Wreck of the Week

Reader Caroline tipped me off about this stunning riverside wreck - up for auction this week. There are two properties - a five-bedroom miller's house and the original, detached corn mill. Plus a timber barn, derelict outbuildings and around 15 acres of wooded and pasture land. The buildings need a full renovation job (some of the upper floors have collapsed). There's no electricity and drainage isn't clear and access seems to be via a pretty overgrown lane. The location right next to the River Torridge (it is a mill house after all) could be an issue and will certainly affect insurance. However, this could be a fabulous project and in a gorgeous location. The main house is large - a kitchen and four reception rooms downstairs, plus the five bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. And I love the creepiness of the corn mill! The property is about a mile outside the North Devon village of Dolton and about seven miles from its beaches. It's up for ...

Now I know my readers are a particularly creative and imaginative bunch - it's why we see the beauty in a tumbling-down wreck. But today's selection requires you to take one giant leap outside the thinking box! We'll start at the top, price-wise, with the group of six former mine buildings, above and below, at St Columb in Cornwall . It comes with two-and-a-half acres of land and planning permission to redevelop the buildings as homes. The site is on the slope of Castle an Dinas, an iron-age fort. It has access but no existing services. The agent's details don't mention anything about the mine itself, but historical records show that it mined wolfram   from 1916 to 1957, from two shafts. Simon Jones' photos here are fabulous and include inside views, such as the one below of one of the two engine houses: It's on the market at £299,500 through Stags. Details and more pictures here and here . Also in Cornwall is this former magistrat...

Couple of interesting Derbyshire properties up for auction next week. This first - a part-converted stable emailed to me by regular reader Kit. With planning permission to convert and extend, the building is basically two big, tall spaces with some work already begun. I don't know how much work and I've no idea why there's a piano lying on its side in the main room! Springbank House, at Unstone , is described as on a "good sized plot" and has an auction guide price of £165k. Details here . The property is up for auction at Bagshaw's Derby auction on July 22nd . Also on that Lot list is Ingleton Cottage, at Blackbrook, near Belper . Pictured below. The two-bedroom stone cottage has been in the same family for four generations and comes with outbuildings, an attached cattle shed and around four acres of land. Downstairs are hall, lounger, dining room, kitchen, walk-in pantry and shower room. Upstairs two bedrooms - and a room over the kit...

Today I thought: 'Let's do some churches. It's been a while.' So here we go: some churches. First can I just say this: "Estate agents, you're SO RUBBISH at selling churches!". I mean, look at the cute little former Methodist chapel, above. Nice little village ( Finglesham , in Kent). Ok location. Fab space and original features. But the agent's details - rubbish! Location map is wrong; no room sizes; nothing about the strip of land at the back - and no explanation for why the planning permission relates to a holiday let rather than residential. Pretty poor Miles & Barr. On the market at £125k. Info here . Williams & Goodwin get a bit closer with their marketing of this detached former chapel at pretty Cemaes Bay , Anglesey: Plenty of pictures (albeit most are architect drawings) but again, no information on just how big the internal spaces are. With planning permission to extend and convert to a three-bed home. On t...