CHARLOTTE Church spoke about the “legacy” of Laura Ashley and keeping that alive as she attempts to renovate the fashion mogul’s stunning former Powys home and turn it into a wellness and healing retreat.

The Welsh singer, 35, bought Ms Ashley’s former residence of Rhydoldog House, near Rhayader, for approximately £1.5 million in May last year, and soon announced plans to transform the stunning stately home into a new retreat to help people get back to nature and recover following the coronavirus pandemic.

She is aiming to complete the project by June this year, and her plans are being chronicled in a new TV series that aired this week. Episode 1 of Charlotte Church’s Dream Build was shown on Discovery’s Really on Tuesday night and followed the Voice of an Angel star and her family around the tranquil 47-acre Rhydoldog estate as she set the wheels in motion on the ambitious project.

Charlotte spoke passionately about Laura Ashley and Rhydoldog, which will be both a home and business. And it’s easy to draw comparisons between the two women – both bold, fierce characters who carved out successful careers.

County Times: Laura Ashley bought Rhydoldog House in 1973. She died in 1985 Laura Ashley bought Rhydoldog House in 1973. She died in 1985

“It’s really important to me the house, it’s history and the fact that Laura Ashley owned it, absolutely,” Charlotte said during the hour-long first episode.

“She was a self-made woman, from Wales, she came from poverty to make a huge success of herself, it’s amazing. She did it through making beautiful prints and making life more beautiful and that’s something that I really want to come through (in this project).

“I’d love to honour Laura’s groundbreaking work and keep her legacy alive at Rhydoldog.”

Besides the beauty of the house and its glorious Elan Valley surroundings, it’s clear Charlotte has taken on quite a job. Although the property looks finished on the outside, most of it is a wreck on the inside.

There’s also a barn and stables in the garden to be renovated and converted, plus the magical gardens and surrounding woodland. And it all needs to be completed by June in order to meet the busy summer season demand and start making revenue, otherwise she could be in trouble.

She said: “It blows my mind and fills my heart that I own it now. My biggest project is about to begin. I have pretty much spent my entire life savings on this.”

As well as assessing the initial work that needs doing to transform Rhydoldog – viewers watched as Charlotte delightedly took a sledgehammer to an interior wall in order to expand the dining room – she also travelled to nearby Llangoed Hall, a hotel previously owned by Ms Ashley’s husband Bernard Ashley, for some tips.

Llangoed Hall – located between Builth Wells and Llyswen – is a renowned wedding venue and one of Charlotte’s aims is to use Rhydoldog as an occasional wedding venue.

Rhydoldog House was originally bought by the late fashion designer Ms Ashley – who died in 1985 – and her husband Sir Bernard in 1973, as the couple wanted to raise their family and be near to their fledgling business in Carno.

READ MORE

Ms Ashley had opened the company's first shop in Machynlleth in 1960. Rhydoldog House would accommodate high-level company board meetings as well as some of Wales' most lavish parties.

At the height of the couple and company’s success, the house was also used as the backdrop for the fashion brand's iconic photo shoots of clothing ranges.

The surrounding grounds were even said to have inspired the designer's famed floral prints that continue to this day.

Charlotte's plans to transform Rhydoldog into a wellbeing and healing retreat, wedding venue and glamping business will be followed by TV cameras for the next eight weeks.

Viewers can join Charlotte on her journey via eight, hour-long weekly episodes on Really from 9-10pm every Tuesday. Catch up on Sundays from 8-9pm.