One Year of Renovating an Abandoned 500 Year Old Cottage

A year ago, we bought an abandoned 500 year old cottage in the cotswolds of England and decided to try and bring it back to life. This film documents our first year of renovating it, from structural failures and winter storms to rebuilding the roof, reclaiming the land around it, and slowly learning what it really means to take responsibility for a place this old. What started as a renovation quickly became something bigger. Not just a building project, but a lesson in patience, uncertainty, and doing things properly when there are no shortcuts left. We are not builders. We are learning as we go. Some decisions took months. Others were forced on us overnight. Most of the year was spent simply trying to stop the house from getting worse before we could even think about making it better. This is the story of that first year. If you’re interested in old buildings, slow renovation, traditional materials, or the emotional side of taking on a project like this, you’re very welcome here. 🔨 Watch the full renovation from the start: Abandoned 500 Year Old Cottage Renovation 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every other Sunday: @jacobharrell 🐾 Behind the scenes & more Muddy: Instagram – Instagram: jacob_harrell TikTok – TikTok: jacob_harrell Merch: https://www.jacobharrell.com/merch ❤️ Thank you to everyone supporting us on Patreon & YouTube Members — you make this possible. 0:00 Jamber’s Renovation 1:18 Chapter 1 - Exploring the Abandoned Cottage 2:13 Chapter 2 - The Work Begins. Mold, Wet, Grime & Ivy Rip Out 5:16 Chapter 3 - Winter Snow 5:49 Chapter 4 - Heat Pump Instal 7:44 Broken Roof Woes 9:27 Chapter 5 - Fixing Roof Holes 10:02 Chapter 7 - Electrical Failing & Heat Pump Dangers 11:20 Scaffolding up & First Ivy Wire Removal 11:22 - Chapter 8 - The First Rotten Thatch Removed & Tarp on 14:17 Chapter 9 - Storm Strikes 15:02 Chapter 10,11,12 - Ridge Tea & Final De-thatch 15:50 Chapter 13 - Roof Bones Reveal 17:06 Chapter 15 - Accident 17:57 Rockwool & Insulating Begins 20:22 Chapter 16 - Insulated Membrane Instal 21:37 Heat Pump Re-Instal 22:38 Chapter 17 & 18 - Membrane Complete & First Counter Battens 23:43 Chapter 19 - Structural Problems 24:40 Chapter 20 - Finishing Our Roof Work 25:31 Buying More Land 26:20 Chapter 21 - Roofers Arrive 26:38 Chapter 23 - The First Tiles Are Lain 28:00 Chapter 26 - Ridge & Chimney Cementing 29:10 Chapter 24 - Water Smells Of Sheep... 29:26 Chapter 26 - Dragon Scale Dormers 30:46 Chapter 27 - 30:56 Chapter 28 - Lead Work, Roof Cake, I Tile & Front Finished 32:23 Chapter 29 - The Roof is Done 33:10 Chapter 30 - News... 33:43 Chapter 31 - New Flue & Touch Ups 34:04 Chapter 32 - Scaffold Down, Ancient Water Well 34:24 Chapter 33 - Structural Steels & Interior Renovations Begin 34:45 Reflections & Baby News