A COUPLE who transformed a £1,250 cottage into a life-size playhouse for their grandchildren now make thousands by renting it out to holidaymakers.
Alban, 86 and Angela Bunting, 82, renovated the derelict 17th century property in 1964 and built three incredible miniature houses on the land.
The idea came to them when Alban and Angela first heard the news that they were going to be grandparents.
They decided to design and build three playhouses for their much-loved grandchildren.
The first creation was a cottage in Gothic style built for Ruth in 2002 – with a spiral black staircase inside.
The second one was an Elizabethan lodge for Tom in 2003 – made with oak railway sleepers.
And the third one for Charlotte – a post office and shop – built in 2005 with Indian bricks and sandstone blocks.
The incredible collection can be found in Binegar, Somerset, after the couple moved to the remote village from Hertfordshire.
Now called Spindle Cottage, it is now of the most unique gardens and holiday lets in Britain.
The cottage, shepherd’s hut, gardens and playhouses have featured on BBC’s Gardeners’ World, Open Gardens and Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces.
Angela said: “As soon as we knew there was a baby coming and Alban waited for the birth and he made it for Ruth – she absolutely loved it when she came on holiday.
“Tom loved his playhouse – he told Ruth and Charlotte ‘you can’t go in here unless you have my permission’ – he was quite a character.
“Once he got a mobile phone he could take pictures of them and said ‘if you break in here I am going to take pictures of you and I am going to call the police'”.
Alban said: “The final one was Charlotte’s and that is a Victorian post office and a copy of one I had done in my village when I apprentice carpenter and joiner.”
Angela added: “She looked very cute this tiny little girl wobbling into the shop with her shop in front of her and sometimes she came out with a basket of plastic strawberries to play.”
When asked why they moved to Somerset, Angela explained they spotted a cottage that was in need of repairs.
She said: “When we found this one we thought this is in the worst stage but it has the most potential.
“We knew the motorway was going to be built so getting a house in Somerset was going to be expensive.
“After we had bought it we were still living in Hertfordshire and we were coming down here weekends and holidays to do work on it and we’d spend the whole weekend doing the next important job.
“It had sitting tenants in one half and this half was in a bad state – all the beams were covered up.
“The neighbours said they were going to move out to a bungalow and that the rest of the house was going to be ours – we were delighted.”
When they moved in three years later after buying the house they came back with two boys – and their third son would later born in the cottage’s upstairs room.
When their boys left they decided to turn the cottage into a holiday let to make extra money – with people from all over the country and abroad visiting.
With their middle son having three kids, Alban let his creative side take over once more and build the three playhouses for their grandchildren.
Alban would spend his evenings and weekends working on the houses in his spare time.
Angela said: “Our grandchildren would come for a whole week to play in the houses. And they wanted us to come shopping in the post office.
“People on holiday once they got to know what we were doing they’d gather tins and things for the post office and people kept bringing things for us and that’s how we filled it all up – including a metal till.”
But now as their grandchildren have grown up to play in their designed houses they are used by kids in the village or tourists who stay in the cottage.
The year each element was built or created within the cottage by Alban has been carved in stone, wood and beams.
“In all his spare time Alban would do the creative sides of the house,” said Angela.
Alban added: “People often ask me what would you do if you have great-grandchildren?
”And I say it will either be a church or the very old-fashioned pub with a public saloon bar.”
Angela concluded: “I think any great-grandchildren would just love to play in these houses. If I am around I have to make sure it is all clean and tidy.”
One review said: “This cottage is what childhood dreams are made of. I was surprised that there wasn’t a cupboard that actually led to Narnia!”
Carol Klein, BBC Open Garden, said: ”This is a garden not just for plants people, but for the whole family. I think this is the most inspiring garden I’ve ever been in.”
