How parody became reality for comedy star and wife as they saved crumbling Welsh farmhouse

THE next time you're watching Grand Designs on Channel 4 and scoffing at the poor souls struggling to bring an unwieldy renovation or new-build project in on time and on budget while living in a rusty old caravan on site during “the wettest/coldest/windiest” winter on record, think twice - you might one day end up being that person.

- Robert Webb - best known for his TV shows alongside David Mitchell - and his wife, writer and actress Abigail Burdess, have spent the past six years renovating a 'complete wreck' into a beautiful family home. They spoke to property editor Joanne Ridout about the huge challenges they faced along the way

For comedian Robert Webb, famous for programmes like the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show alongside David Mitchell, and his writer and actress wife Abigail Burdess, the Grand Designs nightmare came true, although it turned out to be a very uplifting and fulfilling experience most of the time.

It turns out Robert did a parody sketch about Grand Designs in TV show That Mitchell and Webb Look, not realising that one day he would be one of the stars of his own epic renovation story.

But a truly extraordinary house which was on the road to ruin in Wales captivated the couple so much, they dived into a six-year project which has not only saved the building but has also secured it for centuries to come.

Nestled within the glorious Carmarthenshire countryside is a historic house which is a hidden gem, having quietly provided a home enveloped by a spectacular view since the 17th century.

Grade II-listed by Cadw in 1998 for being “a well-preserved and rare example of a 17th-century two-storey gabled porch house of regional vernacular importance”, Ty Llwyd is a step back in time, but by 2019 when Robert and Abigail found it, the ramshackle residence was running out of time; they describe it as being a “complete wreck”.

But there was something enchanting about the silent stone building. Despite being invaded by foliage and attacked with damp, it was wrapped up within a backdrop of an ancient forest and 25 peaceful acres which stole their hearts.

The couple were looking for a house to bring back to life and restore as a home, and were adamant it had to be adding a home back into the local housing stock rather than buying a property which needed no work and taking it away from local buyers - so a renovation wreck was perfect.