'I just love the challenge of it' - Take a look inside the Telford windmill turned into a home

The retired furniture importer has lived in the Hadley Windmill in Telford since 2010 after spending around £200,000 renovating the once-derelict structure into the five-storey family home it is today.

But after spotting an abandoned underwater reservoir in Posenhall, Broseley was up for auction, the renovation fanatic couldn't resist one final challenge.

Mr Gosling, 60, said: "I had completed renovating the windmill for some time, and I spotted the reservoir go up for auction.

"I just love the challenge of it, the whole idea and the mind-teaser of building regulations.

"I had thought the windmill was the final challenge but I just couldn't resist it."

It did mean the windmill he had had to be put on the market with an asking price of just short of £700,000, with plenty of the original workings still in order and a self-contained annex included.

After investing plenty of cash into the property, Mr Gosling readily admits he was not short of challenges getting the Grade II listed landmark into order.

Les said: "There was definitely plenty of problems, mainly getting it up to speed with modern regulations.

"The biggest challenge was getting a sprinkler system installed, and also making sure that the staircase met the standards.

"It took a year, but that was with seven men on site permanently."

Mr Gosling, who was born in Nantwich but lived in Wellington during his childhood, first caught the renovation bug more than thirty years ago after buying a former school in 1982.

His passion led him to living in France after converting two cottages there as well as a former monastery in Germany.

But it is the thrill of being able to put his own stamp on a unique building like the windmill, rather than money, that gets Mr Gosling's pulse racing.

He said: "I do them up for myself and I live in them for a while.

"I sell them on when I fancy another challenge, I could never renovate and sell straight away.

"Some people's hobbies are watching football or something like that; mine is looking at interesting property up for auction and renovating them."

"You can get so many buildings that if you miss another one like it will come up, but it's not every day a windmill or an underwater reservoir comes up."

Attention now turns to converting the reservoir, but Mr Gosling admitted he took a gamble in buying the unique property without seeing it all for himself.

He said: "I took a chance and bought it blind, you could see outside but not inside.

"I thought it would be just a box but it has red-brick wall with cast iron pillars.

"I am converting it into a house, so getting planning permission is a bit tricky, but I should be fine."

If that challenge was not big enough, Mr Gosling is also engaged and is planning a wedding with his fiancée Alla in July.

Mr Gosling did admit that his bride-to-be wasn't totally thrilled in the idea of moving away from the windmill she loves, along with his Dalmatian Purdy, to move underground.

But even though he has claimed that the reservoir job would be his final challenge, Mr Gosling has admitted that does depend on whether another irresistible project comes up.

He said: "I can't keep going forever, but never say never.

"I have joined the gym recently and I guess people are like buildings.

"You have to maintain and look after yourself, otherwise you just end up crumbling."