Angelo Mastropietro decided to become a modern caveman when he built his luxurious new home inside this ancient den. You may have seen Bilbo Baggins’ home in the Lord of the Rings? Well, consider this the real-life thing. It sounds far fetched, but remember that humans have lived in caves for a long time. Think of it as an ode to history! And the secret behind it all will definitely surprise you.
The Eight-Month Build
Angelo Mastropietro knew he wanted a unique house. He wanted it to fuse with nature and have both hard and soft details. But life was getting in the way of his big plans.
Serious Diagnosis
Angelo was dealing with a serious health scare since he was diagnosed multiple sclerosis in 2007. It was a huge blow, but he was committed to not letting it define him.
Rethinking
On top of the diagnosis, Angelo had been questioning his career for a while. It earned him good money but was too involved and constantly caused him stress. Something had to give!
Father of Two
Angelo had recently spent more than a decade living in Australia, but he returned to Britain in 2010 as a father of two children. They wanted playtime one afternoon, so he suggested a bike ride.
Chance Encounter
One might say that Angelo met his destiny on that ride. They were in the Wyre Forest, Worcestershire, which he visited with some friends back in 1999. A twist of fate derailed their pleasant afternoon.
Rainy Detour
Suddenly it started to pour, and the rain was about as bad as it gets in Britain, and it forced them to seek shelter. The rock was simply the first thing Angelo found!
Historical Hole in the Wall
Once he came across the cave again with his kids, Angelo couldn’t get it out of his mind. Like Bilbo Baggins, he saw potential for a little home for himself. In that moment, the Rockland Retreat was born.
Romantic Retreat
In an Interview with Grand Design Magazine, Angelo said: “There were many things that inspired me to build The Rockhouse. When I first saw it my gut feeling was to restore it into a romantic retreat.”
Master of the Stone
“It felt like it was meant to be,” Mastropietro admitted, fatefully adding, “I bought it at an auction on my birthday, and my surname in fact translates to master of the stone.”
Keep Digging
This wasn’t about getting it done as soon as possible either. Angelo wanted to pay tribute to the men who created the natural structure 800 years ago. So he dug using only his hands and manual tools!
Something Extraordinary
“I wanted to achieve something extraordinary,” Angel said. “The first thing I did was I bought a pickaxe and started digging, literally as simple as that.” That, plus a $230,000 investment.
The Biggest Surprise
“The biggest surprise was the fact that nobody shared my vision or my positive energy about the project as a whole, he said, “but, I was determined to do something different. If everyone goes left, I want to go right.”
Three Words
Years later, Angelo ended up living full-time The Rockhouse Retreat, and when asked to sum up the construction process in three words, he chose inspiring, spontaneous, and grit.
Lush Landscape
Angelo now lived far away from the hustle and bustle of a city, but he enjoyed a lush natural landscape instead. It’s definitely a trade-off but sounds worth it!
Forested Path
Even though Wyre Forest is far from a metropolitan district, it features a highly functional road cutting straight through. If Angelo needs to get to civilization, it’s an easy shortcut.
Ancient Woods
Not only is the landscape green and beautiful, but it’s also considered an ancient woodland, one of the last ones in all of Britain to be exact. It’s part of Angelo’s mission to live in harmony with nature.
Home to the Birds
Wyre Forest is especially famous for its many healthy bird species, including the hawfinch, dipper, wood warbler, common crossbill, spotted flycatcher, pied flycatcher, redstart, and long-eared owl. There’s also Angelo’s lovable pooch. Was it all too good to last?
Dreams Come True
This was Angelo’s dream, so he feels strongly about his unconventional lifestyle: “You’ve got to stick to your dreams. I think a lot of people have an initial vision and deviate from it, however I think it’s important to stick to your vision.”
Award Winner
Angelo’s home did more than just go viral; it also won awards! In fact, the famous British designer Kevin McCloud awarded him a part in the top 20 Grand Designs.
1000 Miles
“It’s in a beautiful location, it’s uplifting, it makes you feel good,” Angelo concluded, “While you are a mile from the nearest pub or supermarket, you’re a thousand miles back in history.” His Rockland Retreat is the sunnier version of another luxurious cave home, which was built for far darker reasons.
