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Restoration Home

Factual: History

Factual: Homes & Gardens

Following owners of crumbling historic buildings as they save them from ruin

Following owners of crumbling historic buildings as they save them from ruin by restoring them into 21st-century dream houses

Restoration Home: Series 2

Caroline Quentin

Annette Clarke

Joff Wilson

Restoration Home: Series 2: Episode 5: Abbey Lane

Abbey Lane

Episode 5

Episode 5: Abbey Lane

Series 2

BBC Two - Restoration Home, Series 2, Abbey Lane

A couple want to turn the 16th-century Abbey Lane in Warwickshire into a family home.

Following the restoration of historic properties. Abbey Lane in Warwickshire is a forgotten Tudor gem with an unusual elm timber frame. But is it too fragile to restore?

Historic houses, both humble and grand, have all played their part in the story of Britain. Today many are at risk and some in danger of being lost forever. Caroline Quentin returns to follow the fortunes of six more properties, all facing their own struggle for survival, all with committed new owners wanting to turn them into their dream homes. 

In Tudor times, the majority of houses were timber-framed, but only a few survive. Abbey Lane in Warwickshire is a forgotten gem. Believed to date from the early 16th century, this house is not formally protected as a listed building and when it was put on the market it was clear it needed a lot of work. Professional couple Sally and Stuart, who had been searching for their ideal family home, saw past the decay and bought it. 

The puzzle surrounding Abbey Lane is that its timber frame is unusually elm and not oak while other architectural features indicate that it was more than a family house. One thing is for certain, the condition of the timber skeleton is shockingly frail and half of the rear frame needs rebuilding. Costs slip and work stops. Will Sally and Stuart manage to turn Abbey Lane into their dream home?

BBC Two

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Following owners of historic buildings as they restore them into 21st-century dream houses

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