Mother who unlawfully demolished 300-year-old cottage to neighbours' outrage now lodges plans to rebuild it

By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:30, 2 July 2026 | Updated: 12:37, 2 July 2026 A mother-of-two who unlawfully tore down a 300-year-old cottage to her neighbours' outrage has now lodged plans to rebuild it. Natalie Matthews demolished the idyllic thatched home almost exactly a year ago, sparking outrage across the village of Nursling, near Southampton, Hampshire. After neighbours watched on in disbelief as the cottage was reduced to rubble, Ms Matthews explained she had initially meant to renovate the beloved building and then sell it to fund building her dream family home on the adjoining plot. But on inspection, she claimed she discovered the two-bed house was beyond repair and 'structurally unsound', adding there was 'nothing meaningful to restore'. So, she flattened the building in under an hour. It had stood as a hallmark of the local parish - featuring on the front cover of a book about local history. After the scrutiny she faced on the hasty demolition, Ms Matthews said she 'deeply regretted' knocking down the quaint 17th-century cottage - claiming she was in a 'difficult and overwhelming situation'. She has now submitted plans to rebuild the house. The new plans have been welcomed by residents, many of whom have spent months hoping the distinctive thatched property would one day return. Natalie Matthews (pictured) sparked outrage by demolishing the historic local landmark without planning permission but has now submitted a planning application to rebuild it The 300-year-old cottage (pictured), beloved by Nursling village locals, was demolished within an hour  Ms Matthews claims she initially meant to restore the property but found it was beyond repair, 'structurally unsound' and said there was 'nothing meaningful to restore'  Nursling resident of 21 years, Nicola Winnard, said: 'I thought it was disgusting when it was torn down. We just couldn't believe it. 'I'm so thrilled the cottage will be rebuilt with the same thatched roof that it had before. The whole of my street were up in arms when it happened. 'We always admired it and it was part of the community - I'm so pleased. We look for changes at the site every time we walk past.' Ms Matthews said she bought Wychwood Cottage for £350,000 with help from family and a bridging loan as she was unable to mortgage the property. She was living in a social housing flat with her two children and previously said that getting on the property ladder 'felt impossible'. When she finally got onto the first rung of the ladder, she claims the cottage was in a poor state, with the front elevation being pushed outward by over-thatching, the chimney had failed as well as roof timbers and rafters, and it had only one structurally sound wall. After the demolition, Test Valley Borough Council vowed to pursue Ms Matthews until it was put right, insisting from the outset that it wanted to see the lost cottage rebuilt. Planning portfolio holder at Test Valley Borough Council Councillor Phil Bundy said: 'It was always the council's intention to press for the situation to be rectified. 'Nobody wanted to see it go and it had been there for a very long time. I am hoping the new cottage will reflect what was there before it was demolished. 'We want people to look at it and think that's the old cottage.' Long-term resident Pam Leith said: 'I'm so happy to hear it's going to be rebuilt, it was such a sad loss to the village. 'We thought it was going to be rethatched and the next thing we knew it was flattened.' An artist's impression of Ms Matthews' initial plans to renovate the cottage and build her dream home in the plot next door  In a statement posted online, Ms Matthews explained she felt she had no choice but to rebuild Ms Matthews posted a statement online after being lambasted by the villagers at the time, saying that her intention was not to 'disrespect' the village history or to 'act recklessly'. She added: 'Looking back, I accept that I should have paused, taken further advice, and followed the correct planning process before making such a decision.' Pam Leith, who has lived just a few doors from Wychwood Cottage for 26 years, also welcomed the application to rebuild the cottage. She said: 'I'm so happy to hear it's going to be rebuilt, it was such a sad loss to the village. 'We thought it was going to be rethatched and the next thing we knew it was flattened. I was in shock - I loved that little house. 'I'm really pleased it's going to be back.' Resident Iain Mackillon, who has lived in Nursling for a decade, said: 'I was pegging out my washing when they tore it down. 'It was a real shock. I think it's fantastic that it's going to be rebuilt and shows that you can't flout planning rules.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. 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