Adrian Cole and Christine Tallon left their jobs in the city and spent £750,000 buying Y Fan mansion
A couple who transformed their £750,000 home from a dilapidated Tudor mansion into a magnificent B&B – including refurbishing all 132 windows – are now putting it on the market for £1,500,000.
Adrian Cole, 68, and Christine Tallon, 62, left their city law careers and purchased the 500 year old Y Fan mansion in Caerphilly, South Wales, back in 2016.
The property, which dates back to 1529, had been left derelict and in dire condition – riddled with mould, mushrooms, corroded radiators, crumbling plaster, and decaying beams. Yet the couple recognised its promise, and began stripping everything out by hand – taking off all the plaster and replacing all the walls and ceilings.
The duo, originally from Bexley, south-east London, say they harboured ambitious plans to convert the uninhabitable building into a boutique bed and breakfast – which they achieved in 2021.
And following five years of operating the thriving business – including serving more than 7,000 afternoon teas – they are now moving on. The Grade II-listed property has been put up for sale at £1,500,000 through Fine and Country.
Christine, who continues some work as a legal risk and compliance consultant, said: “We love living in it, and it has got a lovely homely feel to it. But it would be nice to have more of a relaxing work-life balance again.
“We are not getting any younger so I think it is time to hand it over to somebody who has got the energy.” The couple tackled the 6,000 sq ft property in two sections – residing in one half while dismantling the other. They fitted fresh heating, electrics, and plumbing, yet still had to endure one winter without any heating.
Adrian reckons he made over 200 journeys to the skip in a single year during the renovation work. He said: “It was a gauntlet thrown down. Photos don’t do justice for how bad it was.
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“Every bit of plaster was damp, and as a result the house was wet and filthy. There was mould. In one of the rooms there was a mushroom the size of a plate growing in the corner. You would get into bed at night and not only was it freezing but it was damp. It was absolutely horrible.
“Every morning we would come into the kitchen and there would be another pile of rubble on the kitchen table. We had to wear hard hats when we were going in to make a cup of tea.”
Christine added: “It was a mess. It was very run down. Everything that could leak did leak. The surveyors report we had was like a book, and at the end of it the final sentence was ‘this is not a project for the faint hearted.’
“At that point most sensible people probably would have walked away from it, but we decided we were up for a challenge. You had to look past how bad it was and see what it could become.” The pair also cleared the garden of brambles and stripped the render from the exterior walls. Despite having little DIY know-how, they tackled as much as possible themselves, even attending a lime pointing course and a dry stone wall building course.
Christine added: “It was an interesting time. I nearly moved into the stable with my horse on the basis that it was warmer there than in our house. There were plenty of moments where we thought what the hell have we done, but once you are in it you’ve just got to carry on.
“It gradually took shape but it was always one step forward and ten steps back. It was a massive learning curve. We enjoyed the restoration. It was a good feeling to be putting right all the things that were done incorrectly with it. You could almost hear the building heaving a sigh of relief.”
The property was due to be completed in 2020, however Covid lockdowns brought much of the work to a standstill, meaning it finally opened its doors properly in May 2021.
Christine reveals the bed and breakfast has become a firm favourite with locals, and that residing in a home steeped in such rich history – surrounded by wildlife including owls, woodpeckers, and cuckoos – has been a joy. Nevertheless, the couple have taken the difficult decision to put the property up for sale, as the demands of running the business proved too much.
Christine said: “Living in something that is 500 years old is amazing and you wonder what feet have tread these floors and what they would have been doing here.
“The locals absolutely love it. Half of them played in it when it was a ruin and the other half didn’t know it was here. They all rave about how beautiful it is now.
“It does feel very grand. We are very proud of what we have done and the way that we have restored it. It still has a very historic feel just in modern times.
“We were running it as a BandB, we were probably fairly naïve on what hard work that is. It is a massive commitment and you have to be on call all the time.”
Adrian added: “It has great views and it is surrounded by green for lovely walks. We sit above the town and at night you can see all the light twinkling below.”
