Work is underway on what will be AS Mosley's new home at Kingswells House
In October 2025, the digger was on site to excavate the north bank and build the foundations for a retaining wall. This will shore up and support the ground containing the ancient Holly hedge which is mentioned in early documents describing the gardens and grounds. Just before Christmas we began work on the wall build; however, progress was delayed due to the severe weather – not least the 18 inches of heavy snow cover. An inconvenience, but also a reminder of just how beautiful this 12-acre site can be throughout the four seasons. The gardens were transformed into a secret Winter Wonderland – right in the heart of the Prime Four Business Park!
Preparations for the access footpath to run alongside the main drive are also underway. As part of this we had to clear the water course to prevent flooding over the path in the lower drive area.
The springs to the Den Burn feed into the water course and further work will be required to prevent back-up during heavy rain. In addition to this, we have moved the oil tank to its new position away from the house. This has enabled us to connect the boiler and fire up the wet heating system. Warmth is an important consideration for these historic buildings and we have managed to stabilise the moisture inside the house to 50%. This is well within the target range 40%-60% for a happy / healthy building. This should improve further when we dig a French drain around the outside of the building and weatherproof the walls.
Renovations to the main house will start in March 2026 when we commence the slating and harling refurbishment. The unsightly garage building will be demolished in February in preparation for these works. New Bathrooms and toilets are being ordered and will be installed after starting the outside works. Internal renovations can then commence – wiring, flooring, finishings and decoration.
Furthermore, we are now working on the contract with the quantity surveyor. The contract will be for the new build extension to replace the garage with an open-plan office. This will be started once we have completed renovations to the house later in the year.
It is good to have all the planning and building warrant issues behind us. For the first time since we purchased Kingswells House in the summer of 2020, we are able to make real progress.
More updates to follow...