Hand-built ‘English village’ in Victoria selling for less than a typical Aussie house

A whimsical collection of cottages, painstakingly constructed using traditional techniques over several decades, is finally seeking a new owner.

Built as a labor of love by owner-builder Rob Hadden, the two-hectare property at 41 Weynton Road, Castlemaine has been listed for sale for $950,000.

That’s not bad value, considering the price of a typical capital city house is $978,000, according to the latest PropTrack Home Price Index.

Constructed to resemble an 15th-century English village, the property includes three main buildings crafted from locally-sourced materials, many of which were made by hand onsite.

The main house includes whimsical features such as a curving chimney – one of many features owner-builder Rob Hadden said were meant to push the boundaries of what was possible using traditional techniques. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

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The large house features three bedrooms and a study, as well as separate guest accommodation. There’s also a self-contained one-bedroom cottage, as well as a workshop that also serves as a carport and studio, and several sheds.

The property represents the life’s work of Mr Haden, who started the project in 1993 after two decades of research into traditional building techniques, including first-hand experience renovating a house in Melbourne before building one in nearby Harcourt.

The workshop, which serves double-duty as a carport, and is where the much of the intricate woodwork was undertaken. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

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“I don’t for one moment think I had any idea of the sheer complexity, the scale of the project and the amount of work that was ahead of me,” he told Owner Builder magazine in 2017, when the project was nearing completion.

With a vision to build for a fraction of the cost of a typical home, Mr Hadden utilised inexpensive and donated materials, such as fallen trees from the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens.

Owner-builder Rob Hadden milled all the timber onsite from donated fallen trees. Picture: Supplied

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Timber was painstakingly milled by Mr Hadden onsite and assembled into intricate timber frames that characterise the ancient building style. Precise mortise-and-tenon joints mean the buildings were constructed largely without nails.

Walls were made using wattle and daub, or cob – techniques dating back thousands of years whereby clay and straw were laboriously shovelled into place before being limewashed.

Traditional building techniques such as cob walls were used to build the cottages, providing excellent insulation. Picture: Supplied

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The technique has the added benefit of providing excellent insulation, with additional winter warmth provided by wood burning stoves.

Second-hand materials such as 4000 handmade bricks, corrugated iron roofing and even marble bathroom tiles were utilised in the project. 

Mr Hadden came up with design of the cottages after being inspired by a mock Tudor house in Melbourne’s east, and travelled to England to study the real thing. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

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When he couldn’t find what he wanted, Mr Hadden made it himself. That included the several thousand concrete roof tiles used on the cottage, as well as flagstones and pillars made to mimic slate and sandstone, timber doors and leadlight windows.

Selling agent Brett Fitzpatrick of Castlemaine Property Group said the unique property would likely appeal to a buyer as passionate about traditional buildings as Mr Haddon.

With multiple buildings and room for expansion, the property has the potential to be used for short-term accommodation. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

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“The interest so far has come from far and wide,” he said. “There’s been strong artisan interest, and also some people with English heritage that appreciate that component.”

Mr Haddon said the home had been built to last for generations and he hoped the new owner will continue to build on the foundation he has created.