The Restoration Man
Architect George Clarke travels around Britain meeting people who are trying to restore historically and architecturally significant buildings, many of which are non-residential buildings being converted into homes.
Genre: Reality-TV
Cast:George Clarke
S2.E1 ∙ Reeds Windmill
After years of living away from their families, Pete and Nikki Fagg moved back down South with the dream of restoring and extending a derelict windmill which had been owned by Pete's family for over 100 years. Locally listed, the windmill has been a roofless ruin since 1915 and its tapering structure overlooks an area of outstanding natural beauty in the heart of Kent.
S2.E2 ∙ Congleton Water Tower
Andy Critchlow surprised his girlfriend Ana Perkins when he bought at auction a stunning, cylindrical Grade II listed Water Tower in Congleton Cheshire without even seeing the inside. Architect George Clarke goes on a historical mission and discovers how this monumental landmark sitting proudly on a hill in Congleton saved the lives of the people it overlooked.
S2.E3 ∙ Gothic Church, Eden Valley
Scientist Phil Evans and his wife Joanne have taken a huge financial gamble and bought a Grade II-listed, gothic revival parish church in the Eden Valley, aiming to turn it into a dream home.
S2.E4 ∙ Engine House, Oxfordshire
George Clarke meets Tim and Emma Verdon, who want to convert an old Victorian brick-works in the heart of rural Oxfordshire into a home.
S2.E5 ∙ Towers Revisit
Architect George Clarke returns to a couple of incomplete tower projects in Kent and Scotland to see what progress has been made in the planned restorations.
S2.E6 ∙ Medieval Hall Revisit
Architect George Clarke revisits Simon Hooper and his partner Victoria who bought a unique Grade I listed Medieval Hall just outside of Cardiff. The project proved to be too huge for Simon in his original timeframe with a £40,000 budget. George Clarke returns to the family to see if they overcame the challenges of restoring a rare building and realised their dream of living in a unique home.
S2.E7 ∙ Settle Water Tower
Mark Rand and his wife Pat are enthusiasts of the controversial Settle-Carlisle railway line and it's their dream to own part of its history. They bought the Victorian Settle Station Water Tower to convert and live in as their retirement home. Sitting beside the station in what is now an industrial estate, the building has not been in use since the 1940s.
S2.E8 ∙ Chapel, Pembrokeshire Revisit
George revisits Gareth and his family in their restored Victorian Welsh chapel. Is church living all it's cracked up to be?
S2.E9 ∙ Bathlodge, Ormskirk Revisit
George Clarke returns to Ormskirk after two years to see how builder Mark Horton and his family are doing living in their dream home - a former 18th century folly which he restored after he found it on the Buildings at Risk Register.
S2.E10 ∙ Ice House Revisit
Architect George Clarke returns to a remote 19th-century Scottish ice house after two years to catch up with its owner, Laird Henderson. George previously helped to realise an ambitious glass extension, but after budget problems and a clash with building control, will Laird have moved on and built the idyllic loch-side hideaway to match?
S2.E11 ∙ St John's Church Revisit
George Clarke catches up with Joanne McGirr and Phil Evans, who risked all to restore a Victorian Gothic church at the foot of the Pennines. Last time George saw them they were facing the decision of whether they should sell the project.
S2.E12 ∙ Oast House
James and Lois Denning inherited a historic estate which has been in James' family for the last 234 years. The castle and stately home that used to belong to his family have been given to the National Trust, so they've decided to convert a stunning oast house into the core house on the estate. Architect George Clarke is on hand to advise them with the restoration.
S2.E13 ∙ Berneray Church, Outer Hebrides
Artist Keith McIntyre and his wife Sheena bought a listed, Thomas Telford-designed church in the remote island of Berneray in the Outer Hebrides planning to convert it into a holiday home and artist's studio.
S2.E14 ∙ Longhurst Lodge, Surrey
Theatre producer Vanessa Ford Robbins and her partner Nik Huddy renovate a tiny Victorian gatehouse nestled on the boundaries of a country estate in Surrey.
S2.E15 ∙ Thrum Mill
Dave and Margaret Hedley came across a picture of an old watermill that had stood abandoned and uncared for the last 50 years and decided that they were going to be the ones to bring it back to life. They pour their heart and souls into the restoration. Architect George Clarke goes back to his roots in the north east and helps them every step of the way but, will they ever achieve their dream?
S2.E16 ∙ Pig Barn, Nottinghamshire
David and Judith Ward want to be nearer to their grandchildren. Not fazed by the challenges of restoration, they've bought a dilapidated pig barn close to their daughter's farmhouse and they start the process of transforming it into their 3 bedroom home. George Clarke has been giving advice, but will their hopes for a happy retirement ever become reality?
