Country House Rescue is an observational documentary series which airs on British terrestrial television channel, Channel 4. The series has also aired on BBC Canada, ABC1 in Australia and Living in New Zealand and in South Africa.
In each episode, an expert visits a struggling country house and tries to turn its fortunes by giving advice and suggestions to the owner/s. The first three series saw Ruth Watson in this role. The fourth series, airing from June 2012, saw Simon Davis take the role.
The series premiered on 9 December 2008, and gained audiences of up to 2.7 million on its first run. In March 2009, it was reported that a second series of Country House Rescue featuring Ruth Watson had been commissioned by Channel 4, to be filmed in HD. The second series was originally planned to return for an extended 14-episode run, in early 2010, however three episodes (all revisits of houses previously featured) were brought forward, and aired during November and December 2009 as a mini-series. The second series of new episodes aired throughout Spring 2010, and the third series aired throughout Spring 2011. From August 2011, a further series of revisits of houses previously featured aired, though the series began with a previously unaired episode from series two. However, Watson stated on her own website that she would not present any more series of Country House Rescue in the future. In November 2011, Channel 4 announced that Simon Davis would present the 4th series to be broadcast in Spring 2012.
The series is narrated by Hugh Bonneville.
Episodes
Series 1 (2008–09) Episode # Country House First broadcast Synopsis 1. Cothay Manor 9 December 2008 Cothay Manor is a grade I listed medieval country house and gardens, located in Stawley, Somerset. In 1993 Mary-Anne and Alastair Robb bought the house as an empty shell and have spent all their time and funds restoring Cothay. However, as a business, the manor is losing a serious amount of money, and a question mark remains over who will take over the estate in the future. With the situation at a breaking point, can Ruth Watson turn the estate's fortunes round, and help secure Cothay's long-term future? 2. Elmore Court 16 December 2008 Elmore Court is a grade II listed mansion, located in Elmore, Gloucestershire. The house has been the family seat of the Guise baronets for nearly 800 years. The current owner, dance DJ Anselm Guise, inherited the estate in 2007 from his uncle (who had often disapproved of his nephew's lifestyle), with the baronetcy going to Anselm's 77-year-old father. Now, Anselm's laid-back approach has led to the property's slow deterioration, so Ruth must inspire a sense of determination in the owner to save the mansion from falling even further into disrepair. 3. Chesters 23 December 2008 Chesters is a grade I listed 17th-century country house and estate, located on the banks of the River Teviot in the Scottish Borders. The estate includes and 14 estate cottages, as well as a mile of the River Teviot. John and Ellie Henderson would like to leave their jobs in London and take up permanent residence at Chesters (John's ancestral home), but they are unable to afford to. Can Ruth help the couple make the estate profitable enough to achieve their dream? 4. Albury Park 30 December 2008 Albury Park is a grade II listed country house with parkland, located in Albury, Surrey. Nigel and Jennifer Whalley bought the mansion in 2004, initially sharing the property with a number of elderly residents. However, the other residents soon moved on, forcing the Whalleys to buy their shares in the property, and leaving the couple £4 million in debt. Ruth devises a plan for a show flat to entice new investors to the estate to save the couple from financial ruin. 5. Black Clauchrie House 6 January 2009 Black Clauchrie House is an Arts and Crafts style former hunting lodge, set in of grounds near Barrhill in South Ayrshire. Adrian and Caroline Goodall bought the property in 2004, but have yet to capitalise on their investment. Ruth tries to help the pair take advantage of their home's heritage, but will other professional commitments help destroy the couple's relationship, and put the future of Black Clauchrie House at risk? 6. Pentillie 13 January 2009 Pentillie is a 17th-century castle and estate, located on the River Tamar, near St Mellion village in Cornwall. Pentillie has been the Coryton family seat since 1698, but current owners Ted and Sarah Coryton (who inherited the estate in 2007) were determined to sell it after various family disputes. However, Ted and Sarah have fallen in love with the castle and its grounds, and seek Ruth's professional advice to turn the estates fortunes around.
Country House Rescue Revisited (2009) Episode # Country House First broadcast Synopsis 1. Cothay Manor 11 November 2009 Ruth Watson returns to Cothay Manor in Stawley, Somerset, and meets up with its owners, Mary-Anne and Alastair Robb. A year on, have the couple implemented Ruth's ideas for Cothay, including improved refreshment facilities and a 'Calendar of Events', and is the manor turning a profit? Ruth is also keen to find out if the difficult issue has been settled of who will run Cothay in the future. 2. Albury Park 18 November 2009 A year after her visits to Albury Park, Ruth Watson returns to the country house in Albury, Surrey, and catches up with owners, Nigel and Jennifer Whalley. Ruth wants to know if any new investors have been attracted to the estate since her last visit, and are the couple more financially secure? Ruth also discovers that Albury Park is now promoted as a wedding venue. 3. Black Clauchrie House 1 December 2009 Ruth Watson catches up with Adrian and Caroline Goodall, owners of Black Clauchrie House in Barhill, South Ayrshire. A year after her last visit, have the couple followed Ruth's suggestions and revitalised the house as a business? Ruth also hopes that the couple have come through their previous troubles for the good of their relationship, as well as Black Clauchrie.
Series 2 (2010) Episode # Country House First broadcast Synopsis 1. Plas Teg 4 March 2010 Plas Teg is a grade I listed Jacobean mansion, located near Pontblyddyn in Flintshire. For most of the 20th Century the house lay derelict. In 1986 Cornelia Bayley purchased Plas Teg, and poured her life and finances into the house. But the constant maintenance of the old building and estate has isolated Cornelia, and funds are at an all-time low. Ruth Watson advises her to offer out the house as a location for film and photo shoots, but Cornelia is worried about strangers harming her beautiful home. 2. Riverhill House 11 March 2010 Riverhill House is a grade II listed rag-stone manor house, located in Sevenoaks, Kent. The house and estate were first developed in 1714, but were taken over by John Rogers in 1814. Today, four generations of the Rogers family live at Riverhill House, but the once treasured property has fallen into disrepair and needs a cash injection fast. Can Ruth persuade current heir Ed and his wife Sarah, as well as owner and director Jane Margaret Rogers to agree on a way forward for the historic estate? 3. Carnfield Hall 18 March 2010 Carnfield Hall is a country house with of parkland, located between Alfreton and South Normanton in Derbyshire. A hotchpotch of Elizabethan, Jacobean and Victorian architecture, the hall was abandoned in 1960 due to mining subsidence. James Cartland bought Carnfield in 1987 and has restored the house single-handed. However, with the gardens and woodland still in need of restoration, Ruth's guidance is needed to help James make Carnfield more profitable. 4. The Heath House 26 March 2010 The Heath House is a Gothic Revival mansion and estate located in Tean, Staffordshire. Despite the estate being owned by the Philips family for generations, current owners John and Flavia Phillips are in their seventies and want to sell up, as the property is becoming a financial and physical drain. Eldest son Ben wants to keep the estate in the Philips family, so can Ruth come up with some ideas to make The Heath House financially viable in the long term? 5. Kelly House 1 April 2010 Kelly House is a grade I listed manor house and estate located in the village of Kelly, Devon, overlooking Bodmin Moor. Members of the Kelly family have lived in the house for nearly one thousand years, but today their historic home is crumbling around them. Ruth suggests a plan that enables some conservation and reconstruction of the building to be done quickly, while also looking at revenue opportunities for the family to maintain Kelly House into the future. 6. Whitbourne Hall 8 April 2010 Whitbourne Hall is a grade II* listed neo-Palladian country house located in the village of Whitbourne, Herefordshire. The hall was converted into 23 flats in the 1970s, but has fallen into disrepair, and residents cannot agree on how to raise cash for repairs. Ruth suggests creating a luxury campsite in the surrounding gardens of the hall, as well as maximising its use as a wedding venue. But with so many residents having to agree to Ruth's ideas, will a plan of action for the crumbling house ever be acted upon? 7. Abbey Dore Court 15 April 2010 Abbey Dore Court is a Victorian country house and gardens located in the village of Abbey Dore, Herefordshire. Constructed in the late 19th century on the site of the former public house, Charis Ward bought the property in 1967, and converted the grounds into a plantsman's garden. Though the gardens are a popular attraction, the house has recently fallen into disrepair, and Charis's granddaughter Clare is determined to turn the formerly happy home around, with a little help from Ruth Watson.
Series 3 (2011)