The Complex Restoration Of Magnificent Historic Homes | Country House Rescue: Revisit | Real Royalty

this channel is part of the history hit Network [Music] this is Abby door Court where 12 months ago Ruth Watson came to the aid of the derelict mansion when I first came to abidore court the house was in a really dark state but the problem was that Charis owns the property but Claire granddaughter wanted to sort it out and to make something off it you think your grandmother's got confidence in you sometimes I question it I do not know no those figures I am Jack Sprat I'm back at Abbey door Court to see whether anything did happen after the building work was finished is this house trading and who's running it and do you have authority your grandchildren or do you still have to run things past your grandma [Music] foreign [Music] fell in love with Abby door Court over 40 years ago she sold her small farm in Warwickshire and bought the estate for 12 000 pounds did tis a very special place the whole atmosphere here is totally different to anywhere that I've ever been to before and I think that's where its strength lies passionate horticulturalist 81 year old Karis has single-handedly cultivated a stunning Garden out of the surrounding fields her creation attracts visitors from all over the country 's brought up her three children in the main house but 10 years ago when the property became too much to manage she moved out into a smaller Cottage on the grounds this is warm for a start having always lived in very cold houses the feeling of being warm is quite surprising left empty and unloved Abbey door court is falling into disrepair houses can withstand anything houses Will Rise From the Ashes if they're going to karis's granddaughter Claire Sage is passionate about Abby door court she and siblings Hannah and Julian grew up with their parents in the old servants quarters Claire's parents now live away but the siblings all in their twenties still live on the estate but it's Claire who has a strong Affinity with the house I can't explain what it is about the house and living here that I just I can't bear to see it how it is and how it's falling apart Claire still lives in the servant's quarters and works as a hospital administrator but it's her dream to give up her job and devote herself to restoring the Mansion to its former glory my goal in life now is to make the house work and to make it a business and a home grandmother Charis insists she's happy to take a back seat I don't really mind what happens to the house as long as it doesn't intrude on the garden I can't wait to back out you know but as head of the family carries very much overseas proceedings and if Claire's to get her wish she'll have to convince her grandmother that she's up to the job we do differ but we have discussions and some of the things she says I don't agree with and some of the things I say she can't see that would work in a bid to win her grandmother over Claire's called in renowned hotelier and businesswoman Ruth Watson to help save the crumbling pile Ruth's come to herefordshire to meet Claire she receives a warm welcome albeit under a rather precarious porch hi there hello just about yes nice to meet you chill though I think we could find some better surroundings I think this find dilapidation doesn't it let's go in let's go in Ruth discovers that part of the house is already being redecorated and the ornate plaster moldings restored so what's going on here Claire what are all these we had a horrible water leak in the drawing room and the bedroom above remains pipe burst to our water is pouring through so I'm lucky all ensures so we'll have all the work redone at the moment but the insurance money will only pay for the rooms affected by the leak financing the rest is up to the family history hit is a streaming platform that is just for history fans with fantastic documentaries covering fascinating figures and moments in history from all over the world we've got unrivaled access to the world's leading historians with hundreds of documentaries featuring everything from Boudicca to the British royal family we're committed to Bringing history fans award-winning documentaries and podcasts that you cannot find anywhere else sign up now for a free trial and real royalty fans get 50 off their first three months just be sure to use code real royalty at check might be in a bad state of repair but Claire is still lost in the romance of Abby door Court this is the drawing room just in here now this isn't a small room no this is definitely the main feature this is knife which is what a beautiful room this was just a lovely kind of family room really had lots of kind of sofas and chairs we had a rocking horse in the window normally one wouldn't think this but the pipes bursting mean that you were able to make an insurance claim it was a blessing in disguise actually it was horrendous when it happened and to see the damage that it caused was just unbearable but now it's just so exciting coming in here and just seeing it and imagining how it's going to look like when it's finished Claire realizes that this is a good opportunity to get the whole house up and running if she can persuade her grandmother to help just watch your steps oh this is slightly overgrown here's my grandmother hard at work certainly is my grandmother I'm yes it's very good to meet you and what enormous effort she must put into this Garden it's so labor intensive it's just very labor intensive I suppose but um it's not too bad the gardens are looking in very good array and the house looks in Desperate streets did you feel that you deliberately abandoned it or that you just know you've been abandoned it kind of in a way we just left it be even though because but it wasn't abandoned no no I think it's been easy to kind of close doors and it's left of the time with Karis now in her 80s the return of three grandchildren to abidore court is something of a blessing did you expect all the grandchildren to come back no never so what would you have done what I'm doing now which is living here and doing the garden and then the rest of it would have just well something would have turned up I expect Harris and Claire have conflicting priorities regarding the estate Ruth's Keen to find out what Claire's brother Julian makes of it all so the neutrality possibly if your grandmother lack of enthusiasm if I'm you know taking it a step further about the house is actually in direct contrast to how you feel about the house I think that's how it works well is that I'm so enthusiastic about it my future is bringing the house back to how it was and Jules you lean more towards your grandmother's love of the land I would say so yeah yeah but if all could be kept together and all could be enjoyed together yeah that's the harmony that we can all have our own roles and and work together that would be lovely so we've each got our own everyone would be happy even me but I shall be here that much longer hopefully now that's the thing about gardeners you know they tend to go on a long time the problem is who's going to take ultimate responsibility and put a stop to the rot at Abby door Court the one thing I'm absolutely certain of is that Charis really loves the garden loves the landscape and the house doesn't mean too much to her and that Claire really loves the house and it's just as well that somebody does because I think it is going to be down to the grandchildren to make this work rescuing Abby door caught from ruin is a massive undertaking it would make a beautiful bedroom but there has there has to be some investment here and Ruth crosses swords with carries I don't believe you come on can we [Music] the history of abidore court in herefordshire stretches back to the 12th century when it is said to have provided accommodation for the nearby door Abbey the stable yard was built in the 17th century when the house became a coaching Inn [Music] day the estate has 140 Acres of prime land and an Exquisite Garden on the banks of the river door [Music] the centerpiece of the estate is this charming mansion these Grand rooms with their fine moldings and handsome facade were added to the existing house in 1857. [Music] Claire Sage wants to see the deserted house restored dreams of giving up her job to run it commercially but she needs to convince her grandmother Charis Ward that she can manage a viable business here currently the annual income is just two thousand pounds generated from opening the gardens for five months of the year and from the Tea Room but it's not nearly enough if the house is to survive Claire still lives in the old servants quarters where she was brought up as a child she's called on businesswoman Ruth Watson to help secure The house's future [Music] that's interesting because other people would be more selfish they would want to be in this part of the house and you know hang that bit I've always been in that half of the house my grandmother had this off and we came in from family occasions and things like that so it's always been very separate sweet it's sweet the house hasn't been lived in for around 10 years but Claire has warm memories of her childhood here this is some of the kitchen's here oh Now isn't that strange one always expects an agar to be piping hot not frigid cold yeah very much used to be it was always kind of this was the center of the house when we were younger we used to sit here as children of Leaning up against the argue with my grandmother in the chair there my mum there and then kind of Sunday night TV on in the corner and the dogs around us it doesn't feel that way now does it no it's not so I don't like being this room so much now it's nowhere near what it was like when we were small no it's not fair on the house that it's going to this state at the moment I just think if we can bring it back and people can come and enjoy it I think that's the main thing that I want for the house definitely [Music] Claire has already started making some income by opening a tea room in the old Stables it's a very popular feature with visitors to her grandmother's Garden but even with these two revenues combined it's not nearly enough to pay for the upkeep of the house [Music] Ruth sets off on her own to find out what potential the rest of the estate has to offer she starts in the Menage once used for exercising horses it's the most fantastic space and if you got rid of the track tits and logs and put them into one of the other outbuildings how about this for an indoor market or a permanent retail space I mean it's such a waste not to be used Ruth is also convinced that the house itself has money making potential in such a picture-perfect location the property could make an ideal guest house but it will take upwards of a hundred and fifty thousand pounds to restore the mansion you know one thing about this house is there isn't a rotten view out of any winter it is so beautifully situated but this room is above the drawing room and it's where the damage occurred from through the roof and it's lost all its cornishing it would make a beautiful bedroom but there has to be some investment here and my view is that while the whole of the house needs redoing and certainly the upstairs bedrooms you might as well go the whole hog and actually make if not all the bedrooms ensuite at least a number of them because if this is going to trade in any capacity it's got to look rather better than it does now [Music] as a successful hotelier Ruth knows that guests looking for a Country House Retreat demand a high standard of accommodation [Music] the county of herefordshire is a popular tourist destination with a calendar full of annual festivals and events it's home to the world famous hey on why Book Festival which attracts 75 000 visitors every year accommodation during an event like this is in high demand [Music] Ruth's on her way to the old vicarage a local BNB that capitalizes on such tourism like Abbey door it was once dilapidated but has been lovingly restored and turned into a successful BNB by Paul Gerrard and John McCourt hello Paul hi and hello I'm John John hello and I'm Ruth and what a very handsome house you have yes stag reviews Paul and John bought the house in 1997 for 240 000 pounds and spent a further 150 000 pounds lovingly restoring it it's wonderful with the dual aspect it's really beautiful room yes it's lovely was it in a really powerless state or it was very much unloved yeah this room took 16 weeks of work for example really yes so a lot of investment in time and Dare I ask money yes a little bit but we didn't keep too close at Target if you wanted to remain sane but was it tens of thousands to restore yes it must have been something you love doing yes you have to enjoy meeting people you have to enjoy being with people it is very hard work but the rewards financial and otherwise are are enormous the old vicarage has fewer bedrooms than Abby door Court rates are 100 pounds per night and with a high occupancy it brings in enough money to support the business [Applause] having done her research Ruth's even more convinced that Abbey door can operate as a successful business she's back to share her findings with Charis and Claire hello how are you Claire full marks for asking for help I have to say that because I do think the house is in a pretty powerless State you know I know you've had the damp problems which have been caused by pipes but I do think there is actually quite a lot of work that needs to be done here because if this house is going to trade I'm afraid the standards need to be raised first Ruth has a money-making idea for the Menage if you could actually have a monthly event produce but was about everything to do with crafts local crafts people coming here food producers for sure but everything that anyone wanted to sell because you've got that amazing space the Minaj the benefit for you is that you charge rent for the Stalls you get an uptrade because you've got the Tea Room there and if you were to provide light lunches as well so much the better I think you should have a stall yourself selling cakes and all the wonderful things people like to buy and go away and scoff we've got plant cells already so you can add to your plant cells and of course people can go into the gardens as well next Ruth turns her attention to accommodation several bnbs in the village she's worked out that Abby door Court could turn over around sixty thousand pounds a year providing an income of at least thirty thousand what I think the house could be turned into is a five bedroom mostly ensuite guest house with the place that I went to they only have three bedrooms they have fabulous views but the house is no nicer than this in the bedrooms are a lot smaller than these would be they are charging 100 pounds per night they are about 85 percent occupancy full the year round and they are making enough money for two people to live quite happily off the earnings and and to keep investing back into the house if you could see that your whole family your grandchildren would be able to live here enjoy this house this estate this garden and all get a living from it is that something that you think that you might be prepared to do to help well obviously somehow or another we've got to find money to do it there's no doubt about that what I do know is that there is a shortage of accommodation in herefordshire and that you do have the most extraordinary amount of happenings going on from food and literary festivals to you know that the places teeming with events it's just wonderful and I I don't think you'll have any problem filling I really don't I quite like the idea do you yeah it's going to be that the hardest for you but if the family is to make a success of a business they'll have to decide how they manage the project how do you feel about merging with the others and you know everybody benefiting I think we need to talk about that definitely finally Ruth leaves Claire with some homework now before my next visit I'd like to charge you with some activities I think Claire you need to go and look at BNB to see how they do it I think it'll be very encouraging and inspirational and I'd also like to see if we could do a trial of this internal Farmers Market stroke Trading area in the Menage it's a brilliant space and I think if you could set that up with stoneholders coming to sell their Wares let's see how it works I think it could be a real success I really think that if this family all pulls together in the way that it can do because you're all strong determined hard-working people I think this is really attainable the idea that abidore court is sustainable that the family can all live here together and the family can all Prosper here to make any change at Abbey door Claire realizes that her grandmother needs to be on board the BMB idea is definitely something that's come up in the past but I think I never really got I think because my grandmother said um not really we all just gonna all know that won't happen let's move on to the next thing but Ruth knows that to make a success here the next Generation needs to be given the opportunity although her grandmother didn't think she would like the idea of running a BNB Claire actually said yes she would love doing it but there's a long way to go because this family have now got to sit down and talk to each other about who does what they've got to create some kind of proper strategy that will work long term and above all there's got to be some funding found from somewhere Rue thinks it's important for Claire to experience the BNB industry for herself despite karis's concerns over this as a future for Abby door Saturday 7 A.M and Claire's at Hanover House in Cheltenham it's a smaller property than every door court but requires just as much work Claire's here to assist owners James and Veronica Ritchie and smoked salmon and one poached egg have you ever cooked scrambled eggs and more microwave from my University days [Music] tomatoes and mushrooms to go on making breakfast for six guests might appear easy but it requires a lot of planning and organization the Tea Room seems very easy right now I can imagine running this two more to come down is that right okay it takes Veronica almost four hours to prepare cook serve and clear breakfast and then it's time to move on to the bedrooms just check the teapot oh this has to be replenished washed and brought back for the new guests I'll do this then you and Anna will strip the beds remake them how long does it take to do everything in the room I would think you're looking at a good hour easy on top of this there's cleaning laundry and ironing even with help this would be a full day's work for Claire at Abbey doors Sophie [Music] has made her realize that working in the hospitality business is tough incredible experience really enjoyed it it was really good to come and done that and just to see how much work there really is what their day is really and then I'll take it back to the family and we'll go from there really if Claire's to achieve her dream of running Abbey door Court as a business she must prove that she's got what it takes do you think your grandmother's got confidence in you sometimes I question it but it's not going to be easy she's the one that stirred it up and started it [Music] Abbey door Court in herefordshire is in trouble Claire sage has drafted in Ruth Watson to save the family home from dereliction I've lived here my whole life 27 years it's horrible to see something he loved just deteriorate like that but Ruth faces two obstacles the house requires a massive cash injection and needs to earn its keep it's Claire's ambition to run the house as a BNB and successful hotelier Ruth thinks it's a concept that could work Claire's grandmother Charis Ward is less convinced well from my point of view I can think of nothing more ghastly but I'm a bit worried about what Claire might be landed with as well as opening as a BNB Ruth wants the family to consider alternative revenue streams she suggested they utilize the outbuildings at abidore and trial of farmers market in the Menage but grandmother Charis is skeptical I think there are too many farmers markets there are so many and yes I think a farmer's market is not the thing to do here really foreign pulled out all the stops to arrange today's market but there's one thing that she hasn't been able to organize in view of the weather I don't think it's going to go very well and I think people will be put off from leaving their homes and Karis remains lukewarm about the event I really have no feelings about it I mean it'll either work or it went and we're gonna do some Cutlery napkins and all that on the tables and all the crisps can come out now as well [Music] bite clears optimism bad weather means a poor turnout don't know how I feel it's quite exhaustive from it all yeah I learn things and learn for next time after years of Decay it's finally adorned on the family that drastic action is required over the summer they struggle to agree on a solution to Abbey door's predicament they finally agree to pool their savings to raise the 150 000 pounds needed to finance restoration but as they procrastinate the house continues to languish [Music] it's four months since Ruth's last visit and she's back to find out what progress has been made at abidore court well nothing much has changed here the ceiling's still falling down it's still being propped up us from Claire that it's not just a financial plan that the family have decided on when I last met with you all and I was suggesting the house should be a b b is that happening or not yeah we've looked into it um and we've just kind of got quite stuck on it the money we need to raise to kind of set ourselves up as a BNB and we just can't meet that money at the moment and also the work involved running a BNB um it's just we just don't think that's the right thing for us at the moment so where are you going we're looking at weekly and weekend rental self-catering to come and have the house for the the time they want it so I think there's a whole raft of things that are required for weekly rentals that would actually probably come in more expensive the other consideration is that weekly rentals tend to only take place in school holiday times at Christmas Easter whereas B and B I mean it runs throughout the year and this is such an ideal spot so I'm quite surprised that you know the family seem to have made that decision with the whole family now investing in the project Claire's found her Ambitions for the family home relegated to the back burner at one point this was your baby entirely and then it started to be chipped away at by the members of the family I mean have you gone through a painful curve at all on this yeah it's been it's been hard but that's life and you've got to keep moving forward it's been it's been emotional couple of months definitely do you think your grandmother's got confidence in you sometimes I question it but I did get carried away I know I did but then I think yeah it was my dream and it still is but just on a different level now I think so with a proposal to convert the house into a holiday let and Claire now out of the driving seat Ruth wants to talk to Charis and get to the heart of the matter Claire wanted things to happen didn't she I mean he's the one that stirred it up and started it so you never had any intention of letting her just come and do her own thing really she couldn't have done it no one person can do this on their own I think it would be an absolute nightmare for her with the Tea Room in the garden and a BMB and I think it is ideal there's a country house really this just seemed to happen so you think there's less work involved in and running it as a BNB oh I think so yes yeah my worry about it being um used for families is is how many much the facilities would still need to be done to the same standards the B and B but the the cash flow wouldn't be as great we'd have to wait and see concerned about the direction the project is taking Ruth calls Charis Claire and siblings Julian and Hannah to a meeting as she's still convinced that running a BNB at Abbey door court is the way forward this present time in our lives we don't have the time to run a BNB you don't because you've got a full-time job but Claire job and Hannah and if I can remind you Claire said at the beginning she wanted to leave her full-time job in order to devote her attention and time here now if the remit has completely changed and I suspect it has completely changed I am Superfluous to any decision making here and nobody's going to listen to a word I say that is absolutely fine that is completely your prerogative to do so right but I have completely wasted my time because I actually do know what I'm talking about when it comes to BNB weddings events what have you that is my business has been it for 25 years I actually do know what I'm talking about frustrated by the lack of progress Ruth is beginning to wonder if the family will ever make any Headway at abidore have you ever heard of a committee who actually come to a good decision we 've got a committee we do it as a family and we all go along as a family and aren't we just harmoniously jog along and I hope it'll work if this has all been harmonious every bit of the discussion then I will lay all my worldly possessions that that is not the truth because nothing in a family is ever harmonious from top to bottom I'm not trying to put dissension in the way of this I'm trying to put practical aims and needs in the way of this Ruth Stern words appear to have done some good [Music] Julian Hannah and Claire make a start on clearing out 40 Years of detritus [Music] Vision begins on the house [Music] abidore Court is at last showing signs of life [Music] thank you [Music] four weeks later and Ruth returns to abidore and to visible signs of progress the scaffolding is up and the renovation has begun starting at the top with such an ambitious project underway Ruth is Keen to check with Harris that every detail has been thought through do you know how much this roof is going to cost I don't like to think about it we will 30 000. I don't know I have no idea have they not quoted sort of what do you mean we're a bit big on anything because things are sort of in with things you know who is running the project good question well I don't know really I think we all are at the moment a bit yeah can we go and have a look around upstairs yes yeah yes you can see the scaffolding from inside then I'd like to see more than that [Music] once the roof is watertight plans are in hand to renovate the entire house but with the family savings tied up in the scheme Ruth's Keen that they ensure a healthy return on their investment hundreds and hundreds of books so what are you planning on spending on restoring the house as little as possible and how little would that be I just don't know Harris I do not know no those figures I am Jack Sprat I honestly I will be perfectly serious to you I do not know so when the builders came and said they were going to do the roof and things they didn't give you a price no I don't think so we've all I don't believe come on come on no I don't know I don't believe a word I'm not I can't give you figures I don't believe a word I cannot give you figures because I am totally not sure don't ask me to believe it I'm not sure of them an exasperated Ruth goes to find Claire she's invited holiday letting agent Clive Sykes to view the house to get an idea of what it could earn if let [Music] marvelous room it's a bit better now it's beautiful isn't it amazing oak floors um from a holiday perspective um this room the most important thing that needs to be seating for everyone who is effectively sleeping in the property so it's a property sleeping 16 then there needs to be 16 comfy seats and just through there we've got the dining room and the kitchen if you want to go through I'll show you the rest of it Grace okay there's still a lot of work to do but Abby door Court's potential is clear how many weeks of the year can they be assured of renting out the property um I I would be reasonably confident of doing um even the first year in excess of of 30 weeks bookings I mean season generally runs from Easter until the end of October I would hang my head in shame if we didn't do gross rents of 30 000 in in Year One if abidore traded as a BMB Ruth's worked out that even at 65 occupancy profit would be around 30 000 pounds a year double that of the self-catering model resigned to the fact that she's fighting a losing battle at least Ruth is safe in the knowledge that abidore is being restored I think congratulations are in order um scaffolding building work progress being made on the house Claire how have you found the process because for me the biggest change is is what's happened with you because you're the one who asked me to come you're the one who all excited about getting the house restored maybe having a BNB here and you've kind of rather gone backwards as it were in coming forwards and it's been in roller coaster we've kind of gone up and down up and down and so yeah lots of ideas coming and going and now it's just it feels really exciting because we're going somewhere all I'm saying to you is that yes you won't fail with doing holiday let's I know you won't fail there will be money coming in and it will be lettable but I still would like you to not shut the door on the notion of BNB because I think you can make more money out of it which would you consider keeping the door open on that I definitely would yeah the major thing has been achieved which is that this building is currently being restored one year on is Abby door Court trading as a business and is Charis the forceful figure she always was I expect Ruth who's bound to say um how much does it all cost I still haven't got an answer for her [Music] um when Ruth Watson was last at abidore court in herefordshire the house was clad and Scaffolding and undergoing extensive renovations it's 12 months later and the historic house is running as a successful self-catering holiday property the family rejected Ruth's idea of turning the house into a BNB and followed their desires to let it out to paying guests for short-term rentals since opening in May they've had 22 bookings and made a profit of five thousand pounds which they've reinvested into the business thank you very much okay bye grandchildren Claire Julian and Hannah take care of the day-to-day aspects of the new business Claire oversees the bookings and the administration while Julian is in charge of maintenance and Hannah the housekeeping the house is now up and running it's the home we all knew but the kind of the new improved version the whole place feels alive from the outside to the inside it just looks amazing it's how it was as I grew up and I love that I really do the building work took seven long months through the winter the roof was taken off and replaced to ensure the building was watertight before each room was stripped back to its bones re-plastered and decorated though the whole family were involved in the project there was one person who took charge over the vast transformation the house I I really did look on in the winter as a job I you know it just had to be dealt with and finished and the sooner we got to the end of it the better to finally have the house secure is a relief for everyone no one more so however than 82 year old Charis that's Ruth news I was quite happy to let it fall down well as I say I'm like the Ancient Mariner the albatross was dropped by my neck it's wonderful [Music] Ruth is back at Abbey door for the weekend tomorrow she'll be reunited with Charis but today she's meeting Claire and having a look around before this weekend's house guests arrive it's gonna be lovely to see Ruth we love to show her everything we've done that I think at some stages she didn't ever thought we'd get to the first thing Ruth notices is the new porch look what can I see the port standing up on its own legs it's amazing isn't it it's very different and you've done a lot of work new entrance new entrance so guess no it's come so show me everything the old Hall wasn't welcoming but now it's warm and inviting how's it going in terms of the family you Authority your grandchildren I mean are you allowed to make all the decisions we can do but we like to run things by here we like to kind of all communicate and keep each other informed of what's going on and any big changes would definitely run by her in my mind it's always going to be a house it's always just one of those things and we're all a team here and we need to communicate and we're all working together what about your jobs because you're working full-time still yeah still working in here for a sometimes how does that fit in with running the house and we'll luckily because it's kind of weekly rental or weekend rental it's kind of one day a week that we need to be in here cleaning and changing and then I do the booking so I'm kind of evening work you did have a desire at the outset to actually run this as a b b and to give up your job I mean do you still see this as something that you could work full time in hopefully like that's the aim really is to make something off here who knows what the future holds I think just kind of get this business on its feet properly so um can I start seeing things yeah come on through a big living room was was obviously a real yeah that's our key room now so yes come on through and see it yeah carius was project manager over the building works and Claire was in charge of the interior design this [Music] if I'm quite pleased with them right finish the room you sound like my grandmother she doesn't like them very much I think they're just totally inappropriate Claire I'm sorry they might work okay in a loft but I think it would have been much nicer to have had much more classical Furniture because you've got you know very fine pieces with the the bookcase here and the grandfather clock and you've got the grand piano over here and personally not my taste Ruth advised Claire from the outset that holiday let properties experience periods of low occupancy whereas a BMB would provide more consistent business throughout the year if in time to come and I'm not just flogging my dead horse for the sake of it if you did do BNB and you know you gave up your job to do it I think you could get it's the all year round trade I think you could get but you're enjoying this I am really enjoying it I love coming in here I love seeing it especially when it's just ready for guests to come in and it's just perfect and I'm very conscious you've got guesting this weekend I'm gonna love and leave you um and can I have a little Wonder yeah no do yes Ruth takes herself off to look upstairs it costs 2 500 pounds to hire abidore court for a week in peak season there are six big bedrooms which can accommodate up to 16 people well this is a big Improvement because I seem to remember there was pain of glass missing over there I'm not sure but it does look hugely better and what a fabulous room I mean it you know I'm nitpicking I don't know why the carpet's on a diagonal and I think they could have done better than going to an out-of-town Warehouse to buy the bed but it generally looks hugely improved I mean it looks like a house that is habitable that's what we wanted [Music] Ruth Slips Away before the guests arrive tomorrow she'll be back to see what they think of the house and to go head to head with Charis I expect Ruth is bound to say how much does it all cost I still haven't got an answer for her I've got a bit of an answer it's the next morning and Abby door is full of life with 16 guests who are making the most of every room Ruth knows that positive guest feedback is critical for the success of an emerging accommodation business so she's Keen to know how this group have got on hey guys hello oh actually all girls hello girls in the kitchen I can't believe I've just walked through the house and the corridors and the hallways and up and down the stairs it's great it's lovely hearing the sound of people enjoying themselves it's very good have you done a house let before the the families nothing together no we've spoken about it but this is the first time but yeah and what about the price do you think it's fair or too cheap or too expensive I think it's perfect when there's four families here um how much is it costing per family I think we worked out to about 400 pounds a family for the weekend yes yeah so everything's going well fantastic yes great place for you know groups of friends or groups of families like as we are clearly the house is a success so Ruth is off to find Karis the beautiful gardens at abidore are still open to the public and have been very popular over the summer season Ruth finds Karis in her new headquarters an old barn she had renovated at the same time as the main house which has become the new entrance to the gardens look [Music] stick my shed it's your s my share it's your office your sitting room your planting room your Greenhouse is everything it's brilliant I love it I love it I have to say that I wish the interior design here had been translated into the house because I don't like the sofas in the living room well I was quite tactful about the sofas but were you really yeah yes yes yes I was for me quite tactful I didn't say what I thought so do you feel now the house is off your shoulders it's not your responsibility anymore that you can enjoy the garden more I think I can enjoy the garden with a clear conscience put it that way I look at it out of the kitchen window and think you're nothing to do with me come and show me the cost of renovating Abbey door was split between the grandchildren and Carries Claire and her siblings took out a business loan of 35 000 pounds to finance the Interiors whilst carries paid for the external building work previously Ruth and Charis almost came to blows over finances and with all the demonstrable changes at the house Ruth wonders if there's been a change in Charis now Karis I think I can say with affection that you were implacable in your obduracy about telling me what this was going to cost and how much you were going to spend are you going to tell me how much I will tell you a bit how much yes yes tell me about how do you want to know yes I do well the exterior it cost us 57 000 right which I don't think was too bad no very good what's interesting for me is that the grandchildren still seem to feel that it's your house are they wrong to feel that way oh totally it's certainly not my house I've barely been in it since it's been finished no I I have no Affinity with the house at all I would like them to stand up to you more not in an aggressive confrontational way but I kind of want to shake them and say look you know your grandmother will probably respect you more if you just get on and do this maybe they're so used to me saying what's happening everybody goes along with that I don't mind if anybody disagrees with me it doesn't matter a bit all that's left is for Ruth to bring the family together for one last time so it's over a year ago when I first met you and Claire how do you feel about all this because you were the instigator I think I got very carried away with the kind of the romance of it all and that I can make it all work but I have got a brother and sister I've got my grandmother my mum we're very lucky to be in the position I am and that it's just it's perfect now that we can all do it together as a family when we first met um my opinion was that you were certainly indomitable but um quite difficult quite contradictory I could be talking about myself I know um but I think we've become quite good Chumps over this and I certainly have developed a lot of respect for you we were very grateful to you because I mean if you hadn't sort of goadies is on to it we probably well I might never have done it I really have to say you know congratulations to everyone involved because you have restored Abbey door house it's there it's laughing again [Music] I have to give Karis and her family full credit for restoring abidore but for all the changes that have been made to it one thing hasn't and that's that Charis is still the Dwayne of this estate and it's her really that has made this happen foreign [Music] this is Heath house in Staffordshire twelve months ago Ruth Watson came to advise the owners on the future of their stately home when I first came to Heath house and met the Phillips Family it quickly became apparent where the travels lay John of Flavia owned the house but it was a huge financial burden they didn't want to live here and most importantly they wanted to sell it you've got to stop sitting on the pot and actually start pissing what's more they didn't trust their son Ben who desperately wanted to take it over to actually run this as a business because they don't think I can wipe my bottom I'm back at Heath house to see whether Ben has come back to live here and whether he is running the house as a business I get a little bit short sometimes when I saying Dad I'm doing this can you just just back off [Music] Heath house is a grade 2 listed Mansion built in the gothic style in the late 1830s 11 years ago John Phillips retired from the family business and was looking forward to a quiet life but when his mother died in 2002 he and wife Flavia were forced to take on Heath house and all that it entails his house represents work in a big way to keep it going you don't stop you just do not stop the elderly couple divide their time between the comfortable family home in Worcestershire and Heath house 75 miles away we don't live here full time because in the winter it is extremely expensive to have the heating on but with just one housekeeper and one gardener on site most of the work tending the 480 acre estate with its 22 Lawns and countless rooms Falls to John and Flavia really by your 70s you think well let the Next Generation take over the Philips have two Bachelor Sons forty-year-old Justin has no desire to take on the house but Ben 42 is Keen to inherit for very good reason John is not convinced this is such a good idea ever seen that the family has had has been spent in large measure on this house and keeping it going with this in mind John and Flavia believe their only option is to sell up it's a decision Ben thinks his parents will live to regret it is such a an emotional wrench for my parents for all sorts of reasons that it's very difficult for people to just calm down and think clearly about this thing pensions advisor Ben lives in London where he lodges with his aunt Anthea she knows the commitment that her sister Flavia has made to Heath house Flavia didn't want this house in the first place that was her advised to John I will marry you as long as I did have anything to do with this house it costs seventy thousand pounds a year to run the estate and John and Flavia are fearful of allowing their eldest son to take on such a burden Benjamin is how would we describe Benjamin a cerebral he's cerebral uh not practical he could have good organizational abilities not Benjamin he could have struggling to keep the ancestral home going the Phillips had no alternative but to put the house up for sale for three and a half million pounds it's increasingly difficult to balance the books there is no Capital left but two years later it remains unsold and the family is in real trouble after 14 Generations is this the end of the Philips Dynasty at Heath house we have run out of ideas we are lumbered with if you'd like a glorified white elephant [Music] Watson has turned around the fortunes of numerous country houses with her straight talking no-nonsense approach who does have no idea what to do so if Ruth can produce some really workable ideas well fine let's hear them today Ruth is in Staffordshire to meet John and Flavia over the next few days she'll try and come up with a plan to make the estate pay for itself foreign Bell not working come in and Shout okay hello everything about this house is so imposing this hallway I mean is totally magnificent this was built to really show things off [Music] oh hello hello you must be safe here nice to meet you very good to meet you too hello hello hi how'd you do how'd you do well you do live in a stunk and great pile here don't you yes it's quite big how many bedrooms two levels I'm sorry I don't know I think that says it all there are miles of corridors but I honestly don't know well you're in a position now where you think you may have to sell the house was that forced by anything particularly well we're not getting any younger and John do you feel sad about it I'd feel very very sad I'm the 40th generation to live on this part of North Staffordshire and the fifth generation to own this house so it's a lineage that is not easily forgotten about could we go in The Grand Tour certainly come this way [Music] built between 1836 and 1840 Heath house was designed to impress on every level I can't help but notice that this house has an abundance of furniture why so much I think by Victorian standards this could be nearly minimalist but I agree with you it is quite well furnished our sons are not married so nothing has been handed on ah it hasn't been sequestered by the Next Generation not quite quite well we live in Hope and you don't think your two sons could could carry on not realistically because there is not a salary here before Ruth can draft a plan of action for Heath house she needs to find out the true state of the family finances could we just go through what efforts you've made to produce some Revenue stream I do these weddings we did none in 2008 because we thought the house was going to be sold uh in the event we had the worst of all worlds we had no revenue from weddings um and nor was a household but in 2007 I think we did about 11 weddings it's a bit faulted hard but we do get there to make ends meet the Phillips have also tried to get the 480 acre estate to earn its keep could I just ask how much do you get him from renting out the Farmland about 40 000 but the farmland and the and the red and the and the let properties and the let properties together yes so about 40 000 pad with annual running costs of 70 000 pounds a year and no wedding income there's a 30 000 pound shortfall did you run your own business successfully did it was it profitable perfectly straightforward we did run out of money at the end which was bad news a very bad news and that was that was uh so you're kind of used to running out of money uh it has been no yes one's learned it's a hard way that if you're losing money you've got to do something about it it's very obvious that for decades the Phillips family had been running out of steam this is why they keep coming back to the notion that this house must be sold I think it'd be great shame because for John particularly it does matter to him his ancestry and the fact that the Phillips have lived here for 14 Generations but as Ruth receives a panic phone call from Ben could it all be too late for Heath house in an offer so is he seriously considering it [Music] Heath house is the ancestral home of the Phillips Family who have lived on this site in North Staffordshire for 14 Generations but with overheads of 70 000 pounds a year it's become a burden for current owners John and Flavia Phillips and they've put the estate up for sale House was built in 1836 after John's ancestors demolished their modest Georgian house which sat on the same site an impressive staircase dominates the grand hall but the crowning glory of the house is the 80-foot Tower the house has been a struggle to run for recent generations of Phillips and John and Flavia are uncertain whether either of their sons could cope with the responsibility [Music] their eldest son Ben has come up from London especially to see Ruth they meter the derelict stable block a site that's ripe for development pass from this ankle it's incredibly forbidding I mean one could almost say it's grim yes it's it's got a kind of ghost-like quality from from this angle but did you ever I do remember as a five-year-old looking up and going wow as the eldest son Ben is eager to inherit the house but his parents aren't so Keen why do you think that they don't want to just say here you are Ben it's yours that is the million dollar question and I haven't been able to get through to him on that one so if a cell went ahead without you feeling that you tried your best to do something yeah it would make I always feel cheated I'd feel gutted actually what there's never been Ruth has been a long-term strategic plan and we've gone I'm very pleased to hear those words emanating from your mouth because that's entirely what this property needs and what this property doesn't appear to have had for about 100 years exactly so I mean with no long-term plan there's little hope that Ben will become the sixth generation to reside at Heath house in its present form to provide an overview of the situation John takes Ruth up the tower like his ancestors he's extremely proud of it right come along versus this is the way am I nearly there a bit more yet uh but you can think that you're getting nearer to heaven with each step that's definitely so Solace gosh that's a way up when you come up here and you survey your property I mean doesn't that kind of give you the spur to carry on with this rather than sell it I think I've inherited like my ancestors and I have liked him to show off and certainly bringing upon's guests up here and I say I earn all that you can see Bow Down and Worship me um and they do and they think it's wonderful um but I think they go down the tower saying to themselves thank God it is not my responsibility yes and and that's the truth of all these houses and that's the whole point is that unfortunately it's always in the hands of one family to maintain something that's actually for the national good anyway this area is um very exalted for the likes of me so I'm going to go down false humility foreign [Music] solutions to the Philips financial problems Ruth is on her way to Hardwick Hall which is owned by The National Trust [Music] it's an important historic property which was built for the Countess of Shrewsbury in the late 1500s The National Trust refurbished the old stable block and turned it into holiday let properties Ruth meets Richard Heap assistant property manager who shows her around oh this is really attractive this is some high Hazel's yes very nicely done how many rooms in here our sleep's 12 actually oh my gosh like Heath house Hardwick Hall is in Prime tourist territory close to the potteries Peak District and birthplace of the Industrial Revolution this part of the country attracts millions of visitors every year it's a market the Phillips could be tapping into here we are in one of the double rooms on the first floor of the house this is obviously quite a large unit what would you say was the optimum size for a number of people around about six to eight I think is probably Optimum and and in High season what kind of rental could you expect um for asleep six High season around about 1400 pounds fantastic and of course one of the other marvelous things is that you can actually see the big house I mean how much do you think that adds to the reason why people come I think that's a great attraction having done her research Ruth has come up with a portfolio of ideas that could generate a healthy income for Heath house [Music] hello but first she needs to convince John Phillips that the estate can be lucrative and that selling needn't be an option I know you have doubts about Ben inheriting but you also feel very strongly that you know you are part of the Phillips line your sons are as well and that this house matters to you but actually you're the stumbling block the estate costs 70 000 pounds a year to run but Ruth is convinced that the Philips can achieve this by getting Heath house back in business my solution to the problems are first and foremost that you take in hand the weddings in a way that you haven't done at the moment and really try and get some proper profit out of them I think it could provide jolly good cash flow I think this is something Ben could easily do while he still holds down his position in the city that could produce an income of 50 60 70 80 000 a year if it's done properly a visit to Hardwick Hall Ruth has also come up with a financial solution that could secure the future of Heath house for generations to come when it comes to a longer term bigger project I think that the stable buildings would make fantastic holiday lets I think you could be looking at 100 000 a year cash flow there as well this has been gone into in some considerable depths already and my estate agents if you like have pulled buckets of cold water on the whole concept so because it's going to cost him a hell of a lot and you're not going to derive sufficient income to cover it can I just finished the cost of turning those tables into let's arguments say office accommodation for the moment it has generally been said that it would not cover the cost that it would be but I'm not suggesting office commentation stupid idea because where are you going to get people to come and you know carry out business here I mean it's Madness okay fine if the bank were to see a proper plan for this house I think you would get some fundings from the bank enough to do the Staples but before considering any of Ruth's Solutions the Philips need to resolve a crucial dilemma make a go of Heath house or sell Up Normally I ask people to to do a certain amount of work before my next visit in your case I think the biggest thing has got to be a decision and I think you have actually perhaps with Justin as well you actually have just got to sit around a table lock yourselves in and work out what you're going to do yes quite fine yes I mean I'm sorry it's not music to your ears John but yeah well I've battled all my life and after a while you you get you little steam well you just just forgot sake let's let's appease if I give you no other piece of advice it's that you've got to stop sitting on the pot and actually start pissing not a graphic description vibes but it was good um it is like having a good internal flush out and and you feel better for it I think it could be tremendously exciting and very liberating and might be the making of me it is an opportunity to have to let Benjamin just start to fly I could be the hero that Heath house needs providing that we don't get a really good offer four weeks later Ben calls Ruth with a worrying development [Music] two million so is he seriously considering it Ruth wants Ben to tackle this head-on and suggests he calls a family meeting is Ben [Music] Benson tomorrow I really think you should be trying to resist it good luck Ben good luck the next day Ben and his brother Justin head to their parents home in Worcestershire to decide whether to give Ruth's plan a go or sell Heath house at a vastly reduced price I mean Dad this this particular offer that's on the table at the moment where are we I don't think as yet we know enough to know whether to give any positive answer because I'm procrastinating but that is nonetheless the fact to be honest I think that this whole business of keeping on the market just distract us from what we're trying to do which is to create a business one feels we owe more to the place than just selling it for a song we've we've got to cross the threshold and do do these events because we get frankly to ricery offers in from time to time and they are not when they're scrutinized they're they're not worth the paper they're written on it achieved more in two years by doing this than we would by totally this I mean this whole thing is going to take um a long time the days of talking we've had seven years of it and it's got to stop [Music] with an offer still on the table the family remains divided Justin and Ben are Keen to keep Heath house and make it commercial but aware of the family's past Financial struggles John and Flavia feel it more prudent to sell nearly three months have passed since Ruth's last visit she's convinced the family don't need to sell the estate and that they can make it commercial the recent offer on the house has fallen through so Ruth thinks this could be the opportunity Ben needs to prove himself capable of running a business at Heath house as a short-term solution to the financial problems Ruth has arranged for Ben to meet with entrepreneurs Mark Chichester Clark and Charlie hurt who run stately home vacations which is aimed at the high-end tourist Market yeah well I thought we'd do actually probably later on this evening is if the weather holds then we'll have drinks out here on the Terrace if that's all right stately home vacations have persuaded some of England's finest country houses to open their doors to paying guests each property hand-picked by Mark and Charlie and obviously the big attraction that is the view lovely views during the summer as well just the sort of thing we're after actually isn't it um and and your bathroom is all sweet through there it's a lucrative business parties of 10 will pay up to 1500 pounds for bed breakfast and dinner with the Gentry tonight Ben is to host an overnight stay and a dinner party for 12. it's up to him to prove that he and Heath house are worthy of a place on the stately home vacations books Ruth is Keen for Ben to prove that he can run Heath house successfully but she suspects that Jon still has concerns he's impractical and you do need practicality with his house on the other hand he's much more terrible than I am you would prefer it if he did stand up to you yes of course my mother always used to say that I sort of bullied bedroom or something I'd ever I haven't consciously done so well I mean the last thing I wanted to do my only concern is for Benjamin himself but he has always sort of felt that his house would be where he could he could really Blossom you seem to now be willing to have been give this a go I don't think he could live with himself if he didn't give it a go I think that is what it amounts to I think it's really good that you have come round to this it allows both of you to move on because Benjamin can never hold it against you that you didn't give him a go yes absolutely we'll throw a brick I'd like you a lot yeah with a green light from his father the future of Heath house is now in Ben's hands but is he fully equipped for the challenges that lie ahead who's opening the champagne whoa have you ever held a party before thing that happens I suppose [Music] Heath house in North Staffordshire has been owned by the Phillips Family for 14 Generations but with spiraling running costs John and Flavia are considering selling up Ruth Watson has encouraged Ben Phillips that the house can be run as a business and this evening he's hosting his first commercial event that's great 12 overnight guests will arrive shortly stately home vacations Dawn Rudd helps Ben as the last minute touches are made most of the guests have arrived and it's time for drinks on the Terrace but nothing seems to be happening Ruth is worried I'm slightly concerned because all the guests should have arrived and I don't think they all have all the other things table slate yeah and wine who's opening the champagne right um uh have you ever held a party before forgive me because I thought I thought Dawn was coordinating it and there's been a lack of communication as to who's doing what right right King Dawn who is doing yes we need to fill those gaps okay all right all right Ben discusses a plan of action with the stately home vacations team first of all get a drink I'm running and obviously find out where the guests are Yeah you sort out drinks right the champagne is in the fridge champions in the fridge was orange juice on the side okay well we can put the sort of a few things in motion and hopefully they might turn up right should we go up through here absolutely Ben eventually gets the champagne flowing let me top that glass because the tide seems have gone out but two guests are still missing and dinner is due to be served in half an hour so are we still missing people we're still missing two guests we got the champagne lined up and the flutes and everything else yeah I think you need to talk to the Cook right find out how they're doing because there needs to be a point where you actually say these people aren't going to arrive right okay eventually the missing guests arrive just in time for dinner hello hi Ben Phillips hello this is Dawn hello yeah do come on in back [Music] I hope you all heard that yes dinner is now sir as the guests Savor the atmosphere they get a chance to find out more about the family if you're a single man and its ancestry so my my great-grands my grandfather of him and my great grades is this is why mommy won't let me begin horrible [Music] the next morning and the guests tuck into breakfast if the Philips hosted just two of these events a month they could increase their annual turnover by 36 000 pounds but has been done enough to impress the experts Mark and Charlie I thought the family of a fantastic hosts they made an effort to get to know everybody and that's incredibly important I think Americans would love it we would certainly want to use it Heath house and Ben have made the grade and it's prompted John to make a significant decision that could see Ben permanently take on the estate the house is coming off the market so Benjamin does have a clear run I must be positive so things do work out and who knows what even miss right might turn up Benjamin can't really get out of now being in the hot seat thank you with the estate firmly off the market Ben is determined to prove to his parents that he's up for the challenge he aims to employ a company to run events but today he's hosting his first wedding reception the first at Heath house for 18 months the pressure's on Ruth estimates that weddings alone could rake in around eighty thousand pounds a year enough to run the whole estate to help out Ben's drafted in Aunt Anthea his London landlady whoa hang on to the wall yeah thanks Ben must ensure that the day runs like clockwork but already there are problems with the lighting system I don't know why this one doesn't work it now no you said it did it work previously when I came first came out of the front door it was on when I plugged it in nose died you might have to reference your father it's not something to be undertaken too lightly is it having your own Mark Cube you need a screwdriver yes yeah I think it's good to toast him into the deep end and only by mistakes will he learn I don't mean that too pompously but that's fact right I will go and um I'll go and get a new bulb this is the sort of thing that happens I suppose with the lighting sorted the stage is set and Ben is front of house hello I'm Ben hello how do you do hello I'm the Next Generation down so I've met you before a bit though oh I think we may have done actually yes in the garden oh wonderful oh how your wife looks fantastic [Music] foreign might be running proceedings but John has plenty of wisdom to hand down to his son now you could but he was the odd Kush just that there's sorts of little things but um I'll go forth bench what meet and greet yeah [Music] sorry I'm Ben I'm I'm the son of Jones yeah that's right you know sorry him it's kind of handing over the um the meet and greets to me now must us kiss the bride hello very well those benches are chronically uncomfortable would you like a couple of cushions because you're right on that okay okay in the fullness of time you've got to find your own style and it's it's easier to do that if if if if you have another monkey on your back sometimes one has to um yes yes yes oh um so did you get soaked I think the last time it was this this end that came off when a problem with the water supply threatens to disable the portaloos bends on the case a proud antonthea looks on well it seems that the Benjamin's doing quite a good job it's an opportunity for him and he just needs to um make success or something to prove to his parents that he can feel the old man's so tight you won't buy anymore [Music] with the wedding reception in full swing Ben can at last relax and reflect on his success I've really enjoyed it I was a little bit apprehensive at the beginning I think like all of these things it's time to practice and if we can get a really smooth machine up and running there's there's no reason why we can't lay on a very good show every time but despite his promise to take the house off the market John appears to be going back on his word I was accused of procrastinating by Ruth and to that extent I will perhaps go on procrastinating and key power options open given a really good offer then um one would one would be mad not to consider it with the wedding a success Ben has proved he's got what it takes to run the ancestral home as a commercial concern but convincing his parents seems to be a much harder task as they consider another offer on the property [Music] four months since her last visit Ruth is back at Heath house where Ben greets her in his attempt to make the house a commercial Venture he's created a family archive which will appeal to visitors Ruth wonders if this effort has satisfied his parents doubts how are we doing on this business of offers for the house dad told me that um there is one other person and that if that doesn't materialize then that we take it off the markets and we concentrate on this can you trust him on that I I lost my temper with him because we can go on like this forever well I think the only way that your parents are going to believe in you is for you to actually do something physical you know to say right I'm I'm here I'm coming here my plan is is to move up here in the spring of next year well I think you need to declare that it is a nightmare parents and children and you need an intermediary because they don't think I can wipe my bottom foreign with Ben's Newfound confidence Ruth calls the family including brother Justin to a meeting to resolve the matter once and for all the problem really is that John to date Ben is not really getting the support from you because you keep looking at offers for the house so in effect this actually isn't a problem about how to raise money because I think that's really quite easy I don't entirely agree with you to date we have only got two bookings for next year that is all we've got but the reason for that is because there's always this caveat about is the house actually going to be in your ownership and while that situation pertains it's never going to go full thrust I find it quite baffling that you wouldn't give Ben that opportunity even if you think he's going to fail because the Jeopardy is so small in comparison with the opportunity I mean in the future Justin I mean would you want to come and live here it's been fantastic to see the place you know operating as a successful business of course it would be in in terms of the immediate plans I mean Benjamin is Center Stage here if we're going to put all our eggs into Benjamin's basket we do want to feel comfortable that Benjamin has got the necessary training and ability to handle it because you don't trust that he can do it my point that hasn't been said well I think it's very evident because otherwise you'd just be saying get on with it we need Clarity and focus here um away from the distractions of possible interested buyers because that just that just makes me feel crap to be honest because I think well am I you know am I am I investing in here or am I not you know nobody is answering the question that I really want to know what is the harm in giving it a try there is no harm so no fine um let's let Birds would have a clear run at it and I think you know Ben you have got to show the gumption to do this could we have agreement that as long as Ben is living here he gets to the end of 2011. yeah to prove what he can do fine okay gonna hold you to it John with agreement at last within the Phillips Family Ruth has one other point to make the only last thing that Ben Scott to do of course is procreate somehow well I'm quite glad I haven't got that burn as well as this one year on has John stuck to his word and kept Heath house off the market well it was never high on my list of priorities no no no no it's be quiet please listen [Music] when Ruth Watson was last at Heath house a year ago a big decision had been made over the future of the estate Ben Phillips had convinced his father to allow him the opportunity to make the historic property a commercial venture in the last 12 months Ben has taken on the running of the estate and is dispelling his father's doubts by making a go of the events business as I grow into the role um Dad can see that I'm I'm actually you know okay actually and I I I I can I can stand on my own two feet and I can do quite a lot but I think he's been encouraged by by what I've done so far you know it gives me a lot of confidence as well as Ruth suggested Heath house is now thriving as a wedding venue hi welcome to Heath house can I put you Ben works with an events company which takes care of the intricate planning for the potential Brides it's clear obviously most of the furniture out piano stays and you can have somebody play on the piano Ben's also been promoting guided historical tours of the house John and Flavia seem impressed with his efforts so far he has grown in confidence and competence I think now he's getting down to the nitty-gritty and having to address practical things and all your stripes are straight well done pretty much the odd wobble um and also the volunteers were here yesterday and they've taken down that John still keeps an eye over what Ben's doing but recognizes the benefits of handing the house to the Next Generation well done I think the weight on our shoulders is beginning to diminish Heath house is some somewhere that will always have a problem of one sort or another if I've said well upon percent Medicaid I'm the fifth generation to own this house and certainly uh in my lifetime and in Benjamin's lifetime uh hopefully this is the first time that he's his house has been put to commercial use it'll look really good I think so well done I have the autumn colors nice [Music] [Applause] Ruth is back at Heath house a year since she last visited the Phillips Family [Music] hello lovely to see you I'd love to see you all these cars yes what do they do welcome to Heath house historic tour well it's terrific you're obviously doing very well and are you living here I'm living here I've left London I moved up at the beginning of May that's terrific news so come and tell me all about it oh yeah come on in Ben left his job as a pensions advisor in the city and has made the permanent move to Heath house to concentrate on the emerging business Ben's parents had concerns over their son's ability to make heathaus a success Ruth wants to know if the transition was easy I seem to remember there was a degree of resistance from your family to say the least so what did they feel about you actually making the move were they encouraging well they were I mean once dad decides on something he gets on with it but as you discovered uh getting him to that point that was the really difficult bit and I think after you'd left uh the previous time that was the starting gun actually I know he's an interfering old bugger much as I love him so is he truly leaving you to crack on with this and just giving you help and advice when you ask for it or is he actually still trying to rule the roost it's um a moving relationship a little bit I think he will leave me alone he'd like to leave me alone as long as he's confident that that business is coming in and that we've got bookings in the calendar um I get a little bit short sometimes when I say Dad I'm doing this can you just just back off while I finish this and then I'll get on to the next thing and it's not going to work against you in as much as the better you make the house the more vibrant the more people are here the more he's going to actually wish perhaps he'd done it rather than you I I hope not if he does well we shall tell him where to go because you know it it is you know in the end it is a Better Business it is about generating cash it is about doing the 101 things that we all want to do and um you know if we are too busy for him to come up here because we've got functions on well that's that's absolutely what it's about you know Misfortune hit the family when earlier in the year Ben's mother Flavia fell ill it now seems that Ben's Presence at Heath house is all the more vital she had a stroke back in the summer oh my goodness yeah um and that that came out of the blue yeah um you know she and Dad have been belting up and down here twice a week at least and is she all right she's fine now yes and she's making a really good recovery so she is going to um ration the the number of times she comes up here right well it seems to me obvious that with your mother indisposed and I'm glad to hear she's on the mend that it makes it more necessary for you to be here for a member of the Phillips Family to be taking this forward doesn't it absolutely I think I'm the last line of defense as it were and that's fine by me but with all the hard work Ben's not been able to turn his attention to his private life what are we doing about getting a woman a bride oh dear right okay day to day during the week at the moment I've got an awful lot on and I've just got to bed that down okay I'm very conscious Ben that this tour is um all the people who are gathering aren't they yeah we're going to kick off right and you're instrumental in this I am yes dad's gonna say a few words then I'm I'm kicking off okay thanks built in 1836 to 1840 by my great great grandfather it was built largely to show off I think that's the only reason why they wanted to show off and in more recent times it's obviously become necessary to commercialize the house and so Benjamin has taken on the the owners of running his house and commercializing it and as you know we do weddings and anything else that will perhaps make the odd Bottle too right so if you'd like to follow me we'll go we'll start we'll start Heath house is open throughout May and on bank holiday weekends at a cost of eight pounds 50 visitors are shown around the house by Ben John or Neil Hatfield a Phillips Family archivist um he got married late in life he died without any children and so the line then passed to his nephew we always want to keep the heath house as a family home and and to keep that family family feel and that's the feedback we get from from um from visitors who come around that it it doesn't feel like a museum what's so remarkable is that on my last visit here Ben was so insecure he was trying to handle a dinner party bumbling about it but now he's a family history he's so confident about it he just he just feels at home and that's exactly how it should be [Music] money raised from the tours and the weddings is being put aside for restoration of other parts of the estate such as the stable block which is still derelict impressed with Ben's Newfound confidence Ruth wants to know how John and Flavia feel [Music] it's very good to see you both and baby you're looking marvelous but I hear you haven't actually been at all well it was very unfortunate I did suffer two strokes and a heart attack in the middle of August which was extremely unfortunate touchwood cross fingers I hope I'm on the mend yes well you that's to say you're looking terrific um how do you feel about uh Ben being in charge do you think he's doing a good job excellent we're thrilled the bedroom's doing very well London was not the right place for him and whereas here is do you now feel that a burden has been lifted can you sleep more easily now yes I think so definitely because if he wasn't here we would still have it Lock Stock and Barrel and two houses and my stroke would not be a joy yes I mean we would have been up a quick without a paddle if uh wasn't there on Earth how on Earth would we cope do you actually feel that you would like him to take over oh yes well two galloping horses neck and neck I've gradually felt the mantle of Elijah going to Elijah so yes in in bit by bit it happens but not all at once and I can contribute quite a lot still and intend to do so because I think it would be for Benjamin's benefit in the end far from which I'm Johnny fond of his house and I you can't just cut it off like be married to a little girlfriend who doesn't thought who can't cut off like that one of the most difficult situations Ruth faced when she first came to Heath house was convincing John not to sell the ancestral home with Ben beginning to prove he can run the house commercially has the threat of a sale finally disappeared do you still have any plans for selling this house which was of course high on your list of priorities John well it was never high on my list of priorities be quiet please if I certainly never wanted to sell the house no but it seemed to be the only option that was left open to us until you came rightly along and said what you said and you said all sorts of things didn't you and I think that was a turning point the fulcrum of the whole thing and we would do it off the market as you well know and it is certainly not on the agenda to be sold now with Ruth's help the future of Heath house is secured this is a family home and we want to keep it a family home and we want to develop it as a working estate I am pleased that Heath house was not sold I never wanted it to be sold all that's left is to say goodbye I'm so delighted that the house is still in the Phillips Family and I really wish you well I think you've done a fantastic job both of you and I just hope that Heath house stays in the Phillips Family for eons to come I thought [Music] this is plasteg in North Wales 18 months ago Ruth Watson met Cornelia Bailey in a bid to save this historic property I first came to plastic 80 months ago and found the most astonishing house with an equally astonishing owner but behind it all was a real lack of money and a huge suspicion of strangers people who actually could help support the house were not welcome do you consider yourself eccentric I don't like meeting people that I don't know can you not put the cups on there I'm now back up plastic and really delighted to be meeting Cornelia again the wildly eccentric and marvelous person that she is but I also want to know has any progress been made here I'd rather have the Antiques which last than spend all on heat and have nothing it's my choice I suppose yeah [Music] oh in 1986 plas teg was empty and on the verge of collapse it had been plundered and left derelict Cornelia Bailey fell in love with the house and borrowed 70 000 pounds to buy it it was like a cave it was full of motorbikes and bits of old cars and things like that it was just a dump Cornelia gave up her Glamorous Life as a Notting Hill antiques dealer and moved to North Wales since then she's devoted her life to plastic she has restored the house and dressed it with antiques reproduction paintings and hand-stitched upholstery but her devotion has come at a cost cut off from her old life she now inhabits the thirty thousand square feet of plastag alone in general I I don't see many people sometimes I go the entire week it's a real problem Cornelio opens the house to visitors for just three hours a week on Sunday afternoons and to Ghost Hunters on occasional nights I don't meet the people or anything it's too boring to be asked the same question by every single person so I keep out of the way I don't like people very much but the house costs 30 000 pounds a year to run and with so few visitors it makes a massive loss [Music] self-made businesswoman Ruth Watson has turned around the fortunes of numerous country houses with her straight talking no-nonsense approach on a windy day in Spring Ruth is in North Wales to meet Cornelia in a bid to turn around the fortunes of plasteg hello this must be the DraStic [Music] how do you do and what a staggering house it is this is just extraordinary I've never seen anything like it when did you buy it I bought it 25 years ago as a complete and utter ruin and just fell in love with fell in love with it yes see it is I love these girls [Music] what [Music] I love this floor they have their flagstones that I bought from a demolition place so what was here before Earth at the open stolen everything had been stolen the doors had gone so the fireplace had been stolen and also when I came in here um there were holes right up and you could look right up to the roof and you could see pigeons all in different parts of the house in cupboards it was it was lovely all flying around and there was a stream coming through here and trees growing it sounds more like a family it was and in the kitchen and they'd taken all the windows out so this really has been a life's work oh absolutely yes still is I need to see more I need to see more most of plastag's original features had been stolen over the years the house has only survived due to cornelia's Boundless Energy and sheer determination so how much of this work have you had to do yourself how much was here and how much of um nothing of the fireplace was here right nothing and that that was that was all so you've dressed all the walls with us stamped all the fabric together ironed it and organized hanging it up and all the upholstery yeah I do the upholstery you live here on your own yes no family no I have a son but I don't know where he is at all I'm not cut out to be a muffin estranged from her only child miles away from her friends and with no one to take over the running of plastic cornelia's life work will come to nothing if she doesn't secure its future in the kitchen Ruth discovers that Cornelia has a rather naive approach to her finances so what are you cooking you've got the gas on what that's warmth for warmth yes when there's no Central we need to know I leave it on all night as well isn't it a jolly expensive and not very effective way to warm up no no I think it seems right really do you think it costs more than having a heater oh damn sure it costs yeah yeah that's a bit cheaper how much per year are you spending on heating um I'm not oh no I think it was seven and a half thousand for the Heat indoch last year before the increase so it must be up to about ten thousand I think now how do you afford to spend ten thousand apprehensive an old boyfriend pays for my heating because he doesn't want me to be cold well either he he signed it is incredibly kind Elia is fully aware that this kindly patronage may not last forever much money do you actually make out of showing people around the house um it can vary between one or two hundred on a Sunday per week or per week yeah over the course of a year so that's five thousand would be if it wouldn't have been yeah if if you have one every week do you have yes yes but obviously if the snow or sort of bad conditions so do you think you do make five thousand pounds a year I don't know not sure the money just goes you know all the time you know you haven't got enough money here and you know you need more yeah does that keep you awake at night do you feel fearful about the future um I don't think about it I try not to anyway I'm just too busy getting on with what I'm doing with little income and an ever-increasing workload Cornelius days at past tag are a world away from her previous Glamorous Life in London so this is like a gilded cage in summer I suppose it is really yeah but my thoughts you know of going back 20 something years ago when life was wonderful and fantastic and you don't think it's wonderful and fantastic now no what is it now hardship just not just work but then that's the world's changed alone with her memories Cornelia is trapped by the burden of plastic to break free from her isolation she needs help physical and Financial [Music] plastag is a grade one listed house built in the Jacobian Style it was one of the most fashionable buildings of its day with characteristic Dutch Gables and elaborate scroll work the towers in each Corner are topped with cupulas and finials plastag was built in 1610 by wealthy politician Sir John Trevor it's two great Chambers stretching the whole length of the house were designed to impress his guests it said to be the best example of Jacobian architecture in the whole of Wales [Music] had a troubled history one owner died in his bed after a riding accident and it was looted by round head soldiers during the Civil War for many years the house was used as a lunatic asylum today plastag is popular with Ghost Hunters judge Jeffries is said to have hanged criminals in one of the upstairs rooms some visitors claim to have seen the ghosts of his victims owner Cornelia Bailey runs plastic on her own she only opens the house to the public for three hours a week and it's making a huge loss every year businesswoman Ruth Watson has come to plastag to find new sources of income and save this historic gem for the nation Ruth sets off with Cornelia to explore the house and its grounds but isn't quite prepared for what she's about to discover this is my family I have to ask you do you consider yourself eccentric I've always had the boys I used to live in London with me cost a fortune absolutely well their nuts are so expensive so what do they have what's that they have nuts walnuts peanuts bread biscuits grapes pomegranates and tangerines they don't like apples so how much do you think a week I don't know it's a Byzantine these things pay for the parrots as well yes yeah they're part of the family so be here for as long as I'm here that I believe Cornelius worked tirelessly for 25 years to transform the mansion from ruin into the Masterpiece it is today over the years she has hand-picked an Eclectic mix of artifacts making the House appear Grand and Theatrical but her obsessive collecting is beginning to create problems [Music] I have never ever in my life seen anything quite like this this is where eccentricity slightly slips into madness what is this all about and I can see it doorway through there and I have a horrible feeling it might be filled with clothes cornelia's passion for collecting has made plastic what it is today but out of the chaos Ruth needs to find a way for the estate to run as a profitable business she wonders if the key might lie with a handful of volunteers who helped Cornelia out Jill you are one of the guides on the Sunday tours yes and and how many are you four of us I would say at the moment how many tours do you expect to do every Sunday about two or three do you get paid no it's fantastic for Love Yes although you're kind enough to do this um if you weren't kind enough to do this then she would be up the Swanee wouldn't she in terms of any income coming in relying on locals for help Cornelia needs to attract more volunteer supporters how is she perceived in the area I mean is she seen as an eccentric or I mean what's the general perception I think people that have actually been to plus tag and have met her genuinely like her if you hear anything negative about Cornelia it's usually from people that don't know her or haven't been around the house with more help and more tours Cornelia could double her income with this in mind Ruth sets off to visit a Country House nearby that has won awards for its Community restoration project nant Chloe di Dre is the oldest timbered townhouse in Wales and like past tag it was rescued from dereliction success is down to the group of friends who support it coordinated by Samantha Williams the local people that were involved in the project very early on so they saw it in this bad state of repair and wanted something to happen to the building they've come along on the journey with us really and they've really embraced the house so once it was open to the public they've put on special events as a formal structure with the sort of chairman treasurer secretary of all that kind of thing and how many people are involved in that there are about 90 people at the moment and growing right yeah and so do you think it would survive without the friends I think it'd be very difficult it certainly brought the house to life and they get involved with all the visitors that come and the school groups that come along so they've really brought the house to life and it's a great experience for people fantastic so they really are true friends of the house absolutely yes things a formal friends of plastag organization could take over much of the work that pensioner Cornelia is struggling with and allow her to open the house more often as well as providing a support network Ruth is Keen to capitalize on plastic's theatrical atmosphere she's come to Manchester to talk to film liaison officer Susan Williams who searches for movie locations so can you tell me what it is that people are looking for when they're choosing a good location um well they're looking for the uniqueness of the building but in terms of just like Logistics hey it's got to be easy to get to because you have to remember they've got a crew that's got to get there also the building itself in terms of who owns it how accommodating the outer filming do you think that private hands rather than owned by an authority or or you know English Heritage National Trust or one of those bodies is that actually a plus oh that's a definite plus that's a huge plus it's use it to a location managers there when they say well no I own it outright you can you know we just talk about which area you want to film and what you want to do so that's a definite bonus yeah what kind of location fee would you be doing well it depends how many rooms they're going to use right for any kind of inquiry whether it be a photo shoot or a TV drama you can be earning anything from like a hundred pounds up to the to the thousands back at past tag and armed with her research Ruth presents her findings to Cornelia [Music] hello Ruth how are you fine first of all I'd just like to say what a marvelous job you've done here I don't think it's going too far to say that you saved plastic for the nation and I think everyone should be very grateful to you oh good I'm glad you know full marks for all that I opened but I don't think you would be able to organize your way out of this class now what you actually have is an amazing circle of supportive friends and what it is it's like everything else about this house it's very unstructured people do it out of love for you love for the house affection for everything this stands for and it's marvelous that they do I mean you know it's a credit to you that they do these things but what I would like to do is to suggest that this becomes more formalized what I'm suggesting is that we have a meeting of as many friends that exist at the moment to see who if at all would like to take on more structured role but Cornelia is worried about bringing strangers into the house having had bad experiences in the past people come here to help only to steal and it's happened so many times you don't want friends like that they're they're called enemies they are with a more formal organization new friends could be hand-picked and provide Cornelia with the assistance she needs to bring in fresh sources of income the first idea I have for actually trying to produce Revenue is that you use this for locations both for feature film television film and for still shoots the house itself is so fabulous so exotic I mean it's theatrical it's full of artifice it's like some wonderful stage set and it has huge personality and character and you could get somewhere between 400 and 2000 a day completely depending of course on what was happening whether it was a commercial activity whether it was a just a short ad whether it was you know a big feature film whatever but it could become a really good source of income for you now what what do you think about that yeah brilliant I did the ideal in the main they will organize it all and all you have to do is fling open the doors for plastic and say you're welcome next Ruth turns her attention to a solution that will see funds coming into the house immediately I would like you to consider selling some of the clothes levette Moore which it's difficult it's difficult to it's going to take such a long time to sort them out I think that room is verging on Madness if I may say have you been right through into the box I penetrated to the middle of the room and realized that there was a doorway which I couldn't actually get to yes but as I say it I think it could raise quite a bit of money yeah finally Ruth is convinced that Cornelia could easily reduce her running costs I know that your whole life is not about administrative stuff it's not about being practical it's about fantasy I do understand that I know and I'm not trying to change it but there are just a few things that really really would help on the expenses of this house and turning off the gas Rings is one of them I mean just even things like the nuts you buy for the parrots I mean I'd like to know how much you spent on that that's so expensive now and then the last site was a hundred pounds so now they're having to have half worn up and they've got to have their walnuts because they like not to happen it's like I've got to have champagne there that have their walnuts yeah okay foreign [Music] it's two months since Ruth's last visit and changes are already afoot at plus tag Janet one of the original volunteers has gathered together 15 locals to set up the friends of plastag organization Cornelia is too busy to join them so first and foremost we need a chairperson I won't see a chairman I'll say a chairperson has anybody happy to take on that role deadly silence all right then I'll I'll do it the meeting's almost over before Cornelia joins in now Cornell is the best one to ask where she most needs the help there's endless things all the time in effect if you need something doing you need a list of people that you can call upon to do those particular jobs yes everybody's expertise really someone that is very good with plumbing someone who is very good with joinery perhaps yes um how do you suggest we go about getting more tour guides we can't ask people because we end up getting thieves it really has to be friends of of people who are already here right really despite Cornelius reluctance the friends of plastag begin to introduce a little organization they plan to host a launch party in one month's time to raise awareness of the house when she was last at plastic Ruth discovered cornelia's vast collection of period clothing she came up with an idea that has the potential to raise much-needed funds and bring life back to the house Ruth has invited a team of experts to catalog the impressive collection with a view to selling it off Claire Nichols runs vintage Academy a london-based up-market fashion Emporium she's brought along fashion historian Judith watts and her creative director Rob Myers we're going to the clothes room main room [Music] oh how brilliant there's two rooms like this now crawl under here I used to like dressing up in London go into things and things happening I've forgotten some of the things I've got now because there's so many I'm Gonna Leave You to go through and sort things out okay thank you okay people love these she is a real collector and I completely that's it completely passionate about it I mean it's it's order but it is there is more chaos than I expected yeah and there is an awful lot more than I expected amidst the disorder there are some exciting finds this is this really really lovely little bodice I found it's absolutely gorgeous yeah yeah it's about 1905 this the team has Unearthed a wealth of vintage attire that will be sent for sale at Bonham's auction house making a return for plastic and what's more Cornelia has enjoyed having people in the house again thank you for an incredible day yeah it's been great it really has yeah the meeting with the fashion experts has been a success but with the launch party fast approaching will Ruth be able to coax Cornelia out of her shell and overcome her reluctance we're just talking about food for your party [Music] last tag in North Wales is in financial trouble 25 years ago Cornelia Bailey gave up her Glamorous Life in London to live here alone and rescue the house from dereliction but with little money coming in its future is uncertain we've got to find a solution to keep this house going when when I'm dead as well as now but I mean you never said it can last forever businesswoman Ruth Watson has been drafted in to save the house from peril plus tag is said to be the most important Jacobian mansion in Wales and Ruth wants to capitalize on this to raise cash [Music] It's Autumn and Ruth's arranged for Cornelia to host a fashion photo shoot for the Observer magazine as a trial the client gets the house for free today but a shoot like this could pay over one thousand pounds so it's vital that Cornelia makes it a success but the day doesn't get off to a good start hello don't let the cats in I've knew the black one with those green color so we're going to show you what what we're doing oh they're amazing absolutely fantastic can you not put the cups on there because it's a really valuable table [Music] the shoot gets underway and Cornelia is warming to the fashion crew four months and she left and Ruth is back whales to see how Cornelius hmm wonderful that isn't it amazing this is great come on tell me what's been going on catch up yeah lovely to meet you Joe okay [Music] I really enjoyed this yeah wonderful I mean it's like living in London all over again is it yeah yeah I know I wish you could all stay up and live up here it would be so much nicer really because it's actually bringing energy absolutely and fashion and fashion and all the things yeah yeah and the model she's wonderful she's you know she really moves well the color is fantastic you know it's it's so pretty it's like Fairyland you know it's really good yeah the shooters brought some glamor back to plastag and Joe Jones the observer's fashion editor is impressed by what she's seen it's amazing it's just having somewhere with a little bit of character and with these big houses the light is always amazing in the windows the house might provide a fanciful backdrop but Ruth is concerned that important details are being overlooked how has it been for you as people though because I appreciate it's really good for you doing your job so the loose for example yes I think you you could do with I don't know what their names are the two ladies that come in and clean houses would be horrified and um and the kitchen facilities I mean you've brought your own Kettle but you were avoiding the kitchen area but so far so good yeah so far so good I mean I think like you say if if she could sort out the toilets and have a kitchen area and just so it's a little bit more comfortable to work um so look after the principles a bit better because the house itself is good enough exactly exactly Cornelia cleans the house herself and Ruth thinks that concerns about the facilities can be easily addressed specifically bar of soap Yes that doesn't look very nice does it no and you know there's it's this it's stuff like this I mean this is just dust you know don't understand how it's got so dusty well I must have been nice oh it's got so dusty I mean it's okay having old things yes but in a bathroom in the kitchen they've got to be clean old things yeah you know so I think this needs a really really good scale yeah and then done on a regular weekly basis if not yes more so yeah do you get my yeah yeah meaning absolutely the new friends of plastic could take on some of the work Cornelia is struggling with and Ruth thinks she knows why some of the detail is being overlooked I'm going to ask question here terrible bosses on to do things because I'm wondering whether that's the problem that I know being very short-sighted myself that when I'm not wearing my contact lenses everything looks rather beautiful because there's this lovely sort of blur and the trouble with cleaning loose and hand basins and and the floor and all those things is you really need to be able to see yes yes and then we'll start bending down your glasses fall off well that may be the problem because it really does look very grimy in there you see there's only me to do everything I mean look at the state I'm in with all the work I do those nails are the nails of a woman who works in the garden and those hands a woman who works anywhere and everywhere but I think you do have to actually make this differentiation between how you live and how the people who are paying you money are prepared yes yes tell you tell the money you're still spending on this gas ring you can't do it turn it off how does it work that way that's it I never want to see that one again unless you're boiling a kettle to help relieve Cornelius burden Ruth has instigated a formal friends of plastag organization but to be effective the group needs more members they've organized their first event at the house a reception for 50 influential locals politicians and Civic leaders to attract new volunteers and raise the estate's profile but on the morning of the party a reluctant Cornelia is still unwilling to accept their help the glasses look as if they need a bit of a Polish I have checked that they do need a parliament there they need a bit of a Polish okay um so we've just got to decide then where to do the things yeah now yeah it's um to decide where it's going so you know I might put a clean tablecloth on the table but if you find one Joe is going to check the toilets I've done them oh yeah I mean they're as clean as they will be I've got another look anyway you know I mean I've done what I all I can do in other things but they don't come any cleaner okay should we get going I think we've got a lot to do all right come on let's hit the road the reception is a perfect opportunity for plastic to reach A Wider Circle of supporters without Cornelius cooperation it could be a disaster [Music] it's been a month since Ruth was last at plastic today she's returning for the launch party but on arrival Ruth finds Cornelia unhappy about welcoming a large number of strangers into the house not really looking forward really organization yeah absolutely yes yes and a whole lot of people I don't like meeting people that I don't know yeah that I think I probably won't like I want you to be as composed and as happy as you can be I want you to be here you will be we should have had the party just for us it would have been so much nice no and you agree I want you to relax because if we get all the preparations sorted before people come so you're not worried about things going wrong you know either people stealing things or whatever then you can relax yeah yeah but I will be worried what don't I can't I mean don't be worried because work take care of it and now what about clothes because I'd like to think that you're not getting dressed up couldn't we just have another top one maybe another top but we've got to get people to go at seven o'clock yes all right otherwise they're you know because they'd be so boring most of them that well you don't know and don't forget you don't have to talk to all of them no I'm not going to [Music] as the volunteers prepare for the reception Cornelia finds it all too much we're just talking about food for your party [Music] and with an hour to go she retires to her bedroom leaving the friends to worry about the party going to be showing people around upstairs well I think we have to because it's not going to work if people can't see what's on office so I think I think some some emollients throughout the day will help yes in the absence of the host Ruth and the friends get to work let's go around but there's one detail Ruth wants to check for herself oh thank God it's been done new towels clean soap and yes the basins are old and chipped that doesn't matter at least they're not covered in Grime and dirt well done Cornelia very good On Cue last tag opens its doors to the VIPs champagne is flowing and before long the event is in full swing the friends of plastic have managed to attract the local mayor two members of parliament and dozens of influential locals Cornelia is noticeable by her absence but the friends are busy recruiting so we broke up with you Joey yes you can go on the website as well I found the talk so interesting and intriguing and I want you to know more and they were asking for volunteers so I immediately lecture the chance Cornelia eventually makes a discreet entrance and unusually it's soon basking in the Limelight [Music] I lived there but came here it was one of the best houses they've ever been to they loved it so much let's take a nap for friends of Cornelia despite all her misgivings she really does seem to be enjoying it Karen does tours and helps with very good I'm going to be doing the realtor to make sure that that I'm not four of us one week and one person the next week so I'll be sorting all that up and then we could have weddings and we could have car boot sales we could have circuses all kinds of things it's good to just feel that the house is actually full of life and laughter yes yeah it is yeah yeah definitely but I still would have been better with just us lot the influential guests who've come to plastic today could help secure its future local MP David Hansen says a few words [Applause] and could I thank on behalf of all the guests here today to Cornelia for allowing us to join you on what is a very special day to celebrate plus tag and all that you've done for plaste over the past 23 years [Applause] actually not your thing could you bring yourself to say a few words to the assemble company somehow I knew that would be the answer away from the guests Cornelia does say a few words said Cornelia how do you think all this has been have you enjoyed having people in the house the model goes the photo shoot the party hasn't been good it's been fabulous I've really enjoyed it it's been wonderful I mean normally my life is so boring yeah all I do is work yes whereas I work but I mean it was nice seeing other people's lives and things about other people created and doing things yeah which is good which I love which is what I like well I think you've got a lot of people now who are really going to help and it's going to take some time but I do think that we've got the Bedrock now the first stirrings of a properly structured group of people who will help you here can you see that things might be better in the future I hope so yes I think they could be I haven't used to come and live here that's the answer I can't imagine it [Music] one year on his Cornelia still following Ruth's advice I know I'm not gonna win a win but it is costing you more money than you need spent [Music] a year since Ruth's Last Visit to plasteg much has changed it was wonderful when Ruth and everyone was here I mean I wish they could all stayed it was it was nice having people in the house one like to be a female Cornelia is still working as hard as ever but at least now she has some support it's like the bad has to see about it Ruth encouraged Cornelia to overcome her suspicion of strangers and to recruit more volunteers to help at the house they've made up the friends of plastic I think Ruth's idea of getting the friends group together and you're not only keeping the good ones that's worked very well they care for plastic and cares what was going to happen to it foreign the exposure that Ruth gave the house in October 2009 has meant many more people have been able to enjoy cornelia's life's work good afternoon everybody and welcome to plastic my name's Nikki and I'm your tour guide for this afternoon increased visitor numbers are finally helping to provide the financial support of the house and Cornelia needed we're making some money on the house but you know the house eats that money a crisp autumn Sunday sees Ruth back at plastag for the first time in a year she's anxious to find out how cornelia's been getting on I'm looking forward to seeing Ruth very much it'd be really nice to see her and she can see how much we've done here Ruth's arrival coincides with one of the now popular House tours run by the friends of plastic on its 17th century two chandeliers they belong to the Vatican City and the two chairs either side of the fireplace they belong to an Indian princess and they came from maharaja's Palace in Hyderabad in India right if you'd like to follow me through to the Next Room [Music] Ruth is reacquainted with Janet chairperson of the friends committee and she meets Simon one of the new volunteers Keen to know how they've been getting on and how is it all going because we I wanted you know to you to be structured with the friends who were here on the ground doing tours and things it's all been very successful they're working long hard hours at helping Cornelia run plus tag yeah and the visitor numbers have gone up the more consistent is it still on Sunday Sony I mean is there any possibility it can be extended further and we've discussed it but I think Cornelia is not in favor of it so the fact that she doesn't need the money anymore oh absolutely not no she still needs the money and and have you sort of provided that much needed structure to the people who come to the house and show people around and you know really do support it definitely it was all very haphazard before people used to drift in and out now the Sunday tours are structured with the rotor for tour guides everybody has a role the friends have begun to sell merchandise and Publications to the visitors they're committed to making money for plastic and Cornelia is initiative of your efforts I we hope so yeah we think so we get a cup of tea because we don't do it for rewards really we do we do it we love the house we love Cornelia because she is the house isn't she I mean she's so synonymous with it I mean everything she's done to it I'd forgotten a how big it was and be just how marvelous a theatrical set up you know and is that is that could it be Cornelia are you hiding yes I was wondering if everyone would like some tea would you like some tea I'm sure we'd have some tea but I was just asking these lovely people Janice and Simon about how the friends were going oh that's going very well yeah and you're enjoying having them here these ones yes but listen I'm gonna whisk you away because I want to come and have private chats it's really nice to have seen you thank you so much for everything come and tell me about other things as well come on with Cornelia appearing from the wings Ruth wants to talk to her some more interesting first on Ruth's agenda checking up on cornelia's vast collection of vintage clothes Ruth introduced her to some experts who sold a large amount for her at Bonham's auction house [Music] Ruth you can now get into this room you are you are the mass clear out that happened after I'd seen you but it raised nine thousand yes yes since the big sale you've had a trickle of people actually coming to the house to purchase clothes making appointments yes to lots of people so far right yeah and one more to come but you've stopped buying clothes um I have at the moment that's good but um but I might still look for things that I could know that I could sell but as the clothes disappear Cornelia is filling the room with other things what else is in this room that wasn't here before because this was full of clothes no no so um the lamp was bought for this room the table the console table right the pair of chairs and the like a Italian commode over there which is rather pretty it is rather precious do you think that it might have been an idea to have the ceiling repaired rather than buying more furniture for this room um until I sell a few more clothes we can't get there I mean there's no room so I'm not just an excuse can't be moved so therefore we just keep buying furniture yes yes you are very funny I have no problem with the fact that you have the most fantastic eye but I had kind of hoped that you'd stop purchasing and start using the money to you know help your life and the house you know just help in my life is buying the things too okay okay to make this another room so people can come and see it cornelia's obsession with buying antiques is still apparent but Ruth wants to know if change has been made in other more crucial areas of the house a familiar sight greets her in the kitchen Cornelia I'm a bit devastated to see that we've still trying to heat the house with one gas ring that's what we're doing I'm afraid so you have changed your ways no I know only well I have I have much less heat I know I'm not gonna win the day on this one but it is costing you more money than you need spent the generous benefactor who was paying for Cornelius bills has now stopped have Ruth's business suggestions like using the house as a photographic location helped to bridge the gap what about the photo shoots how are they going have you had any more only one one of our regular ones that was all a regular one yes yeah the sort of local photographer it's a group of them come so and they take all their clothes off and dress off and so it's actually quite a fun day but did they pay well um yes yes good good yeah [Music] at last money is coming in but despite this it seems that Cornelia would rather spend it on the house than her own comfort well I mean at the moment I don't have any hot water I haven't washed my hair for several weeks because I have to wash my hair down here in the kitchen right and that's because you can't afford to pay the heating well the heating bills are so high then you've got to be honest about this because if 50 000 pounds comes in the door 150 000 comes in the door if you just see that as a nice source of income to pay for more antiques more paintings more wonderful things for the house nothing's ever going to change in terms of the heating bills I mean it's going to have to be your choice because I suspect that whatever money comes into your pockets you're never going to spend it on boring things like utilities you're always going to spend it on gorgeous antiques yes a bit it is a bit I'd rather have the Antiques which last than spend all on heat and have nothing so it's your choice it's my choice I suppose yeah Cornelia will forever be devoted to plastic but with the friends committee established she can at least be sure her creation will live on how are you feeling now about on your demise which we hope will not be for a very very long time how are you feeling about the fact that now there is a mechanism to leave the house yes to you know the nation as it was but they're the friends I mean is that a good feeling oh yes yes yeah definitely yeah I mean life is so it's hard work I don't think I want to live too now anyway it had to be really offered [Music] cornelia's continuing passion for past tag is evident With a Little Help from Ruth its future seems assured this house actually is in very safe hands with you it is yes yeah you feel that too yeah definitely yes yes I mean you you put every bit of your being into it and I realized really what I was trying to do is probably rescue you yes yeah because after all the effort I've put into it for all these years you know having no life at this house well you take absolute care of yourself aren't you and you because this house needs you it does yeah [Music] foreign thing I noticed Cornelia will never change and nor would I want her to this is River Hill House in Kent last year Ruth Watson advised the family on a viable future for their historic home it's over 18 months since I first came to River Hill and met the three generations of the Rogers family there was a degree of tension between the generations and how they could go forward developing this house and particularly the garden you said to me that you were proud of the fact that you kept your mouth closed I would never say don't do it it's up to him now I'm back to see how they got on and how Ed and Sarah who were in charge of this project have fared I thought I worked hard in the past but I didn't know the meaning of hard work [Music] River Hill House near Seven Oaks in Kent is a grade 2 listed manner set in 130 Acres of grounds the listed Gardens are of great historic importance bearing rare trees and plants the Rogers family have occupied this estate for over 160 years and the latest generation is Ed and his wife Sarah I live here with what I call my three Mrs Rogers which is my grandmother my mother and Sarah they're my sort of force on the ground four generations of the family live at River Hill Ed and Sarah live with their children in a cottage on the ground Ed's mum Jane lives in the main house and Ed's grandmother Evelyn resides in the lodge she's lived at River Hill since the end of World War II and at 86 Remains The Matriarch of the family obviously I've come to the time of my life when I've when I've Back Seat but you see we can't manage without each other I think my mother-in-law has given her life to this place and where I suppose in the sort of way I have really Ed's father died prematurely so Ed inherited Riverhill aged just 21. he struggles to run the estate as well as working full-time in the city it came as quite a shock really to suddenly find that you were in the driving seat just finished University and then suddenly you're worrying about block trains leaking roofs it's a lovely place to live but it's it's not easy it's the first Rogers to earn money for nearly 200 years and it's terribly important but he works desperately hard he can't be everywhere at the same moment the spring gardens are open to the public but only on Sundays and bank holidays for just three months of the year this brings in 5 000 pounds but it costs fifty thousand pounds to keep the estate going it's a constant worry for Ed and selling up isn't an option I'd like to certainly give it my best shot before before one goes down that route that sounds so lame can you just give a bit of passion of why you like it why do you love it why do you really want to be here you're not going to just give it your best shot because that means it might fail you've got to be a bit of determination as the youngest Mrs Rogers Sarah is ambitious and recognizes that Riverhill needs an overhaul if it's to survive not everyone in the family however is quite so enthusiastic I think it something of its flavor of a too big it'd be nice to get my much bigger but not that big in an attempt to turn the fortunes of the family home around business Guru Ruth Watson's been called in to help today she's in Kent to meet the Rogers and secure River Hill House and Gardens for the future where frightened of embarking on some schemes Bruce may be able to give us the confidence to do them [Music] hello I'm Ed welcome to River Hill I do thank you for the very welcome umbrella it's oh hello this is Sarah hello how'd you do it once inside Ruth is Keen to find out more about the Rogers family and who lives here my mother lives here your mother lives here right and then where do you live just just down the track through just the other side of the farm and you have a grandma I believe yes my grandmother lives in the lodge so can I see some more of the house yes absolutely come through to the drawing room foreign took over the house in 1995 little has changed at River Hill [Music] Trevor there of what the house looked like when my family bought it for a house in such a prime Hillside location the Outlook today is very different can I say that's the first thing that hits was allowed to grow up to I mean block the road I think it's very oppressive looking I mean one doesn't look at the Garden and think how beautiful at the moment in its Heyday River Hill House would have been a bustling family home with 12 living servants a Dairy Maid and eight full-time gardeners today Ed's mother Jane lives in it alone and it's a very different story how much does it matter to you that the house stays in the Rogers family River Hill is very important to me I don't want to be the generation that sort of gives up on it do you come from a similar family not at all no definitely not and when I first met her it seemed quite strange the idea that you would stay in the same house I've come to realize how lovely it is to have that thought that our children are part of this long line of of Rogers the hairstyle is even traditional now is it an unchanged genetic it's not genetic it looks very twenties I have to say about 2030s kind of Timeless is what I is Family Values are undoubtedly important to the Rogers but Ruth wants to find out more having met one Mrs Rogers she's Keen to meet the other two this is my mother Jane hello hello [Music] what sort of income is derived from the Gardens at the moment absolutely nothing the garden barely at the moment makes enough to cover the cost of actually doing it we usually put sort of one foot forward and about 20 back do you have any income change that you either contributor or are you a tenant here do you pay rent how does it work I'm just a sort of housekeeper no I'm afraid I just don't have the money to put into it right but I do try and look after it as I suppose really it's been a challenge ever since you know I've lived here and with Johnny dying and for Ed to carry on further Misfortune hit the Rogers family when Ed's uncle passed away five years ago a bachelor who loved the Gardens at Riverhill he left a fund of 50 000 pounds for the upkeep of the grounds this inheritance could secure the future of the estate the question is how I've got lots of ideas but I'm not very brave Ruth give me a couple of ideas that you've had we've got some wonderful woodlands and I thought of perhaps having some sort of Adventure Trails for children but not done but with space for just 30 cars on site Evelyn thinks that the family should concentrate on practicalities first one of our troubles is our parking is not brilliant here we're great if we have more than 30 cars we can't park them so we think oh well don't bother doing it [Music] the family have been here since 1840 and during this whole period of time all they've had to do was sit around have a lovely time collect plants and have their portraits painted the problem now is it's the 21st century whatever happens here is going to be something of a culture shock if Riverhill house and its Splendid Gardens are to survive radical changes need to be made will Ruth be able to Spur the Rogers into action I've had over 10 years to propose to me so it wouldn't [Music] River Hill House is the ancestral home of the Rogers family who have lived here for nearly two centuries the heavy responsibility of the crumbling pile and its historic Gardens has fallen on Ed Rogers and his wife Sarah my family created everything around me here so if I give it all up and hand it on somebody else I feel I've given away 160 years of History suddenly in one in one boss overlooking the wield of Kent Riverhill house was purchased in 1840 by Keane botanist John Rogers who was a contemporary of Charles Darwin he traveled as far afield as the Himalayas and brought back exotic plants many of which today make up the splendid Gardens at River Hill though sadly the house and its historic grounds are now falling into disrepair Spring Gardens only open for around 20 days a year between March and June attracting fewer than 1 000 visitors and little income Ruth Watson's been called in to help turn the estate's fortunes around through there we have a wooden Garden which was created by my great-grandfather between the two Wars that's where most of the vistas goes absolutely where the color is yeah Sarah used to be a primary school teacher and thinks the key to riverhill's success could be creating a more child-friendly environment watch your feet Ruth yes don't worry this bit's not open to the public so this is what you refer to as the Rockery that's right um it was created by my great-grandmother in its Heyday this was absolutely magnificent it had little paths and the water gushing down and sort of the fairies Grotto yes it is sort of little children's parties and having maybe klemy's have a third birthday party I mean how much would you like the garden to be really approachable by children oh very much so yes I mean that's the thing I'm not a really a horticulturist but I see everything in the eyes of children I think perhaps we want to retain the sort of wildness yeah and lose you know lose the areas which are sort of derelict what a job for you Ruth let's pick let's pick at a wild one come on Kim come on Journey little has altered at River Hill since the gardens were established and Sarah can see that the estate survival depends on change Ed's grandmother Evelyn is less keen and wants to see the garden's tranquility and historical links maintained I've put out here a letter from Charles Darwin to the John Rogers of the day but they were both fellas of the Royal Society so John Rogers who bought River Hill was incredibly brainy and I always say to people if Darwin was writing to him as you can see in the letter asking him a question referring to him he must have been pretty brand new for Darwin too would you want to ask him something yeah what really bothers me about all of this is does anyone other than you in the family know all this not really because I mean this is actually really quite worrying because if you're the only person who has the knowledge of all these things I'm very conscious of The wingy Chariot is getting nearer all the time you know and I would love to have more time to write but one gets so bogged down with just day-to-day living which is unfortunate really at 86 Evelyn remains head of the family and Ruth wants to ensure that this weren't proven obstacle to any potential plans at Riverhill how much do you think you're still the matriarchal figure here and that that everyone is going to do what you want oh I don't say what I want anymore so you're very happy Fred to have free reign as it were well he must whether I'm happy or not is another thing but he must when you hand it over it's rather like when you first send your child away to school is it going to be looked after with loving care is it going to be understood because I do think these houses have got a soul in a way when the gardens are open to the public Ed's mum Jane is in charge of catering so that's your responsibility opening that door every day it is because there's no one else who can open it and do you have to man this tea room all the time we don't make enough money you need to pay someone to come here really yeah like Evelyn and Sarah Jane also married into the Rogers family and Ruth's Keen to find out more about how she fits in being in the middle of the generations with your mother-in-law still having a voice and I mean does that make you feel that you can't do things um she does actually say What She Likes or doesn't like yes you know but I'd feel that Ed and Sarah are sort of young enough they're together they've got more go I think and you think the house will be all right with Ed as the owner I hope so I really hope so being the newest Mrs Rogers is something of a challenge for Sarah coaches I mean of the ones that once everything is not to try and copy but to try and do one's own thing um you know it took out over 10 years to propose to me so there's no rushing the Rogers yeah what probably the in the end well I just stamp my foot a bit would you propose I said you know now or never said likes to be quite sure I'd Rush headlong into the scheme and get my fingers burnt but somehow I think perhaps a bit of a mixture of the two would be I think you're probably right I'm hoping we'll be good yeah yeah so um with three Mrs Rogers living on site Ruth's got her work cut out if she's going to convince them all that change is inevitable as the garden of England Kent is rich in profitable tourist attractions with this in mind Ruth makes a visit to Leeds castle where a popular feature is the world famous maze constructed from 2400 yew trees I'm trying to find Adrian Fisher who's the world's leading maze designer and he's done too good a job here because I can't find the center and I've been walking for ages Adrian hello hi oh you'll have to go back the other way the other way right [Music] so Adrian if you say Amaze is actually a puzzle can we create a puzzle without it being such a formal mess in a woodland yes the whole landscape could be one enormous puzzle The Experience can be actually quite different visit by visit the maze is clearly a memorable experience for the thousands of tourists who visit Leeds Castle an attraction such as this could prove a money spinner for Riverhill there are three generations of Rogers in fact four at River Hill if you include the Tiny Tots I think it'd be marvelous if you could come and meet them yeah I'd love to having done her research Ruth's come up with a plan of action for the Rogers believes that by investing the 50 000 pounds left by Ed's Uncle River Hill and its historic grounds could generate enough Revenue to support the entire estate but to achieve this the Rogers need to raise their game Ruth's back at Riverhill to deliver her findings good morning Mrs Rogers Mrs Rogers Mrs Rogers and Ed good morning good morning I think you need to be thinking much bigger than you are at the moment at the end of the day visitor numbers have to be increased you have to have the car park you have to have attractions linking from the Darwin the history of the garden through the garden itself and the plants what Ruth wants to see at Riverhill is a major children's attraction that will your visitors and revenue through the gates she wants the Rogers to research the concept my trump card is a chat called Adrian Fisher he is the world's leading designer of Mazes he works absolutely with the owners of the site to create things that are specifically good for hair it's all about puzzles and Gardens which attract both adults and children a feature such as a maze at River Hill might create more income but the idea is not sitting well with Mrs Rogers I think it would take away the family atmosphere of the garden you said to me that you were proud of the fact that you kept your mouth closed so I think this is a moment where you really have got to search your soul and say will I willingly let Ed take on full responsibility I would never say don't do it it's up to him but I just wouldn't like it okay Ruth also wants to ensure that riverhill's remarkable history is documented for future Generations one of the most important things Mrs Rogers senior is the founder of all knowledge here and you know this whether it's the plants whether it's the history of the family all these things are incredibly precious both to you as a family but also to our heritage and I think you should set aside perhaps an hour every weekend and just record you speaking about everything you know yes I know if I went under a bus there's so much in my head exactly that will just go forever with Mrs Rogers senior in charge of preserving the family history it's all eyes on the future it's now time for Ed to Ed now there's one last thing I would like you to do before I come back and I think it would be symbolic of change and that is to cut down the you hedge and I think that should be your private little Act of commitment to going forward yeah yeah good Ruth's findings have given the family plenty to think about obviously it's hurtful to be told it's all in such a sort of state of shambles which it is I mean I know I know it is you see Sarah being New Blood on the blocks of things has some you know perhaps some out-of-the-box ideas equally at the other end of the spectrum we've got my grandmother who's been here 60 years and you know I think her goal would be that you know this remains a family home but I mean it with no disrespect to my grandmother-in-law who is a wealth of knowledge but she can also um be a little stubborn on certain points I had no idea what Ed will do but myself I'd have reservations on putting too much into it but I know we've got to put something into it you know but I just think it's a little bit frightening [Music] six weeks after Ruth's visit and the Rogers are already getting down to business a team of tree surgeons into tackle the overgrown you Hedge [Music] and they've wasted no time at all in calling in May's expert Adrian Fisher for advice [Music] well this is our um view we've got here from top of the hill one of the highest points in Kent other than the dance it's such a fantastic view it'd be crazy not to include it in there I think we've got to get people up here people love coming to the top Hills don't they and keeping to her side of the bargain Ed's grandmother is recording the family's history for posterity with a bit of help from granddaughter-in-law Sarah and I thought perhaps we could talk about the trees yes and then perhaps go up into the wood garden I think so because I think with these three trees hold on a minute let me just start off the camera a minute okay Right Far Away talk about the three threes there because they are so wonderful and it was so incredibly lucky with the storm that they've survived right but what is interesting from the family point of view is the turkey Oak which is a big spreading right let me just get a shot of that hold on yep the turkey out yeah because that came back as an acorn in the pocket of Ed's great-grandfather off he'd been fighting in the Crimea ah Ed and Sarah have grand designs for River Hills new business and Ed's hard at work clearing the site but Evelyn is anxious that with the ambitious new plans the River Hills she knows and loves isn't spoiled what a lot of the public say is what they love is that it is a family home and it it isn't too commercial and I don't want the atmosphere of the place to go by being absolutely overrun with people so I think you've just got to be jolly careful to keep the balance of that but it's not only Evelyn who's overwhelmed by the speed of change a bit daunted myself I have to say well I was feeling quite optimistic but I think a little worried about it all now thank you hi Simon Sarah Rogers here um as a former teacher Sarah is convinced that the future of River Hill is all about attracting children and their families to the estate lines you sent through we wondered whether it could be slightly more Himalayan looking so um I just wanted to really chat things through with you the gardens are famous for the rare specimens brought back from the Himalayas in the 1800s and Sarah is Keen to embrace this in the new developments [Music] and away but it appears some members of the family still have their reservations it's their thing and you know I've got to stand back but I fear for them that's all [Music] the historic Gardens at Riverhill house in Kent are in the process of a major regeneration with the help of Ruth Watson in a bid to save the ancestral home ed and Sarah Rogers are transforming their estate into a woodland experience for children thank you foreign it's the end of the summer and Ruth's back to see how plans are progressing on her first visit five months ago the panoramic view from Riverhill house was obscured by overgrown new trees Ruth's Keen to find out if the Rogers have followed her advice and chopped them down [Music] love even see you and to see you too everyone I know though you had well absolutely it's made quite a difference the lovely view of the orange fields we couldn't see any of the fields at all I mean it's just and the beautiful tree the oak tree and everything I mean it just looks well done Sarah you've been doing things so can we sit down have a chat but the biggest change of all at River Hill for Generations will be the ambitious children's Adventure Park what we're proposing is that we have a Himalayan theme what could be more appropriate but we want it to be reflecting the history of the Rogers family but also making a really exciting place for families to explore together yes so these are just suggestions really of um ideas which we might take to to Rebrand ourselves and I think calling Himalayan Gardens because there is nowhere like that I mean you are creating a unique brand um perhaps if I can show you the the map the car part you've seen yeah people come from the car park to the area in front of the Tea Room yeah that is the sort of retail trading area I wondered whether we could call That Base Camp yes brilliant idea um yeah and then they go up this Hillside Park possibly with a sharper pack with your children yes um up to this area here which is where we'd like a play area so that's a Himalayan Hideout we have asked Adrian Fisher to um create one of his wonderful mazes for us I don't think I've ever been as impressed by anybody's thought and Imagination on a project as this I really am I think it's wonderful it does mean a lot to me and well I know it was brilliant I think it's just marvelous you thought a lot about it so yeah well done we hope um we hope it takes off We've Got Confidence now yes you've given us confidence so since Ruth was lasted River Hill Ed's grandmother Evelyn has been ill Ruth wants to make sure that with so many changes afoot she's aware of the Bold scheme I'm mightily impressed with the plans for the garden if you had an opportunity to look and hear about what they're proposing to do not very much just a little bit but I'm thrilled to hear about opening up to the Woodland and that sort of thing does this imply you've been taking a back seat well I haven't been in hospital and being at home this first time I've come out for five weeks you see so um obviously I've taken a back seat but anyway it's their do you know yeah the notion of calling the Tea Room base camp because again of echoing Himalayas does that fill you with horror well I mean it's only a Himalayan in the springtime I mean I'm all for it being open in the springtime and it's going to be open in the middle of summer people won't know what you're talking about it is essentially an English Country House your knowledge of the house and the history of it we talked about Sarah coming and recording yes because you started with the gardeners oh end up in the Woodland a bit too and did you enjoy doing it oh yes I love talking I talk I don't love the sound of my own voice yours no no we all do yeah and I think that's one thing that I really am grateful to you for you gave the spur that was necessary to get on with that okay the maze absolutely boggles me I mean I cannot see the point of the maze I mean it is a proven model you know it's it's not something where you're just taking a straw and saying well this one to this place but I think we do get back Mrs Rogers if I may be so boldest to say is that I think you do have to let them get on with it it's their thing and you know I've got to stand back but I fear for them that's all I just don't want them to get themselves into a real tangle this is just that Sarah is Keen to show Ruth the progress they've already made in preparation for the brand new River Hill Experience just take off the top level there but this route was totally um impossible um let's work well yes Ed his brother and you know some friends kindly come along to help the first friends of River Hill I think aerial walkways climbing frames and tree houses are all part of the master plan Ed's finalizing the proposals with specialist playground designer Lyndon Davis oh hi we were just discussing the plans here for um the Himalayan high dives and these two big trees they're here that's what no yes Linden's been working on them they are Ed what are they sweet Chestnut I mean this is again confirmation that John Rogers did some fantastically beautiful things because they are such fine and glorious trees and here they are I mean when did anyone last get to see these Sarah I shouldn't think anyone has stood on this spot where we're standing now for 50 80 yeah 58 years enjoying it anywhere certainly these are lovely cedar trees here as well which um were planted some of the original plantings in 1840s so it's good that people can enjoy them from this side as well as from the south yeah this looks really good fun very good fun really enjoy doing it we really enjoy unusual ones yes yeah no it's not the first plan is it Sarah and Ed are saving the best till last the scene from their very own Mount Everest summit this is our proposed Viewpoint uh here I'm not worth the climb just I mean but you know it is worth the comment this I would say is arguably the best view in Kent and the Maze is going to be here just over there so you can absolutely where that flat area is Ruth's clearly impressed with what the Rogers have achieved but she wants to see Ed and Sarah put their plans to the test I think Riverhill is going to become a very special place for people to want to come and visit and I'm charging you with on my next visit to see some kids actually trying some of this out and I think to see their little faces and to have their Sherpa packs and use them for feedback and research yeah organize a day yeah yeah I think it would be fun Ed and Sarah have got just three weeks to rise to Ruth's Challenge and get River Hill ready for its first guests [Music] thank you it's the day of the River Hill trial all the generations of Rogers are pulling together hoping to make it a success to tie in with the theme Sarah's planned a surprise Himalayan guest somewhat at Ed's expense look [Laughter] [Music] you're really absolutely terrified [Music] I think it's a healthy safety you can't do this very long you might be a little worried about your hair where will you keep your care well the thing is my product does say that it's just stays firm underneath helmets maybe we're under a Yeti hat [Music] with two hours to go Ruth Watson arrives to oversee proceedings hello morning good morning beautiful hello it's all looking very good nice to see you lots of yes well luckily we've got some nice people to help this morning sticking all these cakes yes we've got a sample menu so James putting on her are you putting on I'm not sure I liked the fact that you're telling people what you're doing and what you're about that's such a good idea everybody it's always then up for going with the flow of it 30 eager local school children have been drafted in to trial the Rogers Himalayan experience the event begins with an introduction from a very proud Ed welcome boys and girls to the River Hill Himalayan Garden we're so excited that you can join us here today and Riverhill was bought in 1840 by my great great great grandfather he wanted the best plants so he paid for people to go off and explore the Himalayas in South America and maybe this has been the sighting of a strange beast in the woods here so we do have to be very careful [Music] the children are LED up into the wooded Garden by Sarah to see some of riverhill's rarest specimens they find themselves transported back in time to the Himalayas of the 1800s those those enormous trees there that's where we're going to hope the bill the tree houses look how tall they are anyone know what type of tree that is yes well done a horse chestnut look really into your trees aren't you yes would you like to go and see if you could find that Yeti yes [Music] all right [Music] the yeti makes a lucky escape and the children make it safely to The Summit [Music] [Applause] I I haven't been here before but I like it I might come here again experience is clearly a hit with the youngsters and the parents are impressed too there's not anywhere really around here that's that's like this for them to just run around exactly so you'll come back when it's a proper going concern the trial has gone well and Ruth wants to know how the family feel what a successful afternoon I have to commend you for doing such a brilliant job everything about it I just want for we're thrilled it's gone so well yeah very relieved very relieved so do you now feel um confident that this can work yeah I I still create reservations about the maze because I can't see the point of it but the climbing frame and the walk I think is wonderful I just hope that your generation Sarah Ned is going to have a wow of a time and that you know you will be able to leave something to your children for them to look forward to rather than to slightly dread and most importantly knowing that the house and the gardens are stabilized they're going to carry on for future Generations well that's what I've learned yes yes later the hill got off to a successful start I think it's quite fair to say that this particular path isn't her favorite I still have doubt and I think it's an extravagance [Music] it's been 12 months since Ruth left the Rogers family at River Hill House as they were on the brink of an exciting Adventure Ed and Sarah's plans to create the Himalayan Gardens have been realized by investing the 50 000 pounds from the fund left by Ed's Uncle as well as money from a local Grant the historic grounds have been transformed into a unique children's experience the once poorer visitor numbers have risen from just one thousand in previous years to twelve thousand in the first season generating a turnover of one hundred thousand pounds we had a lot of plans ahead of us we worked all through the winter with planners and developing schemes I'm amazed at what has been achieved really it has undoubtedly been very hard work Ed keeps getting recognized on the station and in the office as the yeti I think most importantly Ruth has given us a huge amount of confidence to actually enact what we've done this year she just gave us pretty good kick up the backside Ruth told us to aim high and we've followed that advice she said if you're serving coffee serve the best coffee if you're making scones make the best scones and there's no reason why even small things that we do can't be done in the best way possible and life has been busy for Ed and Sarah elsewhere the most exciting news was in May when our fourth child was born I thought I worked hard in the past but I didn't know the meaning of hard work foreign the end of River Hills opening season Ruth's come back to visit Ed and Sarah Keen to catch up on their developments hello good morning welcome to River Hill thank you it looks very professional she finds four generations of the Rogers family at the new Cafe hello hello how have you managed to do all of this when you've been so busy how are you doing thank you very well yes yeah the never a dull moment I'm so impressed with the car park and the signs been very busy yeah and Mrs Rogers have you found it well I think it's amazing it's wonderful and Jane the tea rooms I mean look at the front of this fantastic it's not a tea room it's a cafe cafe okay sorry sorry Jane the cafe yes wonderful wonderful um it's been very very busy very successful there are things for me to see like him alone yes I'll catch up with you later yes yeah good see you later yeah that was funny in just 12 months Ed and Sarah have transformed Riverhill into a professional Enterprise by developing the gardens oh this is terrific isn't it great great fits in really well with the trees and everything yes when I was here on my last visit this was all being cleared and you mentioned that there were trees that people hadn't seen for about 80 years I think and um yeah people hadn't been here for 80 years and now it's yeah one of our busiest areas it's a great fear it's being used I think can we put some more Edge time is still split between River Hill and his job in the city but he feels that his efforts now will pay off in the long run if I think of future Generations what I would like my children to inherit is a historic garden and house that is self-sufficient and they don't have to feel oh we've got to be earning X tens of thousands a year just to keep the central heating on they've made a profit of twenty thousand pounds which they are investing back into the estate to continue the restoration of other parts of the garden and the house and now we've made a start with the tree house it'd be lovely to put some other bits and pieces in here so that we can make a really exciting area before children go up to the Viewpoint and the Viewpoint is the part where I nearly died and that's where we're going on Ruth's advice Ed and Sarah employed expert Adrian Fisher to design them the maze it's been planted with 1 650 yew tree saplings the posts and rails mean that the children can enjoy fathoming the twists and turns while the young trees grow I don't think I have to ask whether the maze is popular no they absolutely love it obviously your grandmother had some firm opinions about what the garden should and shouldn't have done to it I think it's quite fair to say that this particular part isn't her favorite the changes we've really made this year haven't really affected the garden as such and if this is on the outskirts the garden the play equipment is using an area that wasn't used before so you know we haven't sort of changed the substance of the garden and that's very much what we want to restore in the future Ed and Sarah have had to tread gently with their innovative ideas so as not to upset the older generations of Rogers no one has felt this pressure more than Sarah [Music] a good idea you do have to take a bit I've got quite good at taking deep breaths and you're very very diplomatic but has anyone actually ever apologized to you for perhaps getting you wrong in something you've said or wanted to do I don't think we haven't really had too many fallings out it's just more sort of differing of opinions yeah I think we need to go onwards and literally upwards upwards quite right we've got a special event on today okay thank you even though the Himalayan Gardens are proving successful Ed and Sarah are thinking of ways in which they can take their new business even further they've been trialing new activities such as a mobile climbing tower which they plan to introduce to next season's calendar oh that looks such fun Ruth recognizes that Ed and Sarah's hard work in the gardens has paid off thank you but there have also been improvements in the cafe and gift shop it's a professional operation some appropriate River Hills souvenirs and it's turned over enough money to allow Ed's mother Jane to employ staff so she no longer runs it alone it's a very exciting time up it's all looking amazing so good yeah very good and how is this going because it just looks beautiful the cakes look beautiful the shop everything it's gone extremely well yes very well a great facelift isn't it tell me about how you feel with the gardens going in Ed and Sarah particularly because they've obviously worked so hard and with the new baby as well I know I know you're proud of them I am I am actually because I I realize it's Jolly hard work and your mother-in-law Mrs Rogers she's used to be really enjoying it as well yes I think she is I think she finds it a little bit much when there's quite a lot of children here which some days there could be thousands of buggies thousands of small children but after all it's the children that bring the grown-ups is this been a big change in your life I think it has been a big jump from three months um one day a week to um is it five days a week for six months but I think it's right it's certainly right and even people have suggested that we're open the whole week I said come on give us a chance the changes at Riverhill have been significant and will help secure its future as a family home before she meets with Mrs Rogers Ruth commends Ed and Sarah on their achievements it's I seem to recall that at some stage I said you had to step up and be the man do you feel that you would have actually fulfilled this quite as quickly as efficiently without your darling Sarah no I don't think I would have done at all you know I might have got there eventually but um I think you know she's definitely been the Fighting Force there do you feel that your role here has been validated by the success of River Hill Himalayan Gardens yes I feel now I've contributed something to River Hill and therefore I've got the right to feel that this is my home now for me you are a fantastic team and you know you deserve every project going I'm really proud of what you've achieved and I just hope I don't need to Hope actually I'm absolutely certain this will be a thrilling success All That Remains is for Ruth to see Mrs Rogers who was always unsure of expansion at Riverhill I'm so impressed with what the family have achieved here what I have to say is your experience gave Ed the courage to invest a lot into it and I'm very grateful for that because he wouldn't have dared do it without your you know your encouragement have you personally been troubled by the fact that the numbers have gone from a thousand to ten thousand visitors oh no I'm of course I'm pleased of course I'm pleased with that yes I have to be very very careful crossing the drive because there's so many cars coming down but every time they come down I think that's money and we need it that's such a super reaction I'm very pleased you feel that way about it you had grave doubts about the value of putting a maze in how do you feel about that now I sure have doubts because they've given themselves a labor-intensive thing which is going to be labor intensive always I just feel it's totally foreign to Riverhill and I think it's an extravagance when there's so much that needs doing near the house the inspired thing here has really been opening up that Woodland and I think it's been a terrific draw the little boys they all come down carrying a stick Ed thinks it's marvelous he wanted the undergrowth cleared the little boys are doing it for him you know every little boy who goes up there comes down with a stick Mrs Rogers was concerned that Ed and Sarah's plans would change the family feel of River Hill Ruth wants to know if her worries have eased do you think Ed and Sarah have done right by this house and garden I think they've probably been at Salvation I've only been worried that it wouldn't work and they'd lose money on it that's what frightened the life out of me you know but you're not frightened anymore not really no I just keep my fingers crossed long may it lasts but I think if it's kicked off to an amazing start and I think they may have saved the place I think they probably have it's rather wonderful

Channel: Real Royalty

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Keywords: real royalty, real royalty channel, british royalty, royalty around the world, royal history

Id: h0mhWsxmEvI

Length: 185min 46sec (11146 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 18 2023