The remarkable tale of a woman who relocated her centuries-old home brick by brick to a coastal town is set to hit the big screen.
May Savidge embarked on a monumental DIY endeavor when her cherished residence, Ware Hall in Ware, Hertfordshire, dating back to around 1450, faced the threat of demolition. In 1969, the local council aimed to clear the Elizabethan structure for a new roundabout, with bulldozers even reaching her doorstep.
Refusing to let her beloved home be destroyed, the determined 58-year-old May meticulously disassembled the 15th-century house and transported it, piece by piece, to a new site she purchased in Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. Over the course of a year, she meticulously numbered each beam and window, turning the relocation process into a massive jigsaw puzzle that required 11 truck journeys to complete.
Utilizing her engineering background, May resided in a caravan with her faithful dog as she reconstructed the house, likening the process to a challenging puzzle. “I won’t stand by and watch this magnificent old house be razed to the ground,” she declared during her mission. “With time on my hands, I might as well take on the task myself.” Reflecting on her labor, which included setting up her scaffolding, she quipped to a television crew, “You definitely sleep well after a day’s work.”
Taking residence in the partially finished dwelling around the age of 67, the retired draughtswoman received financial support from strangers who later became lifelong companions. “Your determination embodies the spirit that once defined Britain’s greatness,” commended one supporter.
Upon her passing in 1993, May bequeathed the house to her niece, Christine Adams. Though the property remained unfinished, Ms. Adams dedicated 15 years to restoring and completing the structure, inspired by her aunt’s legacy. She chronicled May’s extraordinary feat in saving her home, a story that is now being adapted into a feature film by director Gillies MacKinnon, based on the book.
May Savidge’s historic and charming home was rescued from demolition by her ingenious relocation efforts, and her legacy lives on through the dedication of her niece to complete the project.