When I bought it, it was a tumbling mass of old bricks and cobwebs. Centuries ago it had been the blacksmiths, more recently a plumber’s workshop. But the old fireplace, the space and the history of work inspired me and helped me see what it was to become: somewhere that remembered toil; a place where things were made; somewhere that could provide rest at the end of the day; a home nestled in the village, next to the stream.