The family story behind the plan for five houses off Lady Lane is told in an introduction to the planning application for the scheme at Abbey Gardens, near St Andrew’s Church in Blunsdon St Andrew.

Astrid and Erik Broderstand, the siblings who own the land, and who want to live there tell the story from the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century until modern day.

At the start of the 20th century the Manor House nearby was ruined by fire.

READ MORE: Plan for five homes inspired by 'ruined' manor house

The kitchen garden of the grand house was sold and used as grazing.

Then the Broderstands’ grandparents bought that grazing land in 1950 and built a family home, living there with son Adrian and daughter Maureen.

Maureen re-established the market garden as a business running it until 1970, and her children Erik and Astrid say they loved growing up there.

In 1983 their uncle Adrian inherited the house and they say: “It then became clear he did not want family to visit and lived as a recluse until his death in 2009.

“Our mother, Maureen, passed her inheritance to us. We then set about replanting the house garden, which Adrian let go to ruin. “

The siblings say one of the five houses will be for one of them, with the other four built to pay for it – and they have insisted that the design be in keeping with the ruined manor house.