The work was carried out by Taskers Builders, and was completed in early 1999. The aim was to have the cottage looking almost exactly as it was when Mrs Smith was living in it, but extensive work was necessary on the roof to make it watertight.

It was not possible to retain the original pigsty and storage sheds as they were in a poor condition. However, with the additional use of a donated garage building, we were able to construct a small purpose built Visitor Centre, to house our reception area and displays.

We were unable to move the artefacts straight back in because the cottage was still extremely damp. However, with constant warmth from the range, the building gradually dried out. Mould patches were removed from the wallpaper using stale bread - a tried and tested method.

We finally opened to the public on July 7th, four years after our very first public meeting.