When John Challis and his wife Carol decided to escape the noise, crowds and pollution of London life for a quiet haven in the country, they didn’t take the easy option. While most would have been satisfied with a chocolate-box cottage within commuting distance of the capital, the Only Fools And Horses actor chose a part-ruined Abbey deep in the heart of Herefordshire close to the Welsh border.

Dating back to the 12th century, the building has become as much a labour of love as a monument to history for the ambitious couple. “There’s something very spiritual about this place,” explains John. “It has a tranquillity about it.”

John and Carol describe their taste as “shabby chic” and the style of the wing in which they currently live (the other is yet to be worked on) is English country manor with a hint of Mulberry – rich silk and damask drapes and curtains, comfy sofas, gilt mirrors, flagstone floors and lead windows. “We love this sort of stuff – used, weathered, not quite right. A bit like us,” jokes John.

For stunning pictures of John Challis at his five-acre estate, see this week’s HELLO! magazine, on sale now.