Man lives like a king in ruined mansion he bought 23 years ago
Two decades ago Alun Lewis bought a ruined mansion and despite it still being unfinished, he "lives like a king" hunting and fishing on the grounds of the once grand home.
Big House at Landshipping, Pembrokeshire, was originally built in 1750 and fell into disrepair and has been a ruin since 1890. When Alun, 62, bought it for £275,000 in 2000, he expected to be living in it by now but his insistence on doing everything himself has delayed the process. Despite this, he has no regrets and enjoys his unique life on the four-acre estate where he lives in a camper van next to the house with his chickens, pigs, ducks and four miniature horses.
He told WalesOnline: "I'd known it all my life as a mass of trees and ivy, it's a bit different isn't it? There's nothing else like this place I've seen before.
"Nothing is straight here. Nothing is square or tidy. It's just what I've picked up along the way and it's cost me nothing. A lot of it has taken me half an hour with a chainsaw. I couldn't turn the house down when it came up. It felt right. I'm still at it 23 years later but I'm getting there slowly. It's certainly been a long old project and everyone else says I'm mad for doing it but I think it'll be worth it in the end. It's the spot that makes it."
Alun says he is at peace at Big House, even though it's proved to be a challenge (John Myers)He's rarely in the camper for long and is often awake at the crack of dawn "having a float" among the otters and kingfishers in the Cleddau which is yards from the house. He added: "To be out on the water in the early hours of the morning, otters swimming around you, peace and quiet, it's brilliant. Pembrokeshire is special and the estuary is special. It's more than just a big house. It's not being overlooked, no traffic, no noise. What more could you want?
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There is no floor on the top storey of the house (John Myers)"I'm paid to cull deer and boar and chop down trees so I eat some of the meat and use some of the timber. My costs are low. You haven't got to earn a lot of money if you don't need to spend anything have you? I don't go to the supermarket often. We haven't bought meat for donkey's years but we live like kings here. The stuff I've caught I could sell for a fortune but I'm not about money."
In 2011 Mr Lewis found himself in the spotlight when he invited Caroline Quentin to his house for an episode of Restoration Home in 2011. He still receives emails from around the globe with requests to visit his home. His ultimate plan is to transform the property into a luxurious nine-bedroom hideaway for him, his partner, and his children.
Alun moved into Big House 23 years ago (John Myers)He added: "I've had messages from the States, South America, Asia all over. It's been unbelievable. But I suppose if you stick your head above the parapet you have to be prepared to deal with what comes from it. A lot of the people who came were just nice people genuinely interested in the place.
"I do a bit when I've got the money and time. I'm not full-time on it because of all the other jobs I'm off doing. At the start it took a few years to get it all through planning even though all I wanted to do was restore it back to how it was. That set us back a lot. Luckily I could afford to sit on it and wait for a bit. I started off with nothing and I've still got most of it left."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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