Channel 4 Grand Designs home in Cornwall was used to mine silver and sees £200k reduction in original price

A unique home which featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs with an interesting history has seen a major reduction in its asking price. Wheal Langford Engine House in Cornwall has seen its price on the market slashed by £200,000 from when it first launched this year.

This means the stunning to £550,000 Grade II listed property could be yours for only £550,000. The property is surrounded by 3.7 acres of grounds on the western edge of the Tamar Valley - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The property's new owners will be required to finish the conversion - as the four-bedroom detached home has an additional engine house which has planning permission for a conversion into a holiday letting accommodation. The five-story property lies on the south-facing slope of a rural valley bordered by its own grounds and a stream.

Wheal Langford has an interesting history - as it was believed to have been opened before 1824 for mining (mainly for silver) and was included with several small mines: Wheal David, Mercer, Emily, Georgina, Mexico and Wheal Virgin.

It was amalgamated as East Cornwall Silver Mines in 1835 and reopened in 1848 under the name of Wheal Langford. The mine mostly produced parcels of argentiferous galena silver ore and the secondary Engine House is believed to be a rare internal beam engine building.

Stonemason Adam Purchase and his partner Nicola Brennan featured on the Channel 4 series back in September 2008 as they attempted to convert the historic building into a luxury four-bedroom home. They planned to convert the 19th-century engine house within 12 months but according to sources ran out of money and had to complete the build around their day jobs.

They started in 2008 and host Kevin McCloud caught up with them in 2011, when he said the exterior was a 'testament to Adam's skill and dedication' but that the couple were a long way from moving in. One of the owners still lives in the property currently.

The conversion of the main engine house has created a stylish and spacious residence with the top two floors, especially enjoying panoramic views over miles of open countryside towards Dartmoor in the distance. The ground floor offers an entrance hall, a shower room, bedroom two, and a triple-aspect kitchen and family room that opens onto a large decked terrace.

A bespoke wooden staircase leads down to the lower ground floor where there is an en suite bedroom. Featuring a large sash window that frames the far-reaching views, the L-shaped first-floor landing leads to bedroom four and to a bathroom with a free-standing, roll-top, oval bath.

The second floor hosts a beautifully light sitting room which boasts an ABX oval modern wood-burning stove and two double doors onto a large balcony. The third and final floor is home to bedroom one which features a high vaulted ceiling, a wall of exposed stonework, an apex wall of glass showcasing the stunning countryside views, and an en-suite shower room.

The engine house also includes eco credentials, including a biomass boiler to supply domestic hot water and central heating to the already converted main residence - this is powerful enough to support the secondary engine house once converted. Photovoltaic panels - which convert sunlight into electricity - in the paddock provide an income of circa £1,800 per annum.

Marketing agent Lillicrap Chilcott said: “There are some finishing works required to achieve a final sign-off for Building Regulations, to complete the planning process on the main engine house. With this in mind, a purchaser should check the availability of a suitable mortgage prior to viewing.”

All offers are to be submitted by noon on Friday, January 19, 2024. For more information or to arrange a viewing call 01872 273 473