Church End
Abbey View
Behind the old vicarage, stood two barns. The owners, Pascalle and Mary Caprioli, decided to convert these and link them together, to form a U-shaped bungalow.
Planning started in 2011, permission was granted in 2013 and the Capriolis moved into the nearly completed bungalow in May 2015.
This project did not always go smoothly. The southern end of the west barn was deemed, by a structural engineer, to be unsafe so he advised that it be demolished and rebuilt. But Bedford Borough planners said it was an historic wall and so could not be demolished, but had to be underpinned instead. This album contains pictures of the underpinning process. Half way through, badger tunnels were discovered and those, combined with some holes dug out to pour concrete underpinning, caused that end of the barn to collapse. Thankfully, the workers heard creaking sounds and got out of the building before it collapsed.
Note. This album is, at the moment in two parts - first is a set of 42 I uploaded here a few years ago and and then there is aa set of 68 photos which I have just added. Also, I have yet to add captions. This will all be updated within the next week or so.
Clive Arnold. 23rd March 2025
Elstow Place - the Hillersden Mansion
Elstow Tea Garden
