Coulton Mill

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.

Converting a disused farm building into a dream home is a challenging task but taking on a whole set of them including a decaying mill, a waterlogged house and centuries-old outbuildings that could fall down at any minute, is another challenge altogether. Yet that is what Nick and his American wife, Heather, have done. Coulton Mill in North Yorkshire is a Grade II-listed, ten-acre site thought to have 13th-century origins and historical evidence links the site to a powerful order of monks that challenged the authority of Henry VIII.

However today, Coulton possesses a rotting watermill, which turned grain into flour for centuries but now poses severe problems for restoration. Two barns are derelict and near collapse. Meanwhile, the stonemason reveals that the wall holding up the waterwheel is severely weakened and if it falls, it might jeopardise the other restoration work that has taken months to complete.