Unique charm on tap
ONCE, in Tina Morrison’s home, there was water, water everywhere – and quite a lot to drink. Built in the 19th century, the industrial building was used to store drinking water for the town of Dumfries, six miles away.
After it became redundant, Miss Morrison and her partner took the plunge and bought the property, in Lochfoot, at auction.
The scale of the conversion should not be underestimated. The central part of the Old Water Station was, effectively, a 14ft deep pool. But what has emerged is a remarkable one-off home.
A ground floor was created by simply covering over the ‘swimming pool’, while the upper floor was formed by installing flooring mid-way up the walls. After 18 months of hard graft, and around £700,000 of investment, the building is now a luxurious stand-alone home boasting two annexes, each with their own entrances.
It is these dual ‘extras’ which offer the opportunity to welcome holidaymakers in self-contained apartments.
The first annexe, on two floors, has two double bedrooms, lounge, kitchen/diner and shower room.
Annexe two is also split-level, this time with three double bedrooms, open-plan lounge/diner and a kitchen with central island.
‘It’s a beautiful place to live,’ said Miss Morrison. ‘It’s so quiet, on the edge of the village. Anyone who comes into my house just says “wow”. I don’t know if it’s the scale of the place but we also finished it to a very high standard.’
True to its roots, the Old Water Station has a liquid theme, complete with a fish pond inside the cobble-floored orangery stocked with koi carp. A giant marine tank once acted as a room divider but it burst spectacularly and, sadly, no longer divides the rooms.
There is a large open-plan lounge, kitchen, dining room, sitting room and four bedrooms.
The pool area has been converted to a bar and games room, still sporting the original tiles. There’s also a study and a garage.
Offers in the region of £700,000. Visit purplebricks.co.uk or call 0800 810 8008.