Since moving into his home – a 350-year-old ferryman’s cottage in Hexham, Northumberland – Robson Green has had to make some repairs. A historic and remote property, the actor’s abode is situated along the River Tyne, and over the years it’s required a few upgrades.
© BBCSpeaking to The Sunday Times in 2019, the TV star was asked if he’d tried his hand at DIY, and Robson’s response was completely unexpected. Detailing a major DIY disaster, the 58-year-old said: I got A-levels in design and technology, metalwork and engineering drawing [...] I managed to get those skills back, but recently I put a new back door on my house and forgot that wood expands and contracts with temperature so it jammed. I had to take an axe to it.”
© InstagramWhile Robson has spoken about how much he loves his home in the English countryside, the father-of-one has had some challenges along the way. In 2015, the Grantchester star lost "everything precious and personal" when a flood destroyed his historic home, leaving him "devastated," and although it has since been painstakingly rebuilt, the memory is a difficult one.
"I live in an old ferryman's cottage that's 350 years old, and I love it. I've got Hadrian's Wall to the north and there are pheasants and deer in the garden every morning," Robson told Radio Times.
"But in 2015 my house was under seven feet of water, destroyed in a flood. Everything precious and personal in my life, just washed away. It was very painful, I was devastated. Not only were there salmon going down the Tyne that day, my three-piece suit was, too."
MORE: Grantchester star Robson Green shares new update on season nine
READ: Robson Green's epic man cave at riverside cottage in Northumberland – details
Reflecting on the flood in an interview with Mail on Sunday in 2019, Robson explained: "It was the perfect storm. There was a massive amount of rain, a spring tide, and at the same time the Kielder Water dam had to release 20 cubic metres of water a second to prevent it bursting. I'm right on the apex of where all this water met, and a huge surge swelled up straight through my house.”
© BBCAfter waking up and hearing an "awful whooshing sound", Robson said: "I went downstairs and saw all my possessions disappearing through the conservatory doors. A lot of what defines who I am was on its way to the North Sea." Thankfully, the house has since been fully restored and flood-proofed, and Robson continues to live there.
© InstagramHe’s also made some beautiful additions, namely a conservatory with breathtaking views. Asked about his favourite room in the house, Robson told The Sunday Times, “The conservatory, which I’ve added on. It has a 270-degree window that overlooks the river. I can see salmon leaping, kingfishers, otters, deer, kestrels. I’ve got resident hedgehogs and stoats.
“It’s spectacular to see them. I also have a telescope because I love gazing into the night sky. In Northumberland we have some of the darkest skies in Europe.”
