Wreck of the Week

I've had some absolutely stunning properties sent to me by readers recently. Stunning as in "eye of the beholder" attractive because, let's face it, we might all love Belle but it takes a strong heart and blind faith to take a risk on the Beast. Pull up a chair, rest your wearies and be my guest while I take your through some of this week's beauties and beasts. Starting with this Cumbrian beauty. A part-finished renovated terrace house on the unfortunately named Doomgate in rather lovely Appleby, it was sent to my by Christina who wrote: I wanted to send it to you because it makes me quite sad. Clearly someone has good taste and has been rescuing this house bit by bit, but for some reason they’ve had to put it up for sale. I’d love for it to go to a buyer that will treat it just as sympathetically. Sometimes you see homes that you know looked like this at one point, and then someone slapped some ugly flooring or glossy cabinets in it or knocked down historical fe...

Hello. How are we all doing? Coping with the rain and crossing fingers for better times ahead, or hurtling headlong towards your lockdown daydreams of a new life in space? This sort of space, perhaps? Megdale is a two-bedroom cottage looking over Thomas Telford's birthplace, around 10 miles from Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway and close to the village of Eskdalemuir . Downstairs are two reception rooms, small kitchen and bathroom, with two bedrooms upstairs. Some work has been done - removing fireplaces, stripping back (presumably blown?) plaster, and the cottage already has double-glazed windows. Water is spring-fed, drainage is to septic tank and there is electricity to the property.  Outside is a large, wrap-around garden - the fenced section on the upper pictures - and you'll want to check any plans for surrounding land.  Although it doesn't look like the sort of location Barratt Homes would be interested in. Anyway, I think it's absolutely splendid - definitely ...