In the latest episode of More4's Saving Country Houses, narrated by national treasure Penelope Keith, the programme delved into the financial struggles of maintaining Britain's historic estates. The spotlight fell on one Cotswolds property sitting on a potential goldmine it seems determined to ignore: its resident ghosts.
A Childhood Shared with Spirits
The episode introduced viewers to Chavenage House, a castellated gem just miles from King Charles's Highgrove residence. For George Lowsley-Williams, growing up here was an unusual experience. He spent his first 17 years in a bedroom that required exorcism on two separate occasions, sharing his space with unseen presences. Yet, the current custodians, his son James and daughter-in-law Emma, appear almost apologetic about the property's paranormal pedigree.
The Missed Opportunity for Haunted Tourism
With annual running costs nudging a staggering £400,000, the couple's primary plan to boost revenue involves opening a yoga studio in a barn. This comes despite a booming appetite for haunted history, particularly among American tourists inspired by hits like the BBC's Ghosts. Shows like Nightwatch with Daisy May Cooper and the long-running Most Haunted prove the genre's enduring appeal.
During the tour, James showed cameras a room where no one has slept for 200 years, its walls clad in faded, eerie tapestries depicting faceless goddesses and hooded figures. Another was piled chaotically with chairs, and a creepy straw doll lay in a cradle, described by Emma as her "worst nightmare." To many, this is not a liability but a prime asset. Listing such rooms on platforms like Airbnb could attract legions of amateur ghost hunters willing to pay for a sleepless night.
Other Historic Homes and a Dusty Attic
The episode also touched on other historic properties, including Ashby Manor in Northamptonshire, infamous as a plotting site for the 1605 Gunpowder Plot. Penelope Keith provided her signature voiceover, linking the segments with a presenter's direct address.
Back at Chavenage, the tour concluded in a dusty attic, where a decaying model railway wound through the rafters and bats flitted past cobwebs. The couple mused on restoring it as an attraction. The episode subtly suggested a simpler, more marketable solution lies not in renovation, but in embracing the home's supernatural legacy. In the fight to save these country houses, the most valuable resource might just be the ability to raise interest by raising the dead.
