Meet Angelo Mastropietro, 37, spent eight months single-handedly
transforming the 800-year-old hobbit hole in the Wyre Forest in Worcestershire
into a 21st century man cave, complete with running water, underfloor heating
and even wi-fi.
The former recruitment boss was inspired to buy the cave
after being diagnosed with MS at the age of 29, a catalyst which forced him to
rethink his high-flying career and the stress and unhealthy lifestyle that came
along with it
He then set about carving, cutting and drilling into the
sandstone hillside - including excavating 70 tonnes of stone by hand - to make
his dream a reality.
Describing the project on tonight's episode of Grand
Designs, he said: 'MS was triggered by health and lifestyle and that was the
catalyst I needed to remind me that I needed to be mindful of my health and be
respectful of my lifestyle. I wanted to be in a place where I had a happier and
healthier life.
It's in a beautiful location, it's uplifting, it makes you
feel good, it's very relaxing. While you are a mile from the nearest pub or
supermarket, you're a thousand miles back in history.'
The father-of-two, who returned to Britain in 2010 after
more than a decade living in Australia, first came across the cave in 1999 when
he and some friends were forced to find shelter during a rainy bike ride
Incredibly, while he was flicking through a property
supplement more than ten years later, he noticed the very same cave was up for
sale for £62,000.
Believing it was fate, Mr Mastropieto bought the bolthole.
Then, with a budget of just £100,000, he began tireless work to excavate the
cave before cutting and drilling into the hillside to create his woodland
retreat.
Mr Mastropieto did not need planning permission and had no
guidance of how to convert the space, with the only architect being his fertile
imagination.
And, with the constant threat of his illness - which once
left him paralysed - the extensive manual labour was a bigger consideration
than usual.
0 comments:
Post a Comment