come for a special occasion and I think the valleys deserve that. "Why shouldn't it be as good as anything you find in Cardiff, London or The Cotswolds. I want people to walk through the door and go, 'I can't believe this is here because you could be Bourton-On-The-Water!'" CGI of inside the newly constructed, timber-framed restaurant (Image: Martin Roberts ) But the food side of the establishment is also going to offer young people and local catering students at Coleg y Cymoedd the chance to practice what it's like to cook and run a restaurant "in a real world situation, as it's the best way to learn", he comments. " And do you know what, they will shine! If you give young people a chance from my experience the y always deliver, if you just believe in them." This eagerness to involve young people in the project has been an impressive hallmark of Martin's renovation project, including with the renovation and building work, specifically through the Real Skillz Project, an initiative that provides construction skills training on-site in a collaboration between YEPS 16+ Support Team, Communities for Work Plus, and ARC Training. CGI of inside the main ground floor lounge bar area divided into two spaces with a central bar (Image: Martin Roberts ) In the second bar area there will be a stage where young musicians and anyone who just wants to have a go will be able to access equipment and be a creative space, adding to the atmosphere and ensuring the building is always 'alive' in one way or another. Upstairs progress is more obvious, with the eight bedrooms boasting new windows, electrics, plastered and painted walls and shower rooms, as well as some of the furniture for the pub downstairs that Martin has sourced as the project has developed. The slow progress delivering the commercial aspects of the building has been a blessing in disguise for Martin, as he says it has given him extra time to think and that has resulted in a new idea for the eight guest rooms. He says: "The big news is, over probably too many bottles of wine one night, I came up with the idea of theming the rooms around TV shows, so you could be staying in Top Gear, A Question of Sport and, probably my favourite, Fawlty Towers. The eight bedrooms are almost finished (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) "I will put in these rooms lots of memorabilia which I've gathered but also decorated in the style, so say Fawlty Towers will have wallpaper peeling off, shelves that are breaking, flock bedspreads and very old fashioned fittings." There's also a Top of the Pops room and, of course, a Homes Under The Hammer property room, as well as a Doctor Who bedroom, Martin adds: "I've actually got a life sized cut out of tom baker - my era - and I'm currently negotiating on buying a 1970s dalek. "The only good thing about any delays is that it means I came up with extra ideas, like the bedrooms, I didn't think of that at the start, it's a big project, there's lots to think about. For more property stories join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here "I m ight give some of the bedrooms to one interior designer to play with, I've been collecting lots of relevant memorabilia a nd collectables and we've got some great designs already, but I'd quite like to give younger people a chance to come in and say, do the doctor who bedroom, do the question of sport bedroom with a little bit of their spin on it." One of the bedroom ensuites is done and dusted (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Martin is also keen to involve as many Welsh businesses as is possible in the project and one exciting example is engaging start-up company Siop Rhyd to design and create a resin section of the showpiece bar. Martin found the back story of Rhodri Phillips, who has worked on the resin for the top of the bar, as so inspiring he was keen to work with him on this fundamental aspect of the pub's interior. Find out about Rhodri's story here. There's also been more time for Martin to source some unique pieces for the furniture and décor of the ground floor lounge bars including traditional iron and wood pub tables as he is keen for the inside of the property to be as distinctive on this public level as in the bedrooms above it. The purchase of the pub was not quite as reckless as it might first appear, as it is part of an exciting regeneration plan for the area that, if it succeeds, will be a new chapter for the area. After being invited to travel down into the new closed Rhondda tunnel that links the Afan valley with the Rhondda valley and was once used to transport mined coal to Swansea docks by the Rhondda Tunnel Society, Martin was captivated. When the society invited Martin to become their patron he says he felt honoured and since then he and the society have made significant progress to reopening this unique slice of history as a tourist attraction - find out about the latest exciting development in the reopening plan here. The first floor will have eight ensuite bedrooms, each with a theme, and this one is obviously a homage to Homes Under The Hammer (Image: Martin Roberts ) The Hendrewen hotel and pub is located an easy walk to the now landscaped and filled in Rhondda Fawr end of the tunnel and can become a hub for hiring bikes to ride through the tunnel and supplies for people visiting to explore the network of cycle and hiking paths that cover this stunning area of Wales. The pub is not the first renovation project Martin has got his teeth into in Wales within the last decade, and specifically the Rhondda Fawr valley, which he clearly feels such a strong connection to, as he purchased and renovated Tynewydd farmhouse. Now a popular holiday let, the oldest surviving farmhouse in the valley is also said to be haunted and was the subject of a celebrity special addition of discovery+ show 'Help! My House is Haunted'. See what it is like to stay at Martin's farmhouse here. Martin's epic Welsh renovation journey has been filmed and documented from the very beginning of the project, when he 'accidently' and impulsively bought The Hendrewen hotel and pub without even telling his wife Kirsty. In December 2024 Martin announced exciting plans ahead with news of a new programme on ITV in the style of Jeremy Clarkson's Amazon Prime show, showcasing The Hendrewen project, based on the mini series called 'Oops I Bought A Pub' broadcasting on his YouTube channel. Martin shows the family his 'accidental' purchase as part of an ITV documentary series called 'Oops I Bought a Pub' release date unknown at the moment (Image: Martin Roberts' Property Titbits YouTube channel - Oops I Bought A Pub series ) Broadcast on ITV as a probable 10-part documentary series, it is expected to air sometime in 2026 - but first Martin needs to actually finish at least the pub, hotel and restaurant. He says: "I'd like to say Christmas this year but I don't want to rush it, I want to do it right. There's no point in opening in November or December because we won't have time to hire and train staff, s o w e'll probably finish in March next year and probably open next summer, there's no specific rush. "It's a balance really, I want to get it open as soon as possible but I don't really want to open it in phases, I want to open it all at the same time. It's not a building you can just quickly renovate, and if you do it right it also costs a fortune. But it is very exciting, and it will open as soon as possible and when I am happy - it is my number one project next year, my main focus." If you are a young interior designer who would like to know more about maybe contributing to one of The Hendrewen's bedroom designs, email Article continues below Find your own property to renovate here:
Scottish Sun
10-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Three-bedroom Scots cottage flat could be yours for £20,000 but there's a catch
Scroll down to see images of the property BARGAIN BUY Three-bedroom Scots cottage flat could be yours for £20,000 but there's a catch A THREE-BEDROOM Scots cottage flat is set to go under the hammer for just £20,000. The property on Wylie Crescent in Cumnock, Ayrshire, is described as a "fantastic" development opportunity. Advertisement 3 The home could be doing with some TLC Credit: Auction House 3 It boasts three spacious bedrooms but they do need work Credit: Auction House 3 The toilet needs a full revamp too Credit: Auction House It boasts three spacious bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a lounge. Situated in the rural town of Cumnock, the home is just sixteen miles from both Ayr and Kilmarnock. And the nearby train station in neighbouring town Auchinleck provides services to Glasgow and beyond. With a guide price of just £20,000, it will go up for auction on Thursday, May 15. Advertisement Prospective buyers will have the chance to view the property on Tuesday, May 13. And with other properties in the same area having sold for as much as £59,000, there's a good chance you'll get some bang for your buck. But there is a catch. The home is in desperate need of a full refurb. Advertisement Images of the property show mould and dampness covering the walls of the bedrooms and the existing wallpaper peeling off. The kitchen and bathroom look like they could be doing with some much-needed TLC, and the artex ceilings may not be to everyone's taste. Martin Roberts' tips for buying houses at auction However, once the work is complete, buyers have the opportunity to add value to the property. To rent it out, experts say it should achieve £6,760 per annum at local housing association rates. Advertisement The listing on Auction House Scotland reads: "Going under the hammer is this fantastic opportunity to acquire this three bedroom lower cottage flat on Wylie Crescent. "The accommodation comprises an entrance hallway which leads to the lounge, kitchen bathroom and three spacious double bedrooms. "The property will require a full programme of refurbishment which presents an opportunity to add value, on completion of works the property should achieve £6760 per annum at local housing association rates. "To ensure you do not miss out on this opportunity, early viewing is highly recommended. Council Tax Band: A."
