WHEN John Whitworth built his dream home in Longwood, echoes of the past helped create it.

John used the very fabric of the building to reflect the sense of history of the site on which it was built, cleverly incorporating stone from the old quarry mill and old timbers from the mills into the property.

His journey began when he was looking for land to build a home on in the area and bumped into the owner of a plot at Longwood Edge Road that was laying neglected.

John says: “I was talking to this elderly lady about how I fancied building my own house and she said she had a plot of land that wasn’t being used for anything.”

“The lady was a direct descendant of the Morton family, who were gifted Salendine Nook in the 1200s by the King (Edward I). The family used to own some mills in the area.”

More recently the land had housed the properties of the quarry men who worked in the nearby Longwood quarry.

John explains: “Where my house is now there used to be a row of houses that were lived in by the quarry men – the old quarry was just above them.

“I believe they were built around 1850 and the men lived in them until they were laid off at the quarry. It was during that time that they built Longwood Tower for free.

“The houses were then lived in by various people until they became derelict and were pulled down. I bought the site just after that.”

John had always dreamed of building his own home from scratch. As he embarked on the project he drew inspiration from the site’s history.

He explains: “What I wanted to do was put the history back into the area, but while creating a modern home.

“For example, the beams running through the house came from the old mills in the area and all the floorboards were also from the mills.

“The slabs of stone from the quarry were also used to help form the walls around the garden. I had reclaimed materials used wherever I could to give the house that old look and feel.”

John was inspired to use reclaimed materials from the property he bought before he had the bungalow built.

The former smallholding was derelict until John brought it back to life, transforming it into a home.

As part of the renovation work he used old beams and decided to carry the idea of re-using old materials through to his next project.

The concept of using materials from the past to help form John’s home was superb and gives the property a really lovely, unusual twist.

The detached true bungalow, aptly named Quarry House, sits in a quiet, picturesque setting with lovely views looking out towards Golcar and Scapegoat Hill.

John comments: “It’s an absolutely stunning location. It’s like living in the country but it’s just a few minutes away from the shops.”

John was heavily involved with the 10-months long building project, from acting as site manager to putting the reclaimed floorboards down.

The spacious property has been beautifully designed to represent the very best of old and new.

One of the rooms where this contrast works particularly well is the stunning dining kitchen, with the exposed beamwork and stripped reclaimed oak flooring blending beautifully with stylish cream gloss units and modern appliances.

Another superb space is the large lounge with its pièce de résistance being the inglenook style stone fireplace with a heavy timber mantle – which came from Longwood Mechanics Hall.

The family bathroom is another great example of blending the modern with the past with a great antique-style suite featuring a roll top bath with clawed feet.

Outside there is a good sized garden, which acts as a real sun trap and is perfect for barbecues.

There is also a lovely decking area, flanked by restored iron railings, with far reaching views across the Colne Valley.

John had initially planned to live in the house but has now decided to sell it and remain in his other Longwood home.