“THE pressures of modern life mean that most of us have probably dreamt at one time or another of fleeing to the hills. But real-life caveman Angelo Mastropietro has made his hermit dream a reality – by spending over £160,000 turning a 700-year-old cave, carved into 250 million year old sandstone cliffs in the the Wyre Forest, into his dream home.
The 38-year-old, originally from Worcestershire, was living a high-flying life as the head of a successful recruitment company in Australia when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007. The condition led to him being temporarily paralysed – and inspired him to seek a simpler life.”
For more information on the Rockhouse, including rental queries, visit http://www.therockhouseretreat.co.uk
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A commenter said there’s a “Grand Designs” TV show dedicated to this house.
A magnificent creation by Angelo, who seems to have perfected everything from the installation of the chimneys to the treatment of the interior walls. I live not far from him, and have visited many such caves in sandstone; they usually have been inhabited by humans or livestock over the centuries. In older times, a common frontage to the caves was an all-wood barricade. Well-known caves were at a range of hills in this area “The Malverns”, and at the town of Bridgnorth ( spelled with no “e” ). The sandstone cliffs were often exposed during the last ice age, or through the actions of rivers. A problem can be that the sandstone is very soft and can wear away or even break off easily, so Angelo’s work to preserve this particular example is all the more impressive.