Aylesbury Vale

Young Spanish architect Jaime and his wife Mimi embark on an epic mission to convert a Grade II* listed folly in Buckinghamshire into a family home. Originally designed to exhibit a fossil collection, but gutted by fire and left in ruins for the last 200 years, Jaime and Mimi are nevertheless beguiled by the crumbling mini-castle. Giving themselves a wildly optimistic six month deadline to finish before the birth of their second child, it’s not long before they hit trouble.

 

The Saxon burial ground the folly is built on throws up some macabre surprises. Their stonemasons from Madrid let them down and local builders with no restoration experience have to take on the crumbling stonework. Jaime puts all his energies and creativity into the project, using innovative 3D mapping to squeeze living spaces into the tower, but it’s an exhausting struggle. With money running out, the contract on their rented accommodation running out and the birth imminent the pressure to move in proves almost unbearable.