Alan Titchmarsh, the beloved gardening presenter, has opened up about the emotional toll of downsizing from his Grade II listed farmhouse in Hampshire to a bungalow in Surrey. The 77-year-old former Gardeners' World host, married to wife Alison for 51 years, fought back tears as he discussed leaving the home and garden he had nurtured for nearly a quarter of a century.
An Emotional Farewell to a Cherished Garden
Titchmarsh told The Times: "I love that garden more than I've loved anything I've ever made. I've given it a quarter of a century of love and care." He added: "But when we hand over the key and close the gate, I'm not looking back. I can't." The couple's two daughters, Polly and Camilla, have left home, prompting the decision to move to a more manageable property.
The Financial Details of the Move
The Hampshire farmhouse was initially listed for £3.95 million before being reduced to £3.5 million. The sale finally went through earlier this month. Their new bungalow in Surrey cost £2.6 million. Titchmarsh admitted that maintaining the four-and-a-half-acre garden had become a burden: "It's a pretty big number and in another 10 years' time I probably would have found where we were too much for one man. Four and a half acres of busy garden - and yes, I had help but help costs money."
No Plans to Slow Down
Despite downsizing, Titchmarsh and Alison have not yet eased their pace. They had promised each other to take Mondays and Fridays off, but he admits "it's not really working." He has no desire to retire, as he does a job that others retire to enjoy. He continues to host Love Your Weekend on ITV, presents on Classic FM on Saturday afternoons, writes murder mystery novels, and runs a successful YouTube channel, Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh, which has 167,000 subscribers.
Catch Alan on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on ITV from 9.30am to 11.30am on Sunday, June 21. Guests include comedian Omid Djalili and political journalist Robert Peston.
