Radio Times: Review by:; Jane Rackham

The Elms in North Wingfield, Derbyshire, was originally built for a rich Georgian family, but over the decades it’s fallen into a state of semi-ruin.

Now the imposing three-storey house sits neglected and half-hidden by trees right in the middle of an estate of neat suburban houses, one of which is home to a local family
who are determined to renovate the property - even though it’s missing a few essentials such as stairs and floors. “It’s heartbreaking to see it in this state,” says architectural expert Kieran Long, while social historian Dr Kate Williams uncovers a secret in the building’s past.

About this programme

3/6. Three generations of a family try to restore the Elms, a Grade II-listed Georgian house in Derbyshire that has been unoccupied for eight years. Several developers have attempted to salvage the property, but without success - and with no stairs or floors in place, it has now reached a critical state of disrepair. The project quickly puts a severe strain on the owners' finances, and there is an intriguing discovery about one of the building's most influential past custodians.