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The Square, St Mawes, Cornwall

Lynsey Hanley explores Britain's broken housing market through the stories of ten very different homes. Today, the story of Hillside Cottage in St Mawes, Cornwall.

Lynsey Hanley explores Britain's broken housing market through the stories of ten very different homes and their occupants.

Every one of Britain's 27 million homes has a story to tell about Britain's housing crisis and how it might be fixed. Over ten episodes, Lynsey explores houses of every shape and size, new and old, right across the UK.

Today, the story of Hillside Cottage in St Mawes, Cornwall, owned by 79-year-old Phil Salter. Phil bought this 17th-century fisherman's cottage in 1989 after selling his ex-council house. Hillside is now worth over a million pounds.

Author and journalist Lynsey Hanley explores what Hillside Cottage tells us about the impact of council house sales and second homes in areas like Cornwall.

House historian Melanie Backe-Hansen also researches the history of Hillside Cottage, which started out a storehouse for fish.

In other episodes, we'll visit a wide range of other homes - from a brand new house in west Belfast, to a handsome Georgian terrace in Newcastle and the tenements of Glasgow. Each property will reveal something different about the UK's housing challenges.

Throughout the series, Paul Cheshire, emeritus professor of economic geography at the London School of Economics will put each home in context. Professor Cheshire is a member of the Centre for Economic Performance at LSE.

Producer: Laurence Grissell

Available now

14 minutes

Last on

Sun 31 Oct 2021 14:45

Broadcasts

  • Mon 4 Oct 2021 13:45
  • Sun 31 Oct 2021 14:45