HOMES Under the Hammer presenter Martin Roberts is currently facing another snag in his ambitious project to restore a historic Welsh pub.
The Hendrewen Hotel and Pub in Blaencwm, near the Rhondda end of the Rhondda Tunnel, was already undergoing a challenging renovation.
However, recent devastating flooding in the area has further complicated the project.
Martin first acquired the derelict Hendrewen Hotel and Pub a few years ago after dealing with a heart condition gave him a new zest for life.
Despite the presenter’s initial excitement, the renovation quickly spiraled into a complex and costly endeavor.
The vision for the pub is grand: a welcoming pub and restaurant with eight bespoke en-suite bedrooms, a glass-and-timber restaurant extension overlooking stunning waterfalls, and even an accessible accommodation block.
But unforeseen structural issues such as rotten lintels, compromised joists, and persistent water ingress have pushed the project nine months behind schedule.
The recent floods, brought on by Storm Bert, have only made the situation worse.
In a video he shared on social media yesterday, Martin shared his distress over discovering there is water coming out of the bathroom walls at the Hendrewen.
He said: “Over the weekend there were terrible floods exactly in this area.
“We’ve just driven past this street where people have actually got all their belongings – their sofas, their personal items on the street because their houses were flooded. It’s heartbreaking.
“This area was hit so badly by Storm Bert. The pub is vaguely okay, but clearly there are a few issues which the extreme weather has created.
“You could say that’s just a one off but we’re in Wales and it isn’t.
“So the fact that there is water coming into the bathroom, is not a good idea. The water coming into the bathroom is out of a showerhead, or out of a tap, or when you flush the loo – not out of the walls.”
A worker in the video could be seen inspecting the walls, which were visibly damp and dripping.
He admitted that he does not know where the moisture is coming from.
Followers flocked to the comments to share their sympathies with the BBC presenter.
One person tried to encourage him, saying: “Oh no! But compared to the other houses in your video you got off lightly, it could have been a whole lot worse Martin.
“Good luck sorting it out, we’re all waiting for the grand opening!”
Another offered their condolences, writing: “I’m sorry to hear that, Martin. I hope you can sort everything out.”
A third added: “It was awful – saw on the news about the area, don’t think any one really escaped the storms. Hope you get the issues sorted soon Martin.”
