10 Wackiest Grand Designs Houses | 4Homes

11. Medway: The Eco Barge

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Medway Eco Barge Grand Design. From Channel 4 Homes Wackiest Grand Designs

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11. Medway: The Eco Barge (Image 11 of 11)

Idealists Chris and Sze decided it might be nice to buy an old, empty barge and build a family home on it using only salvaged materials. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, but such stringent adherence to this policy was always going to prove unworkable in reality. There is, however, very much wrong with building a barge that looks so wacky that no marina will take it. Worse still was the decision to not bother with trifling matters like a design or any plans. And if you thought it couldn’t get any worse, how about responding to your builder’s decision to quit (because he’s actually scared to be inside such an unsafe structure) by hiring his two teenage apprentices to finish off what he’d started...

The barge was never completed, and when the Grand Designs entourage left it was looking unlikely that it would ever pass any building regulations inspections. In short, the weirdest and probably the craziest Grand Design ever.

Learn more about the Medway Eco Barge Grand Design >>

Have a look around the barge in the Grand Designs Medway photo gallery >>

Get all the advice you'll need to start your own self build project on the 4Homes Self Build Advice page >>

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Comments

Just finished watching this episode, and teared up. Hats off to the Shaws and the stonemasons and other tradesmen (artisans, really) who restored this castle for a stunning job and for not giving up. I hope they're all surviving the financial crunch, and doing as well professionally as they clearly deserve to.

Posted by lisa on 02/01/2009 18:53:06

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We have just been watching the grand designs episode where the couple, from Lanbourne in Berkshire, were living in a run down bungalow and build a wooden octaganal house beside it. We are in a similar situation, in that we are living in an 1850's cob cottage, comprising of just 4 rooms, which is very small and damp. We would like to build a new house beside it and demolish the cottage. Unfortunately we are unable to obtain planning permission and all our plans and appeals have been refused. This has been going on for nearly 2 years. My question is how do other people manage to get planning permission and we are unable to get it. I wonder if you have any tips or advice you can give us. We live in the Purbeck Council area in Dorset.

Posted by steve parker on 27/12/2008 22:21:59

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I can't find the TWO episodes about Tom & Judy Perry in the GullWing roofed house in this list?

Posted by Bill Fitch on 25/12/2008 06:07:21

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I live not far from Southend, and today my husband and I had a drive out to have a stoll on the Pier, we noticed that strange Eco Barge is still moored in Leigh and appears to have been deserted, could you tell us if there is any updates on this strange design, its such a shame to see it just left to slowly get eroded away - the couple seem to hav had nothing but bad luck with this project maybe an update programme would be an idea, as you have revisited some past projects regards Michelle Warman East Tilbury

Posted by Michelle on 23/12/2008 20:02:41

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dear,chanel 4 i have a request to make i watch all your grand desgins on chanel 138 but i missed your german designs can you repeat the german episode please thank's a lot. bina

Posted by bina paul on 08/12/2008 15:14:55

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Grand Designs Extras 10 Wackiest Grand Designs Houses

11. Medway: The Eco Barge

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