The Ammo Store & The Hidden Basement Mystery - Renovating Tynemouth Watchtower: Level 1

Dropping down to the ground floor... where we explore the tower's wartime ammo store, reveal a toilet with absolutely zero privacy, and investigate a massive structural mystery beneath our feet! 🏰💣🚽 Welcome to the grand finale of our level-by-level tour. This week, we are finally exploring Level 1—the ground floor and our south-facing outside yard. It’s the lowest level of the concrete fortress, but it holds the biggest future transformation of the whole build and the ultimate cliffhanger for the upcoming renovation. PAST 📜 Level 1 was built with heavily reinforced concrete walls, leading us to believe it served as a highly secure ammunition store during WWII when the anti-aircraft gun was active on the roof. By the 1960s, the space had no natural light and was used entirely as a cold garage and storage room. This level also originally featured a bricked-up doorway that connected the military tower directly to the double-fronted houses on the seafront. And that under-stairs toilet? Back in the 60s, it was completely open to the elements—meaning anyone walking through the front door got a direct view of you on the loo! 🕵️‍♂️❌ PRESENT 🏠 For the last 18 months, this floor has functioned as our temporary kitchen and everyday hub. While it’s been a cozy second living space to save us trekking up six storeys for a cup of tea, it has come with some serious challenges. The entryway is in a terrible state of disrepair from an old leak, our quirky triangular yard has become a total dumping ground, and I have spent the last year and a half hand-washing every single dish by hand. I am officially desperate for a dishwasher! 🛠️🤦‍♂️ FUTURE 📐 The transformation down here is going to be massive. This floor is becoming our future master bedroom! We are ripping down the 1980s false ceiling to reclaim a full metre of extra vertical space, squeezing an ensuite into the corner, and installing a 300-litre hot water cylinder above the wardrobes to power all four of the tower's ensuites at once. We're also installing a stable door out to the yard for early morning sea dips, building an outdoor kitchen, adding an outdoor beach shower, and restoring the back lane wall to its original red brick. 📐☀️🌊 0:00 Intro: Welcome to the Ground Floor 0:12 The Past: WWII Ammo Stores & The 1960s No-Privacy Loo 4:42 The Present: 18 Months Without a Dishwasher & Our Quirky Yard 7:05 The Future: Transforming the Kitchen into a Master Bedroom & Outdoor Showers 12:55 The Ultimate Mystery: Is There a Hidden Basement? ONE FINAL THOUGHT... 🧐 Is there a hidden basement beneath the Watchtower? We have a soft spot in the kitchen floor right where a trapdoor would be, and both neighbouring properties have deep basements. Subscribe to the channel right now to follow the full renovation series, where one of the very first things we do is rip up the kitchen floor to see what's hidden underneath! 🗼🔍 Watch the 24/7 Live 4K Webcams here:    / @ourtowerhome   #OurTowerHome #WatchtowerRestoration #Tynemouth #MasterBedroom #OutdoorLiving #Architecture #RenovationLife