Series 4 (2012)
| Episode # | Country house | First broadcast | Synopsis |
| 1. | Colebrooke Park | 14 June 2012 | Colebrooke House is a B+ listed neo-classical country house, built in 1820, and situated in an estate of 1,000 acres near the village of Brookeborough in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Alan and Janet, Viscount and Viscountess Brookeborough, have lived in the mansion for over 30 years, having rescued the property from near ruin, and devoting their lives to maintaining the house, raising the funds they need by hosting exclusive shooting parties. But their work isn't sustainable. Simon believes the answer lies in the conversion of the house and grounds into a health and wellbeing business that includes a spa in the former stable. But Alan and Janet are reluctant to open their home to strangers. |
| 2. | Chapel Cleeve | 21 June 2012 | Chapel Cleeve is a Grade II listed manor house in West Somerset, dating back to the 1400s. Over the centuries, the house has passed through many families as well as serving as a refuge for pilgrims, and more recently as a hotel. In 1998, Jeannie Wilkins and her partner bought Chapel Cleeve for £360,000. They enlisted the help of friends to renovate it, but after 33 years together they parted ways, and now 63-year-old Jeannie lives on her own in this 15-bedroom house and survives on £100 per week. On the verge of bankruptcy but desperate to safeguard this important part of Britain's heritage, Jeannie calls on the expertise of businessman Simon Davis. Can he find the radical solutions that will help Jeannie continue to live in her beloved home, and will she be willing to share the house with others if it's the only way to ensure its survival? |
| 3. | Bantry House | 5 July 2012 | Bantry House is a historic house in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland constructed in about 1700. The house has been in the Shelswell-White family for over 300 years. Egerton and Brigitte Shelswell-White came to live here more than 30 years ago. Turning the semi-derelict Bantry into a family home and a viable business has been their life's work. But now their eldest daughter Sophie and her partner Josh have given up their life in Australia to come back and take over running the whole estate. The house currently brings in a seasonal income from bed and breakfast, a tea room and house tours, but it's not enough. With emotions running high and very little money to spend, Simon must call on all his powers of negotiation to come up with a solution. |
| 4. | Great Fulford | 6 July 2012 | Great Fulford is a Grade I listed manor house near Exeter in Devon. Set in 3000 acres, Great Fulford is home to Francis and Kishanda Fulford, previously seen on Channel 4 in The F***ing Fulfords in 2004. The future of Great Fulford is hanging in the balance. Parts of the house haven't been touched for decades and other parts are starting to crumble.
With the income from the estate and tenanted farms going towards paying off borrowings, the house must start to pay its own way. Simon believes that the huge formal rooms and recently renovated bedrooms mean that the couple are sitting on a goldmine. But will they listen to Simon's advice, or will the couple's forceful personalities leave them at loggerheads? |
| 5. | Meldon Park | 13 July 2012 | Meldon Park is a Grade II listed building in Northumberland. Simon visits the Cookson family and tries to persuade them to make a go of running a money-making café in the estate's walled garden. Five miles from Morpeth in Northumberland, Meldon Park has been a home to the Cooksons since 1832. Successive generations have seen the family's fortunes wax and wane, and with it the size of the estate. Income is no longer keeping up with the escalating running costs, parts of the house are starting to crumble, and time is running out. It has fallen to James Cookson and his wife Emily to try to turn it around. Can Simon Davis help? |
| 6. | Craufurdland | 20 July 2012 | Craufurdland is a castle in Ayrshire dating back over eight centuries. It's been home to the Craufurd family since 1245, but constant maintenance of the fragile property has become a huge financial drain. Having rented it out for the last few years, Simon Craufurd and his wife Adity have just moved in, hoping to reclaim the family home for them and their children. But with only enough money to sustain them for six months, they must quickly make it earn its keep. Simon is keen to discover a way of sharing the castle's fascinating and important history with a public, who have no idea that it exists. Can he convince the Craufurds to support his business plan? |
Read more about this topic: Country House Rescue, Episodes
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