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From derelict churches to abandoned mills, across Northern Ireland historic buildings lie forgotten and crumbling into ruin. Architect Patrick Bradley meets those fighting to save them – one home at a time.

Patrick meets a couple in Ballymena attempting to restore a clachan of cottages into their new home. But after years of neglect, they have a major challenge on their hands to bring these crumbling buildings back from the brink.

Stephen and Marie bought their family home on the outskirts of Ballymena 34 years ago, but now that their three children have left home, they have set their sights on an ambitious restoration project just a few miles down the road. The cluster of abandoned cottages dates back to the 1800s, and Stephen and Marie have enlisted Patrick’s help to transform them into their dream home. His task is to restore the buildings with sensitivity to their heritage while adapting them for modern living. But the project soon faces a major hurdle: the original thatched roof – a key feature the couple are keen to preserve – is beyond repair, and much of the structure is no longer viable.

A thatcher is brought in to erect a new thatch roof while Patrick and the team set about painstakingly saving or replicating as many of the original features as they can, including typical features of the traditional Irish cottage such as a Dutch door and lime-rendered walls.