Restoration Rescue

Patrick travels to the shores of Lough Neagh to meet a husband and wife who plan to sympathetically restore an old fisherman's cottage back to its former glory.

The couple currently live just a short walk from the property and purchased the cottage after the death of their elderly friend and neighbour, Phyllis, who was born and lived all her life in the cottage.

The couple have great sentimental attachment to the home of their friend and want to maintain as much of the character as possible, but this proves to be a challenge as the fabric of the cottage has seen better days.

As keen enthusiasts of vernacular architecture, Patrick takes the couple to the Ulster Folk Museum to learn about what life would have been like for the fishermen that once lived in the cottage. And they turn to science to try to discover when the cottage would have originally been built.

But despite all their care and attention, a visit from an inspector threatens to derail the whole project.