LOUANNE Roberts moved in with her now husband Dave – and the couple then discovered they were in a former jail.

Even more amazingly, Louanne then found out that the 1800s-built weavers’ cottage had a strong connection with her own family from a long lost age.

In fact the house next door – a former pub – was the birthplace of her great grandmother!

Louanne, of Skelmanthorpe, explains: “When I told my grandma that I had moved into the house she said my great grandmother, Clara Ellen Lodge, was born in the pub.

“I did a bit of research into the family history and found that the 1841 census listed my great-great grandfather as the beer house keeper of the Dog and Gun pub – the cottages were always known as the Dog and Gun cottages.

“My family goes back hundreds of years in the area and there are six generations of Cravens – my maiden name – in the next village, Scissett, which is where I grew up.

“I didn’t know anything about it when I moved in so it was quite exciting to find something like that out.

“It’s lovely to know that I have a real connection to my home.”

The couple’s home on King Street is also of important historical significance to the old part of the village.

Louanne added: “Our neighbours told us that our home was the former jail.

“Some time in the early 1900s the house was altered and it was later extended at the back so, unfortunately, some of the history went then.

“But the back wall between the original house and the extension is very thick so you can see how sturdy it was.

“I wouldn’t have thought it was a long-term jail – I imagine people were kept there overnight to sleep it off after drinking and making too much noise in the pub!”

Dave, who also grew up in the area and attended the same school as Louanne, fell in love with the cottage when he was house hunting seven years ago.

Louanne joined him three years later and together they set about giving it a much-needed makeover.

Louanne said: “It looked like a real man’s house. At the time Dave had a Land Rover and there was a massive spare tyre in the front room.

“The house had so much character to it and I could see that with a bit of hard work it would be lovely.

“We completely gutted it. Dave moved in with me so we could spend six months working on it, putting in a new kitchen and bathroom.”

The cottage has retained some of its original features, including the beams and a cast iron fireplace.

Louanne said: “The house looks so unassuming from the roadside but when you come in its actually a bit of a tardis and you can really sense its history.

“I wanted to create a more modern feel while still enhancing the original features.

“The rooms are quite spacious and I felt it was important to keep the sense of flow from each room to the next. I mixed contemporary accessories with older pieces, like my grandma’s dining table which was given to her as a wedding present.

“I love the lounge. It’s very spacious and because it includes our dining area it’s a very sociable space.

“We did all the decorating ourselves and weekends were not complete without a trip to the tip or B&Q!

“It was difficult to fit everything in because we were both working full-time, but it was all worth it in the end.”

The two-bedroom cottage, which is in a conservation area, has superb views over the old part of the village and out towards Emley Moor mast.

Louanne added: “It’s in a great location. It is in the centre of the village, yet still feels tucked away in its own quiet spot.”

“The village has also got a lovely community feel to it and everything you could need.”

The couple have decided to sell their home but plan to remain in Skelmanthorpe.

Louanne says: “I will be sad to leave as the house holds a lot of happy memories.

“I got married living there and it was mine and my husband’s first home – and, of course, it’s got that family connection!”