All a lot of problems! How did TV presenter Ruth Watson stop this family’s Cornish mansion from falling apart? With drastic actions and very tough love…
Georgina Le Grice is no stranger to horror stories, thanks to her work as a London-based literary agent. But she never expected to find herself in one, at her family’s Cornish mansion, Trereife House. The picturesque 18th century property was falling apart and there was no money to save it.
“I moved into Trereife House when I was just two,” says Georgina, 24, “and my elderly grandmother moved in.” It had 80 acres of land, 14 rooms and six huge, ornate bedrooms. We never had heating and in winter I went to bed in layers of clothes and with two duvets. But I didn’t care because I loved the house.
From a young age, Georgina knew that she and her younger brother Peter, 23, were heirs to an estate with a remarkable history. The house has been the home of the Le Grice family since 1798.
Savior: Ruth Watson at Trereife House in Penzance with Tim, Peter, Georgina and Elizabeth Le Grice
But generation after generation was hit by inheritance taxes and crippling operating costs.
In 1982, it was inherited by Georgina’s father, Tim, who runs a law firm. A few years later, he moved his wife, Liz, and his two children away.
With running costs of £40,000 a year, Tim, now 68, poured money into a series of projects that turned out to be disastrous. A gypsy caravan theme park, a zoo and a restaurant failed to prosper and instead racked up considerable debts.
At the beginning of last year, the house – and the family – were struggling to stay afloat.
It was then that Georgina, whose career as a literary agent in London was flourishing, realized how bad things were. She says, “I wanted to help, but I didn’t know which way to go.” She had seen Country House Rescue before and was hoping Ruth Watson could give us some answers.
But could Ruth, a millionaire hotelier and businesswoman who does to crumbling mountains what Gordon Ramsay does to failing restaurants, save the family home?
The first meeting in May last year was a disaster.
Beautiful B&B: With running costs of £40,000 a year, the Le Grices have had to convert their home into a hotel
After inspecting the house, Ruth gave her evaluation to the family. She suggested a full-scale bed and breakfast business, but when Georgina’s mother Liz, 62, didn’t want to help, Ruth wasn’t too happy. Georgina remembers: “Ruth suggested that Mum leave her job as a librarian to run a B&B.
Mom objected and said she wasn’t domestic. Then Ruth snapped, “I can see it by the way you keep your house.” Mom stood her ground while the cameras rolled, but then she ended up crying her eyes out. “I felt absolutely horrible.”
But Ruth believes harsh words were needed.
She says: ‘I found the house in a complete state of ruin. There were holes in the roof, damp everywhere, damaged plaster cornices, and trees growing in the middle of the outbuildings.
It was in such a state that Georgina and her brother were going to inherit a lot of rubbish.
She set the family tasks: preparing four of the rooms for paying guests; investigate the possibility of renting luxury yurts for camping in the walled garden; and organize a literary event, attracting visitors to the farm.
Before Ruth came to help, I was so desperate that I bought 60 scratch cards in the hopes that a miracle would save my family’s home. I didn’t earn a cent
“In the end, the bed and breakfast trial was a success,” says Georgina, “and guests said they loved the house and camped on the grounds.” We knew there was potential, but Ruth wanted me to leave my job in London and move to Cornwall. At the same time I was offered a promotion and I felt totally gutted.’
Ruth suggested dedicating two years of her life to starting the B&B and Georgina agreed.
Renovation work began, and the family invested every penny they could into fixing the roof and making the four rooms suitable for paying guests. “At the time of my last visit in October,” says Ruth, “I was glad that some progress was being made, but I didn’t know how hard the family would go to make their business work.”
Four months later, Georgina is finally the mistress of her mansion, while still holding on to her career. She arrives in Cornwall at 11pm every Friday and takes the 5am train to London on Mondays. It is a punitive regime, but it gives life to her family heritage.
Weddings are a booming business and bed and breakfast accommodations are thriving.
Georgina says: ‘Before Ruth came to help us, I was so desperate that I bought 60 Lottery scratch cards in the hope that a miracle would save my family home. I didn’t earn a cent.
Now, thanks to Ruth, we have prepared the house for a prosperous future.
Rescate Casa de Campo, 9 p.m., Sundays, Channel 4.