Scott Joyce originally bought this completely ruined mill house, set in beautiful grounds just 15 minutes walk from the centre of Lichfield, with planning permission to build a new timber manor house.
However after examining the plans, Scott decided he wanted to restore the original mill house to retain the history of the place, which first belonged to the Worthington family and then to an artist relative of Dr Barnardo who converted it into one single property.
Scott decided to restore the original mill and then double its size by building a mirror copy to create a large Arts and Crafts style house. His plan was to use only reclaimed stone, oak and render, except for the insulation elements, so he chose an architect he knew worked well with these materials.
This build also saw a reunion between Scott and builder Darren John, an old class-mate and football club rival, who he hadn't seen since school days. The two have become firm friends as a result of this build, and trust was a key element in the success of this project.
The biggest challenge for Scott and Darren was creating the foundations for the property. It sits in a boggy, marsh area with soft sand directly under the property. To overcome this, Darren and Scott drove piles into the ground and sat the house on top of a steel frame. Darren also had to use bags of boulders to stop the front of the house sinking into the marsh, and redirect the brook from the front of the house by creating a lake to the rear.
Matching materials, such as bricks, to the existing home provided more challenges for Darren, who trained as a bricklayer, but he eventually found matching imperial-sized bricks in Belgium.
The house boasts a beautiful family swimming pool, large bedrooms, bathrooms, a loft room and a games room, as well as stunning grounds with a lake and brook.
The project was completed after a year, at a cost of 350,000 and the family moved in just one week after Scott's partner Rachel had given birth to their third child, Harrison, and in time for their first Christmas at Leomonsly Manor.
Scott, a property developer himself, said: "Everything about this job was first class," "Darren is a bricklayer by trade and it shows. He really knows how to build. He is also a good organiser so there were no problems with delays due to subcontractors not being on time. His attention to detail is second to none."
Scott added: "Darren and his four-man team did a fantastic job and we can now boast the best house and grounds in Lichfield."
