Pilgrim's Progress - My house renovation: The Red Shed

I call it a shed but I suppose it is more of a small barn, we wonder if it was part of the old Severn and Wye Bilson Halt/Bilson Loop railway buildings, but until I do more research we cant be sure. That makes it sound very grand, in reality it is four stone walls, broken tiles and rotten, wormy wood built on dirt! Mind you, that little space holds my artistic dreams. It is a two story part red brick, part forest stone building. The previous owner tried to get planning permission for it on numerous occasions but was unsuccessful thankfully. I couldn't imagine anything worse than having someone living in your garden, unless of course you count the resident wildlife.

The shed it appears has a sad history too, which I was unaware of when I bought the house. I have only heard this word of mouth, so am more than happy to amend it if anyone reading has clearer facts.

I was out walking a friends dog, and got chatting to an old chap that lived down the road from me. I was telling him I'd recently moved and pointed towards the house. 'Blimey' he said, in a broad Forest accent, 'they've pulled some bodies outta thick houze in it's time'. I was gobsmacked and naturally wanted to know more. Although I was secretly willing the man to give me an edited version due to the fact one of my boys was with me! He didn't, as you can imagine, but this was a snatched conversation, so I can only tell you what little I now know!

Apparently the drugs history in the house was well known, and a poor lad had overdosed and died in the shed. It is also thought that he wasn't found for some time. The man didn't really say much more than that. Furthermore, when I've mentioned this to people, it appears it was one of the worst kept secrets in Cinderford, However, it is very sweet that people who know where I live, (including my neighbours both sides) didn't want to tell me in case it frightened us.

Strangely, when I was first clearing the junk out of the Red Shed, I found three little plaster angels tucked into the brickwork. I put them safe, I'm not sure why, but I couldn't bring myself to throw them out. There was also a tired old chair in there. I couldn't help wondering afterwards if this was the chair the lad died in and whether the angels were put there by someone that loved him. Thankfully death and dying doesn't frighten me (I work in a hospice), so I am comfortable with the sheds history.

We have just had the roof replaced on the Red Shed, it was dangerously falling apart and I was petrified it would collapse. My friend Clive who owns Junction Builders in the Forest (https://www.facebook.com/Builditonce/) and his right hand man Kirk did a grand job. They discovered that all of the woodwork was very rotten and in fact much of the structure had disintegrated leaving the roof vulnerable and the building twisting with the weight. It probably wouldnt have survived another winter, or Kirk trampling on it! When they took the roof off, it started to fall in and the top apex of the front wall was swaying. They had to strap this tight and dismantle it carefully brick by brick (taking the comedy opportunity to tell me it had collapsed, and Kirk was in A&E, whilst Clive ate all the doughnuts)! It now had a lovely new wooden structure, facias, guttering, felt and tiling. A velux window to let some light in, as well as star gazing at night time, and some waney edge cladding in keeping with the rustic charm.

We still have to concrete the floor, board out the second storey floor, mend and point some of the walls, add in some stairs, insulate and board out the walls, add electric and water, but the building is safer....no longer on the verge of collapsing. When we concrete the floor I will put the little angels into it, on the off chance they were put there by a loved one to watch over somebody.

Eventually this will be my art and activities space. I hope to be able to run classes, do my own art/making and have a gallery type space upstairs. It is some way off before it gets finished, but from the outside at least, it looks beautiful, sassy and safe now!