While out for a stroll around a local lake on the outskirts of his native Plymouth, Joe Radmore strained his eyes to identify an intriguing-looking building on the far side of the water.
Mistaking it for a grain silo, he decided to go and take a closer look and was confronted by the sight of a derelict ‘miniature castle’.
"My eyes lit up when I saw this dishevelled but well-proportioned, fantasy-like structure hidden behind ivy," says Joe. "I immediately fell in love and began researching its history and ownership."
Project details
- Location Plymouth
- House type Early-1800s castle-style folly
- House size 100sq m
- Project Renovation
- Value Circa £400,000
History revealed
The building turned out to be one of the last surviving buildings of the old Radford Estate, whose main country house was demolished in 1937. The estate was home to the Harris Family, who were central to 16th- and 17th-century British global exploration, and was reputedly visited by the likes of Sir Francis Drake.
Walter Raleigh was even imprisoned in the main house in 1618, attempting to escape before his eventual execution in London.
"I’m a maritime history enthusiast so this discovery was exhilarating," says Joe, for whom part of the early joy was in carrying out historical research on the property.
"I discovered that this particular building was a rather over-the-top folly, that served as a home for the person who managed the nearby sluice gates. At one point, according to an 18th-century census, it was known as Jack’s Castle after the man who lived there with his wife and 10 children."
Tender application
Captivated by the old building and excited at the thought of transforming it, Joe embarked on a mission to bring it back to life and so relentlessly pursued the owners, Plymouth Council, with requests to buy it with a view to restoring it.
"Given the fact that it was in a dreadful state and had even been set alight in the recent past, not to mention its lack of legal vehicular access, it’s not surprising that other historic building trusts had shied away from taking it on," he says.
In 2018, four years after Joe first contacted them, the council put the building out to tender. "I submitted a proposal to bring supplies in by boat," he says. "After winning the tender, I approached the property developer who owned the vehicular access and ultimately bought the lane leading to the castle, a 15-acre quarry next to it, and the old historical quayside, which I’m currently in the process of restoring."
But as long and arduous as the purchasing process had been, the real hard work was about to begin.
Unorthodox approach
Despite having little building experience, Joe wasn’t fazed by the enormity of the project.
"I’ve got just a degree in maritime history and a love of heritage, but I’m always up for a challenge," he says. "I sketched out my own floorplans and internal designs then presented them to an architect, but I felt he strayed too far off my original vision, which was to keep things simple and retain the original shape of the building, so we agreed to part ways."
Taking a different tack, Joe contacted a local construction company run by Amanda Davies and Ian Penfold, who he says carried out the work on the building by "listening and feeling it".
"We wanted to keep as much of the original structure as possible, which obviously included the castellations. It was leaking quite badly and we had a lot of water ingress so the builders spent a long time on the roof sealing up each and every crack."
There were also a lot of poorly done additions from previous renovations, such as steel beams and ties, and cement mortar instead of the lime variety, which is necessary for breathability. All of which needed replacing with age-sympathetic materials – a process that Joe describes as very time-consuming and expensive "but really necessary".
Luckily, the planning officers were extremely helpful and took the view that because the place had been derelict for decades, it needed to be renovated by someone who had a vision for the place.
"I can’t speak highly enough of them in the way they dealt with my application and the subsequent work," says Joe.
Adding authenticity
While admitting that the renovation was tough, Joe says he was determined to add his own creative touches.
"Because the building was in such an appalling state, it wasn’t possible to know exactly how the interior would have looked so we decided to have some fun with it," he says.
For example, in the main bedroom and bathroom, where the ceilings had completely collapsed over time, he added a coffered finish that could easily be mistaken for the original.
Getting a feeling of authenticity was deemed important – so much so that when he was replacing the windows, Joe took reference from an 1800s painting of the building as well as a century-old black-and-white photo – both of which revealed the original style. "I found a great carpenter who recreated the original windows and doors," he says.
As well as aiming for authenticity, Joe was keen to ensure the property met modern-day living standards, so the slate flooring downstairs is combined with underfloor heating and there is rough-cut oak on the next level.
It goes without saying that all the electrical and plumbing services have been completely replaced. The interior is also a nod to the area’s seafaring connections, hence the abundance of references that include nautical-style lights, model masted ships and artworks of explorers.
Joe clearly has a love of all things maritime, and nowhere is this more obvious than on the roof of the main tower, where a glass balustrade lines the inside of the castellations, creating a second-to-none view over the surrounding waters.
It also overlooks the pretty garden, whose design was inspired from watercolour paintings of West Country harbours by Joe’s grandfather. It was transformed from a piece of scrubland into a chill-out area by Helen Johnson. With a hedge for privacy it has a table and chairs and hot tub, creating a secluded oasis – which perhaps explains Joe’s enthusiasm for the home he’s created.
"When I’m here, it feels like the best place in the world," he concludes.
If you enjoyed this house tour, you may also want to explore this extended Edwardian terrace in south-west London or this extended Victorian lodge in Hertfordshire that embraces both the old and new.
