Bringing Assynt House back to Life
Our Renovation story
A Little about our Journey Restoring Assynt House
Worthy of Saving
When we bought Assynt House in 2002 we were looking for a renovation project, a love of architecture and restoration was a common interest for us both. We certainly found a project in Assynt House. After three and a half years of renovation the house was ready to welcome guests.
Assynt House is a Grade 11 Listed Building with much historical interest, documented in village records that President Franklin D Roosevelt and Eleanor spent part of their honeymoon here at Assynt House.
If you would like to know a little about our personal story renovating this wonderful house then please read on.
Graham & Elizabeth Waugh
A Labour Of Love
We first came to view the house in the summer of 2002, it was suffering from a nasty combination of both wet and dry rot. On the day of our arranged viewing a ‘dangerous buildings order’ was in put place so there was no opportunity to view the inside of the property before placing our sealed bid.
We saw such beauty in the property, a magical building in a idyllic setting which had been left to the wild and deserved to be saved. Perhaps the 5 foot tree growing from the chimney and the crumbling exterior should have put us off? Incidentally, we are glad it didn’t.
“What’s for you will not go by you.” A fitting quote for our love affair with Assynt House.
Sympathetically Restored to its Former Glory
Attracting Media Interest
Assynt House caught the press’s eye when it was for sale, Richard and Judy showed the property for sale on TV.
The Telegraph wrote the story entitled:
‘Just imagine…then forget all about it!’
“Assynt House has got rooms on its first and second floors whose floors and ceilings are so rotten that anybody who puts a foot on their timbers is likely to make a rapid descent to the basement floor. Originally a late 18th century small mansion house with crowstep gables and pepperpot turrets. Strutt & Parker says: “you could argue that it’s barely worth £1” – but it has sent out more than 800 sets of details….what value can be placed upon imagination?”
A Complete Renovation
The renovation work undertaken included taking the walls, inside and out, back to the stone. We Replaced all the floors, windows and there was complete re-wiring and plumbing.
Moulds were taken of the original cornicing, now rotten and unusable, replicas were specially made and expertly applied, piece by piece.
We saved everything which was possible to save, beautifully carved fireplace cherubs and a beautiful roll-top bath which survived a ceiling collapse and an argument with a steel beam. We even uncovered a garden fountain recently… our next project!
Assynt House opened its doors to guests New Year of 2006 and has enjoyed being a wonderful place to stay ever since.