07-02-2025
Salvage Hunter Drew Pritchard's 'mammoth' new project hits screens in ultimate test
Salvage Hunter Drew Pritchard is putting his 'years of graft, knowledge and vision' to the ultimate test in his latest project. The TV star has embarked on a 'mammoth journey' to renovate a Grade I listed Georgian town house and the early stages will be shown on a brand new Salvage Hunter series starting on Wednesday night, February 5.
Having closed his antiques store in Conwy in May 2022, he later announced he'd bought a five-storey property in the historic Somerset city of Bath. While admitting it was the 'most exciting' project he has ever worked on, it was not without its challenges – according to Quest TV, the property needed "urgent and costly repairs" even before he could think about replacing the roof and 20 windows.
Drew had said it is the most financially risky project he's ever embarked upon. Despite the prestige location in St James' Square, the grand old property had seen better days, having been converted into five flats in the early 1970s.
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The 1790s terraced house was full of 'bodged repairs', he said, noting despairingly how 'every inch was painted in white gloss'. It needed a complete overhaul – he described it as the 'worst house in the best location'. Despite this, it was love at first sight - Drew bought it after going to an open viewing and making an offer on the spot in the summer of 2022.
With help from Bath architect Rhys Brookes, he's determined to restore the property to its former glory, looking to restore the building's original paint finishes, install reclaimed radiators and find period bathroom features. No detail is being spared in the quest for period accuracy.
Among those he's leaned on for help was Charles Brooking, an architectural historian and collector whose artefacts formed the basis of The Brooking museum in Whitchurch, Hampshire. In 2005, Drew gave The Brooking a large cross-section of domestic stained glass from houses in North Wales. With his own period property to restore, and in need of 1790s door furniture, he turned to the museum for guidance.
He visited with a film crew in tow. In the Cranleigh Magazine, Mr Brooking wrote: 'Fortunately we hold some important examples, ranging from humble to grander varieties. Having photographed the appropriate door handles and locks of the types used both in the 'polite' and secondary areas of Drew's house in the 1790s, he is hoping to track down similar examples.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
St James' Square was built on orchards and gardens tenanted by residents of the nearby Royal Crescent. Most of the properties were completed by 1794, all arranged around a 360ft by 250ft grassed area which, until 2002, was grazed by a flock of sheep for a month each autumn.
Perhaps its most famous property is Number 35, once home to William Savage Landor, a close friend of Robert and Elizabeth Browning. Another friend was Charles Dickens, who stayed on several occasions: reputedly, while staying there in 1840, Dickens first conceived of Little Nell and fleshed out the plot for the Old Curiosity Shop.
For the new series, Georgian Britain is unpicked by art historian Dan Cruickshank. Filmed at his historic Spitalfields home, Dan dives into the world of Georgian architecture, uncovering the craftsmanship, character and hidden stories behind these iconic buildings.
Drew's previous forays into period property restoration included a Methodist chapel in the Conwy countryside, which he bought in June 1995. Nine years ago, after his divorce, he moved to a 1820s Regency cottage just outside Conwy town's walls. Although it was dubbed 'Chateau Despair' by a friend, Drew said he grew to love the place after giving it a complete renovation.
But the Bath project is on another level. To stock it, Drew transferred some of his collectables from Conwy – but he was left combing the UK for period fixtures and fittings, having pledged to use only reclaimed, salvaged, recycled and antique materials. With his eye for detail and flair for design, few would bet against him achieving his goal of 'putting back the soul of this historic building'.
Salvage Hunters: Georgian House Restoration starts on Wednesday, February 5 at 10pm on Quest TV. The series runs to five episodes. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
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