Tonights Grand Designs

Brilliant. One if my faves this.

Yep I think this cave has def gone in my top five GD builds ever.
I’ve stayed in a cave house in France before and there’s a certain solid quality to them that’s really comforting.

Good, if a bit over-designed inside

Loved it. Great guy, great job.
Far better than that twunt of an accountant last week..

Best one for years, I don’t think I’d change a thing.

Fantastic job. Just needs to sell tea and cake to passing MTBers now to recoup some costs 🙂

Got to be one of the best builds featured. And a nice guy as well, a refreshing change.

Amazing. But I hope the damp sort itself out.

How the hell did he get planning? North Somerset council are a nightmare unless you want to squeeze another house into a housing estate.

Loved that one, hard graft, genuinely novel design and under budget. Good work fella. Most notably he didn’t end up pregnant either.

Why do they never have a telly??

Yep loved that one, cracking build. That’s what GD is supposed to be about, not toss pieces spunking stupid amounts of cash on huge pointless architectural penis extensions.

Ooh that ended up ranty 🙂

It’s the first one I’ve seen in a long time that doesn’t look like a visitor centre

Top bloke a refreshing cahange as some have already said, got his feet firmly planted and can afford it unlike some after a life changing illness has been diagnosed. Good luck to you fella enjoy your honest labours.

agree with above – really great one this week – even Kevin was well impressed, in his top 5 didnt he say? sticks 2 fingers up all the 600,000 pound all the monye and no taste usual ones on the program.

First time I’ve watched Grand Designs and thought “I’d like to do that”. (although I never will).

really cool that he drilled a bore hole for his own water source, but I was a bit disappointed he didn’t do a wind turbine or something to generate his own electricity.

They didn’t mention sewerage at all – presumably its on a sceptic tank?

Was a brilliant one, probably the best I’ve seen. Seemed like a really nice guy too.

really cool that he drilled a bore hole for his own water source, but I was a bit disappointed he didn’t do a wind turbine or something to generate his own electricity.

They didn’t mention sewerage at all – presumably its on a sceptic tank?

They only mentioned that water and sewerage cost £20K, not sure how a pump out truck could get down that track.

Twas good, I missed the first half, it kept saying he was ill and this was his medicine..? what was up with him?

Up there with the best I’ve seen. My ex has relapsing-remitting MS so have some idea of what is involved. Gobsmacked he managed to get one wheelbarrow of rubble out of there, let alone a cave’s worth. Have to admit that the room got a bit dusty at the end. Noticed that Kevin seemed to pitch in a lot more than he normally does, think he was genuinely touched. Top fella as well, loved his attitude – Kevin’d ask him a question loaded with the implications of potential failure and he’d give a knowing/hopeful answer and then just laugh. Top dad too!

How the hell did he get planning? North Somerset council are a nightmare

I thought it was in Worcestershire, though the Wye Forest was mentioned which is in Gloucestershire…Perhaps some deliberate disinformation..?

what was up with him?

Multiple Sclerosis, poor guy (though it seems of the relapsing-remitting variety which is less serious than either secondary or primary progressive, though it can develop into either at any time with no warning). Ran a successful recruitment business in Oz before diagnosis and coming home.

I thought it was in Worcestershire, though the Wye Forest was mentioned which is in Gloucestershire…Perhaps some deliberate disinformation..?

I think it was WyRe Forest wasn’t it, which is Worcs.

Haven’t watched GD for years due to too many vanity projects and architects using it as an advert for their own practices.

But these comments about the boat one and the cave one are making me think I’m missing out. Off to 4OD.

I’ve been enjoying the BBC 100k house one though (especially as that’s much more in line with my own budget).

I think it was WyRe Forest wasn’t it, which is Worcs

Aaahhh! Penny drops, that makes sense and lots of woody valleys and rocks in that general neck of the woods.

Means that I have to debunk my own conspiracy theory though and return the foil hat to the cupboard 😛

Genuinely brilliant. What a top bloke. Will admit I had a tear in my eye towards the end.

Going to have to look up the cave one on 4OD. Sounds great. Wife’s from worcs and works for an MS organisation too.

Side note for the boat fans: my friend Marcus is on George Clark’s Amazing Spaces tonight, with his Vospers WW2 seaplane tender (not the seaplane itself, before you get excited.

Should be entertaining. Eccentric, loveable* f- wit.

* depending on how much of the fwittery you’ve been on the receiving end of recently!

I think Kev was genuinely engaged in a real project that needed effort, not a good relationship with the bank.

A real contrast to the week before and all the willy waving and crapping on tradesmen.

Good luck to him.

I have to agree, a fantastic episode, the best I can remember for quite a while. Great bloke & project.

I’m surprised he didn’t make/adapt a room so his daughters could sleep there though.

This looks like it? http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2010/05/27/rock-house-going-up-for-auction/

I thought it was in Worcestershire, though the Wye Forest was mentioned which is in Gloucestershire…Perhaps some deliberate disinformation..?

was just commenting on my local council. I have suspected for a while we would be much better widening our search area into counties with planning departments that dont just say no to everything.

pleaderwilliams – Member
He’s not an architect!

He’s an ‘architectural designer’, the difference being 7 years of training and a pretty comprehensive code of conduct. You could set up tomorrow as an ‘architectural designer’, and no-one could stop you. You couldn’t set up as an architect without the aforementioned 7 years of training, getting chartered, signing up to the code of conduct, and taking out some hefty PI insurance.
Hmmmm – tell me more about how I become an ‘architectural designer’ (serious).

I too watched last nights GD with extra interest as we have a couple of rock houses in our garden in Mansfield , one is brick lined and was used as a air raid shelter in ww2 , it is the last one in mansfield to be lived in as the last rock house dweller died in 1900 . Its approx 600 – 800 years old . Its also in sandstone , the other cave is untouched and even has a fireplace with chimney through the sandstone . Both could be made habitsble but i dont have the time ot the money atm

Kev was on 6music this morning, he said that the ones he likes are the ones that deliver really strong design desire but without just chucking cash about, he mentioned the irish guy that built the house from containers as an example.

Cave one is on 4-7 now.

Brilliant! One thing – why not use a wood burner to hear the water for the bath? The shower was good mind.

I have an answer re the sewage. Shall keep you all on edge of seat until later

Right

For some reason they didn’t show this on the show, shame as it’s quite interesting. All the sewage is managed on site. There are three reed bed pools that are used as a natural filter.
As you look at the building they are on the left hand side, they were briefly in shot (or at least the area where they were to be dug) when the chap was filmed pushing a barrow up the hill.
I’ve asked if I can have a tour around the place

I’ve just watched this episode, is that the ultimate mancave? Love it!
Total respect for the guy with what he’s achieved considering his condition and a lovely family to boot.
Agree, best one for a while,

I thought I’d explored most all of the notable local cave houses as a teen/twenty-something, it’s great to know there are still some hidden away on private land.

He had originally stumbled across the property 11 years earlier when he was forced to seek shelter from a torrential downpour while out cycling.

http://www.expressandstar.com/picture-galleries/news-pictures/2015/10/02/in-pictures-from-hobbit-hole-to-wyre-forest-rock-house-retreat-via-grand-designs/
😀

why not use a wood burner to hear the water for the bath

You’d have to throw a lot of tree at a tepid puddle. The rock would suck the heat out of the water in seconds; it was a bonkers idea.

The shower was excellent – bit weird he hadn’t tried it himself, though.

Book away

http://www.therockhouseretreat.co.uk

“From £195 per night” 😯

EDIT: – Book it for the Christmas week and it’s a cool £2k for 7 days 😯

It’s nice, but that’s a huge amount for one bedroomed place

Was thinking of booking a night for Miss Houns’ birthday (Christmas week) hmm, don’t love her that much! (Joke darling before you kill me!)