A FAMILY whose thatched farmhouse was gutted by fire after they spent 15 years restoring it have almost completed the task of putting it right once more.

Peter and Sue Coverdale have taken 20 months to repair Levy Pool, their 400- year-old grade II-listed property in Bowes, near Barnard Castle, County Durham.

The work has so far cost £196,000, and they estimate it will take another £20,000 to complete the job before they move back in with their sons, Nick and Karl. Their daughter, Stevie, has a cottage nearby.

Mr Coverdale said yesterday: "It was heartbreaking to see our dream home go up in flames after the years of hard work we put into it. But we have done the repairs painstakingly, so it is beginning to look really good again."

Experts have described the remote house as a historical gem and unique to the North-East.

An insurance firm gave Mr Coverdale, who runs a building firm specialising in renovating old properties, a contract to take charge of the repairs himself.

His family and 15 employees did much of the work, including making their own traditional plaster from lime and horse hair to cover the inside walls. They also rebuilt and restored a Georgian cooking range.

He also called in some of the region's top tradesmen. Alan Heavisides, of Lartington, made and fitted the oak roof timbers before William Tegetmeir, of York, provided the new heather thatch.

The blaze was started by a spark from the fire reaching the thatch, so a shield was fitted to stop this happening again.

Blacksmith Brian Russell, of Little Newsham, created new metal fittings, and Anthony Nixon, of Barnard Castle, made all the oak window frames, doors and shutters.

The couple bought the house for £60,000 in 1990 and were putting the finishing touches to its restoration when the fire broke out in October 2005. They have lived in a mobile home since then.

Mr Coverdale was given two environmental awards by Durham County Council this month, for creating an old-style lime kiln and repairing St Nicholas Church, in Durham. He has worked on other churches and historic houses.

Scaffolding is to be taken down from the house next week and, after some other work is done, Mrs Coverdale will be in charge of decorating before the family moves back in.

Mr Coverdale said: "We are anxious to live under out own roof once more, but we are not rushing, as we want everything to be perfect."