", Another wrote: "Can't tell you how jealous I am of the man whos converting a graveyard gatehouse into a gothic mansion WITH A MOAT on @Channel4 #GrandDesigns right now. You can now, I can be completely anonymous in a hat and a mask.. It took months, a metre at a time, but it has added a huge amount of value to the property, said Simon. It seemed natural to think that because the design of these spaces is contemporary, the interior design should be very clean and modern. He bought the property for 2.2 million in February 2015 when he was a single dad living nearby with his son George, now aged nine. However, work on building the house, which initially costs 1.6 million, was halted due to finances, before the coronavirus pandemic intervened. It isnt exactly what his man is going to do the prospect of ripping up graves to build a baronial architectural masterpiece is a little much, even for Grand Designs but his man, former army captain Justin Maxwell Stuart, is quite happy to live next to a graveyard, and has a big plan to do so. It had already been bought by a developer who had gained planning permission to convert them into a house. Financial issues were followed by the coronavirus pandemic, which led to work on the lodge being halted for months. And replacing the 1960s block with an extension for Justins ground-floor living spaces. I am used to living in old buildings because my family home in Scotland, dates back 1,000 years, says Justin. cemeteries found in Jamestown, New York will be saved to your photo volunteer list.. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list.. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list.. Look at it pragmatically and you can see that neither Justin nor his project are as crazy as they sound. Justins home features in the first episode of Grand Designs 2021 series, but the question is whether they ever managed to finish building it Former army captain Justin hopes to restore a neo-Gothic cemetery keepers lodge, and turn it into his dream home in south west London. If you live one kilometre down the road, you will think it is bloody good value. Oddly enough, when we are saying goodbye at the front door, local celebrities Clare Balding and Alice Arnold are strolling into the cemetery and beam in his direction while someone else shouts 'Hello Justin!'. So if somebody approaches, I say, excuse me back off! The issues facing Maxwell Stuart are floodlit from the very start. He is seen buying the wardens lodge and a nearby ruined 1960s council toilet block which adjoins onto the building, which costs him 1.8 million. They would take regular walks through the cemetery with their dog, a gorgeous mutt called Thunder. The emergence of Covid-19 last March has given us perhaps the most raw, relatable series of the entire run, according to long-standing presenter, Kevin Mccloud. A nickel bath adds a luxurious element to Justins ensuite bathroom. It was good for me to have something to focus on.'. If I wasnt me Id be Kevin McCloud. South West London | Grand Designs South West London 6th January 2021 9pm Channel 4 Suppliers list watch episode South West London Not many of us would even think about building their new home within a cemetery, but that's precisely the madcap mission former army captain Justin sets out on. Appearing on Channel 4's Grand Designs, Justin Maxwell-Stuart revealed that if he'd known what the grand total of the project was at the beginning, he'd never had gone through with it. We tour the nanny flat off the utility room, complete with its mini kitchen and narrow bed, upstairs to the master bedroom where Justin has left a pair of socks balled up on the floor ('oops') and into the ensuite with its mirrored bath. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Perfectly polished and fully furnished interiors are not always a given during the final reveal of a Grand Designs episode. "That was mad, beautiful and very, very funny.". He would often venture into the graveyard in south-west London while walking his dog, and found the building utterly fascinating. Let us know in the comments below. Justin called on interior designer Gretchen Trusted. Former army captain Justin, who now runs extreme fishing expeditions, decides to do something really off the beaten track, converting the original neo-Gothic lodge and derelict public toilet next door into a dramatic modern home within the cemetery gates which are locked at night. Although Justin remembers seeing the likes of David Bowie and Mick Jagger on the island, his parents always kept a low-key presence. he says, with a shrug. Photo: Jefferson Smith. By clicking Sign up you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. 'I was brought up in Scotland where everyone's houses have so much character,' he booms onscreen, which suggests a refreshing lack of familiarity with the kind of Scottish council estate where I was brought up, but no umbrage taken because Justin is such a delightful person and about as snobbish as a burst haggis. GRAND Designs revamp labelled the best of all time, Justin's dream home comes complete with a swimming pool and moat. Schools in London face disruption as teachers stage strikes, Former Met acting commissioner described rape as regretful sex, Detectives hunting for Constance Martens baby find remains of infant, London Ambulance Service told to improve its ethnic diversity, Shocking moment moped narrowly misses 70mph train at level crossing, FTSE 100 Live: ITV, Taylor Wimpey and Flutter post results, What is the Willow Project? When asked if he plans on having any more children, he says: 'I'm not ruling anything out.'. Thrust inside once again, those of us who are finding our homes less than ideal can take comfort in the trials of the foolhardy self-builders who were unlucky enough to come up against a global pandemic, alongside the issues of budget and marital dis-harmony were used to enjoying on the Channel 4 show. Within 5 miles of your location. , Lucie Heseltine (@LucieJHeseltine) January 6, 2021, Not a great starter episode in Covid times. Justin Maxwell-Stuart, 50, from London, bought an abandoned keepers lodge and an adjoining ex-council toilet block in Fulham cemetery for 1.8 million in 2016. 'Mad, beautiful and very funny,' was one popular viewer's verdict of the show, while another declared it the 'best Grand Designs ever'. Ex-army officer Justin Maxwell Stuart was at a crossroads in his life when he spotted a run down cemetery lodge for sale. The Londoner . He said: Its a big thing actually, because weve been filming since June and weve developed a protocol for all the various places, whether were filming in a building or outside, quite diligently. If you didn't live in London, you will think what I spent is a ridiculous amount of money for a house. The TV presenter, 61, is in the vulnerable category amid the pandemic, so as a result needs to be extra careful when around other people and keep a distance at all times. If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you. Buried in Lakewood, New York, USA. Left to my own devices, I would probably have built the extension in a gothic style. It is so satisfying to come back and say this is what I did. Let us know in the comments below. Died on 29 Jul 1969. James' father, William, was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, Feb. 3,1727. Image: Jefferson Smith. We want to hear all about it. 'Pheasant, duck and venison. 'Jan, you won't be expected to wrestle with grizzly bears every morning,' he says, and I worry that we are digressing too far, but there is no stopping him now. The aim was to knock down the toilet block and replace it with a ground floor extension, a moat and a basement with a swimming pool. But in November 2020 the four-bed home complete with a huge master suite, dressing room, kitchen-diner, reading room, a large lounge, as well as a cellar, a TV room with a bar and the 13-metre swimming pool, was finished. Photo: Jefferson Smith, The lodge dates from around 1860 and stands beside a 1960s single-storey building. Further grand flourishes include a stone, The question was if the extension should mirror the style of the stone-built lodge or whether it should be something different. The project took four years and cost a whopping 4.5 million - a sum that Justin admits he wouldn't have paid had he have known at the start. Grand Designs South West London 2021 Justin plans to restore a neo-Gothic cemetery keeper's lodge and convert its toilet block into a luxury extension complete with a moat and swimming pool.. Open the doors to the courtyard and doors and the sunshine pours in. This account already exists. As wife Margretta yearns for a beautiful contemporary house, Andrew's focus is primarily on his . McCloud explains that old money types are often asset-rich but cash-poor, and as the lodge project stretches on, and on, there is a real question of whether it will be completed at all, particularly when the owner keeps embellishing his plans. Were having to deal with the real-time issues that people are encountering and that makes all of the stories a little rawer. Work was also forced to stop for a full three months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 'But that's not all she can do,' says Justin, explaining that during the first lockdown they were holed up on his 2,500 acre Scottish estate, feeding themselves from a freezer full of game. Channel 4's Grand Designs saw father-of-one Justin attempt to transform an idyllic Neo-Gothic building located in a cemetery into his dream home.On the show, Justin revealed his desire to . This show refuses to be coy about money, which is a significant reason for its success. Fans of the show headed to Twitter to give their. 'I did. His parents were friends with Mustique's owner Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner another Scottish aristo and in the 1960s were one of the first two families to develop a plot on the private island, along with lifelong Mustique devotee Princess Margaret. Justin's Grand Designs for cemetery lodge The expensive plans that Justin has for the home is nothing short of easy. He was going through a divorce from his 'lovely' Brazilian-born wife Tania, whom he met in 2004 when they were neighbours. Meanwhile, on the night they moved into The Lodge back in November, Justin asked Hideko to marry him. By As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 'Have I made a terrible mistake?' He also said that if he'd known the total sum of the project at the beginning, he never would have started it. They asked why we were only excavating beneath part of the building when digging under the whole thing would add a huge amount of extra room, Justin explains. I just imagined the show would slip onto daytime TV with no fuss, but the opposite has happened. Another wrote: "Can't tell you how jealous I am of the man who's converting a graveyard gatehouse into a gothic mansion WITH A MOAT on @Channel4 #GrandDesigns right now.". #GrandDesigns, Heather The Fruit Bat (@TubbyBats) January 6, 2021. (@i_WuV_hUgZ) January 6, 2021, I rarely post on here now as whatever I think theres always people with opposing and genuine views but #GrandDesigns wtf is a single parent spending millions on a ridiculously huge house. Sienna loses the twins in social services nightmare after shock incident in Hollyoaks? The lodge is listed; he is building just next to a burial ground; the cemetery itself is a sensitive place for a huge-scale building project to take place, and requires special permits for the necessary machinery. 20 most amazing Grand Designs homes - from the 100ft water tower to the 3million tree house The futuristic eco-mansion was branded "awe-inspiring" by host Kevin McCloud. But Justin asked architect Simon Gill to cast a fresh eye over the plans. Winter Love Island 2023 final date confirmed and its just around the corner, Clarksons Farm star in shock as fans raise tens of thousands for TB-hit farm, BBC officially drops long-awaited Race Across the World series 3 trailer, Grand Designs returns with disaster as most surreal project yet is rocked by Covid, Grand Designs Kevin McCloud embraces telling people to back off to keep Covid compliant, Do not sell or share my personal information. 2023 Grand Designs Magazine | Site by Media 10 Ltd, Image: Justins bedroom is tucked under the exposed roof timbers on the upper floor of the lodge. The original scheme didnt make the most of the possibilities, says Simon. Sign up for exclusive newsletters, comment on stories, enter competitions and attend events. He said: "One just has to be aware that when you're digging in an ancient site. When the for-sale sign appeared in late 2014, he had to find out more. We have Covid compliance officers with us at all times, checking out here, making sure we are all being good.. But in November 2020, the four-bed home, complete with a huge master suite, dressing room, kitchen-diner, reading room, a large lounge, as well as a cellar, a TV room with a bar and the 13-metre swimming pool, was finished. With a comprehensive slate of services under a single roof, The LA Group minimizes impact, maximizes value, and ensures every project begins and ends on solid ground. As his dream became a reality, the last scenes of the programme revealed one final twist, as Justin disclosed he had found a special someone to share his new home. At one point, The Lodge was propped up by steel girders as they excavated underneath for the pool, while Justin was terrified the build would be stopped if they unearthed human bones. The already-stretched budget was in jeopardy when the contractors began to dig beneath a section of the lodge ready for the pool installation. The original 18-month timeframe more than doubled and the costs spiralled, but he has no regrets. Every time I walk out that gate someone says hello or asks me how Thunder is. The blind is in Rolling Hills fabric and teamed with blue hexagonal tiles. Jeremy Clarkson shuts down claim hes been sacked from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? GRV Media Ltd, 18 Mulberry Avenue, Widnes. Photo:Jefferson Smith, The question was if the extension should mirror the style of the stone-built lodge or whether it should be something different. Grand Designs continues on Wednesday at 9pm on Channel 4. Even seasoned presenter Kevin McCloud seems shocked by the huge scale of this megabasement project yet its hard not to will it to succeed, As soon as Kevin McCloud sets the scene a graveyard in south-west London you know the latest instalment of Grand Designs (Channel 4) is going to be a classic. Justin drew inspiration from his family's 50-room mansion, Traquair House, Scotland's oldest inhabited house. Justin Maxwell-Stuart, 50, from London, bought an abandoned keepers lodge and an adjoining ex-council toilet block in Fulham cemetery for 1.8 million in 2016. Program development. It is simply not the Maxwell Stuart way, darling. A dad stunned Grand Designs viewers in the 'craziest episode ever' after spending four years and 4.2 million on transforming a cemetery into his dream home. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He explained: "I thought, now my life is in turmoil and chaos, I now have the opportunity to do something off the beaten track. A GRAND Designs revamp has been labelled the "best of all time", after a "mad" dad spent four years transforming an abandoned Neo-Gothic home in a cemetery. But Justin Maxwell Stuarts big budget cemetery wardens lodge renovation was a notable exception. Despite being in a "bit of a shock" at the overall cost of the project, Justin plowed on with plans. I listened to Justin who told me how he loves the outdoors, being near the sea, and blue tones. The house is one of only three here, built on land released in the 60s when the cemetery's finances were precarious. Justin has just bought the property and hired the architect. . What happened next? Appearing on Channel 4's Grand Designs, dad-of-one Justin revealed his plans to transform the derelict land in 12 months and with a budget of 1.6 million - but things didn't go to plan. We admire the ginger jars decorated with blue marlin, the paintings by his uncle, the photographs of Mustique discreetly displayed. Maxwell Stuart is thoroughly can-do about the whole thing, even when logic suggests he shouldnt be, and its hard not to wish him the best with it. 'The Maxwell Stuarts are very understated,' he says. into a majestic modern home with a mega man-cave playboy basement, complete with outdoor moat, indoor chainmail waterfall, subterranean swimming pool, wine cellar and all mod cons including underfloor heating and a pair of forged steel chandeliers shaped like bursting seed pods. But Justin and the workers persevered and pulled it off four years after beginning the build, despite going over his budget. Does he remember her? This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk, Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. Image: Jefferson Smith. A couple in Newhaven face a race against time as they build their dream home on a windswept cliff-top site in time for the birth of their baby. I wouldget a bigger potential return on my investment. The work was painstakingly slow as well as costly. 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