Factfile:

Price £149,995

Traditional weaver’s cottage

Accommodation over three floors with two double bedrooms

Sympathetically restored and retaining original features

Sought after residential area and nearby amenities

WHEN builder Michael Hartley was looking for a new home, perhaps unsurprisingly he had a project in mind.

So when he spotted a traditional cottage nestled in the heart of the old area of Honley, he found just the kind of challenge he’d been searching for.

Michael, 48, was instantly charmed by the two-bedroom property at Town Head when he searched for homes in the village 18 years ago.

He explains: “I’d always been interested in older houses, but a lot tend to have had their features changed and taken out over the years.

“So what struck me about this cottage was the fact that it had not been touched at all, the heart had not been taken out of the place.”

When the self-employed builder purchased the property it had not been decorated for some time and the owner was renting it out to students.

The weaver’s cottage, believed to have been built in the mid-eighteenth century, sits by some of the oldest homes in the village.

Says Michael: “The houses are built in different styles and have their own histories which is really nice.

“The tiny cottage next door is believed to be where the first school in Honley was and is now the band room for the village brass band.”

A blank canvas was something Michael was looking for as he wanted to put his skills in the building trade to good use.

He had years of experience renovating older properties and the self-confessed history buff was delighted to find that his new home spoke volumes of its past.

It was filled with original features, many of which he had to unearth and restore to their former glory.

And while Michael was more than ready for the challenge, he had no idea what a mammoth task it would be until he started peeling back the cottage’s old layers.

Michael says: “The place had literally not been touched for years, it had all of its original features intact but they had either been neglected or covered up.

“It was a complete renovation job and I had to strip everything back and start again.

“Features like the beams had to be blasted, taken out and treated. These things weren’t difficult but did take quite a bit of time and effort.

“And because I was working at the time I was coming home and starting jobs at night – it must have taken me seven years to complete everything!”

Michael uncovered all kinds of original gems as he worked his way through the three-storey cottage.

He says: “There were a lot of features, which was something I had been looking for, but quite a few of them were hidden.

“I noticed that some of the timber work that had been done in the 20s was rotten and when I started to pull it out I found these beautiful stone arches in some of the rooms which had been boxed in.

“I was very pleased as arches like these are unusual in cottages – they are usually found in bigger houses or public buildings.”

Other features Michael also uncovered included a stunning original stone fireplace in the cosy lounge, which is flooded with light through its mullion windows.

He says: “As I was stripping back the plaster work I found the stone underneath and it makes a really lovely feature in the room.

“I was quite amazed to find these features. They really make the house and all the work I did, like exposing some of the stone work, was designed to show them off in the best possible light.”

Michael felt the best way to keep the soul of the house was to furnish the house with traditional pieces.

He complemented features like the original built in cupboards next to the fireplace, which he had cleaned up, by making matching wooden storage.

The kitchen, created when an extension was added to the house in the 1920s, is the only room Michael has not renovated.

But he is leaving that as a project for the next owner as he has decided to sell the cottage to move to Manchester for work.

Michael says: “I will be sad to see the house go, I’ve put a lot of myself into it.

“It will be quite an adjustment going from an olde worlde part of England to somewhere that has a much faster pace of life – I won’t find a house like this one there!”

The house at Town Head, Honley is on the market with Cornerstone estate agents.

To arrange a viewing call 01484 667850.