Old police barracks in Co Down getting huge makeover with possibility of former cells being used as guest rooms

The barracks was built alongside the River Bann in 1860 first housing the Royal Irish Constabulary, before the RUC replaced them in Northern Ireland in 1922.

Stephen said: “I've lived in Banbridge my whole life and would have walked past the barracks on way home from school.

"Since it was sold by police in 1991 its laid empty and just got worse over the years, as have other listed buildings in town."

The DIY enthusiast said that he has seen listed buildings ‘disappear’ overnight to pave the way for developers to buy the land, but couldn’t let the same happen to the barracks.

"When it came up for sale, I thought I should give it a punt,” said Stephen.

His first task, along with his brothers, was to cut through the overgrown vegetation on the outside of the building before checking out the state of the interior.

As expected tackling the inside of the three-floor 173-year-old building is going to be a mammoth challenge with hazards lurking around every corner, but it’s a challenge Stephen is up for.

He said: “I grew up in a listed home and have a wide range of DIY skills and really enjoy projects, so it's a hobby for me as well as anything else. The same goes for my brothers so they are helping me out with labour.

"We intend to take our time and do it right, so will be a long job I think. Exactly what it becomes is open for debate.”

Stephen said that some outline plans that had been discussed include an escape room style adventure game in the cells, which could alternatively be used for Airbnb guestrooms.

He added: “The middle floor we’re thinking we could have a little art gallery in the sanger and we could have a museum in one of the front rooms to a history of the building.”

Stephen said that either he or his brother Kris might live in an apartment on the top floor, and the brothers also plan to refurbish the sergeant’s house and outdoor area to include decking and picnic tables beside the river.

He said: "Those are some ideas we have had, but with these sort of buildings, it can restrict what can be done. That’s one of the reasons that developers stay clear – there’s no quick profit to be made.

“What we’re allowed to do versus what we want to do is a different story, but we’re also keen to hear from ideas from the public.”

Just this week Stephen bought the first of the materials necessary to repair the barracks. He managed to source Glenboig bricks, made in Scotland and established in 1830, that are the same colour, texture and a dimensional match for the yellow bricks at the guttering of the main building.

You can follow the progress of Stephen’s project on Instagram by searching for we_bought_a_barracks