‘It’s going to break my heart’

BBC Baschea is sitting at the kitchen table. On the kitchen table there is a fruit plate, a lamp and a mannequin head with a hat on top. There are pots and pans hanging from the ceiling.

A 71-year-old woman said she felt “completely ill” after being told she would be evacuated from her home on the estate where BBC comedy series Ghosts was filmed.

Baschea Walsh has lived in a cottage on the West Horsley Place estate for nearly 20 years but now says he has been kicked out so his home can be turned into a holiday home for Ghosts fans.

“I’ve had such a great time here it would break my heart to leave,” he told the BBC.

Ghosts, about the adventures of a living couple who share the same house with a group of spirits, broke rating records on the BBC with 6.2 million people watching its last episode in 2023.

A spokesman for West Horsley Place Trust, which owns the cottage, said they appreciated this was a significant upheaval for the tenant and had provided an extended notice period and helped explore alternative housing options.

West Horsley Place is a 15th-century Grade I listed manor house in Surrey, set in over 400 acres of land.

The building, which hosted film and television productions such as Enola Holmes, Howards End, Vanity Fair and Ghosts, was renamed Button House.

Over the years the estate passed through different hands – including that of Henry VIII – eventually found its way into the hands of University Challenge writer and former presenter Bamber Gascoigne in 2014.

Mr Gascoigne and his wife Christina decided to hand over West Horsley Place and its assets, including outbuildings, to a charity which aims to restore the building and promote the arts, including performance and crafts.

Ms Walsh first came across the 17th-century cottage on the property while visiting a friend of her son’s who lived there.

He says it’s literally his dream home.

“I had already dreamed about it. I know it sounds ridiculous, but as soon as I saw it I thought ‘this was in my dream’. It really was.”

He moved into the cottage in 2006.

“This was a place I admired,” he says. “My grandchildren loved being here, they enjoyed it as much as I did.

“It was a magical place to live… I thought I would stay here forever.”

The series Ghosts, filmed in West Horsley Place, ran for five seasons.

BBC/Monumental/Guido Mandozzi Screenshot from the TV show Ghosts - seven of the characters are standing outside the house looking at the sky. A woman on the left wears modern clothes; orange overalls, a khaki coat and scarf. Other characters are dressed in historical costumes. — The series Ghosts, filmed in West Horsley Place, ran for five seasons.

Ms Walsh says since moving here she has been conscious of the “privilege” of living in such beautiful and historic surroundings.

“And when something is a privilege, you do what you can to pay it back and appreciate it,” he says.

To this end, Ms Walsh has dedicated herself to looking after the area and engaging with the local community.

This included repurposing an old stroller to drive around the grounds picking up litter.

“I collected bumpers, bottles, cans, dog poop, and things you don’t even want to know about.”

During her time on the site, she also volunteered at the opera festival held on the site each year and created decorations for local events, including VE Day celebrations.

Ghosts fans dressed as their favorite characters at Halloween open day

West Horsley Place Trust Eight members of the public, dressed as characters from BBC sitcom Ghosts, stand outside the entrance to West Horsley Place, where the program was filmed. — Ghosts fans dressed as their favorite characters at Halloween open day

In July he was sent an email from West Horsley Place Trust requesting a meeting.

“I thought my rent was going to go up again,” he says.

“The last time they increased it was 30 percent, which was a bit shocking.”

It was said that they wanted to turn his cottage into a holiday home instead.

What were their thoughts after hearing the news?

“I felt absolutely sick,” Ms. Walsh says. “I must admit I had the worst month.

“I went completely crazy.

“My life has stopped; I can’t do anything for anyone because I’m in crisis.

“I don’t know what I’m doing, I don’t know where to live, I don’t know what I can hide.”

Baschea Walsh stands next to her model sheep, Miss Dalrymple, in the front garden of her ivy-covered cottage.

Baschea Walsh stands in front of a booth with a cup in his hand. It has two floors and four windows, and part of the front of the building is covered with ivy. To Baschea's right is a life-size model of a sheep. — Baschea Walsh stands next to her model sheep, Miss Dalrymple, in the front garden of her ivy-covered cottage.

Ms Walsh was given until November to move out and said she was trying to find alternative places to live but was struggling to find money in the local area.

“I can go to a different post office, gas station, supermarket, but my doctor, my hospital… I’m going to have to change everything,” he says.

“I will be removed from society.”

Even when he finds a place to move, he says he will always live in fear of being kicked out again.

West Horsley Place, known to Ghosts fans as Button House

A view of West Horsley Place - a 15th-century building — West Horsley Place, known to Ghosts fans as Button House

Bamber’s widow, Christina Gascoigne, told the BBC she was “shocked and horrified” to hear the news of his release.

“I don’t think that’s right and I think [Bamber Gascogine] I would feel the same.”

Spokesperson for West Horsley Place Trust Hosted a Halloween event for Ghosts fans last yearHe said: “We fully appreciate what a significant upheaval this is for the tenant.

“We have provided an extended notice period and offered personalized support, including exploring alternative housing options.

“We did not take the decision to end this tenancy lightly.

“West Horsley Place Trust is an independent charity that cares for a sensitive heritage.

“To secure its future and sustain our public mission, we are creating diversified, sustainable income through carefully considered changes, including the updating and conversion of two historic cottages into vacation homes.”