A PENSIONER living on an estate where a hit BBC drama was filmed is being evicted – so it can be turned into a holiday let for fans of the show, she claims.
Baschea Walsh, 71, has lived on the grounds of West Horsley Place in Surrey for nearly 20 years.
But in July she was told she has until mid-November to vacate so her cottage could be turned into a short-term let, she claims.
Baschea is gutted at having to move – and claims the property will be aimed at watchers of Ghosts, a show about a haunted house that was filmed at Grade I-listed West Horsley Place.
The trust that manages the estate confirmed the mum-of-one has been asked to leave and that the property will be rented out – but denies it is specifically for TV fans.
Baschea said: “They came to my house and said, ‘your home is being turned into a holiday cottage, you have four months to go.’
“I was stunned as you can imagine. I am 71. I am going to be homeless.
“It is not about me, it is about the injustice of throwing a 71-year-old out. It is about anybody who is getting these Section 21s out of nowhere.
“I was in shock for two months. For the first week all I could eat was potatoes, I couldn’t even cook. I just felt completely lost. I didn’t know what to do.
“It came out of nowhere undeservedly in everyone’s opinion and I really don’t know what is going to happen to me.”
West Horsley Place dates back to 15th century and was once owned by Henry VIII.
It was last inherited by Bamber Gascoigne, the former host of University Challenge, who then decided to hand over the manor house and its assets to a charitable trust aimed at restoring the building.
It has been a location for film and television productions including Enola Holmes, Howards End, Vanity Fair and Ghosts, where the building was renamed Button House.
The latter, which followed the adventures of a living couple sharing a house with a group of spirits, was a ratings hit for the BBC, with 6.2 million people watching the final episode in 2023.
Baschea first moved in back in 2006 after being shown around by the previous renters who were friends of her son, Ben.
She that it was instantly her dream home, and she has since given her all to the estate – even picking up litter with a converted pushchair.
She said: “This has been my life and absolutely the place for me to be. I fell in love with it the first time I came here. I knew this was the place I wanted to be. I had dreamt about it.
“It was just perfect for me. It was a really harmonious place to be, and we all got on with each other really well.
“It was a privilege to live here. Bamber and Christina said I could live here forever, and we never thought to put it in writing.
“I treat visitors to the estate like visitors to my own home, because it has been my home.”
Baschea says that the Ghosts film crew were on set for five months every year for five years straight and that filming could be very disruptive.
However, she says she was always very supportive of the show as she hoped it would help fund restorations on the estate, and she even befriended members of the fan club.
She added: “It is disruptive when they film, especially at night with all the extra lights on really bright and the generators, extra mud, and people wandering around.
“But I embraced it because I wanted to support the house. It needed all sorts of things doing to it.
“Now I feel that I should have asked for a rent reduction for all the disruption, but I didn’t because I thought it was for the good of the house.”
Now, a friend of the pensioner has started a petition to stop her eviction from the home, which has received over 2,000 signatures.
The former child protection worker says that she has begun looking for a new home, but that she will not leave her cottage until a suitable replacement is found.
She added: “I am exhausted, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing and buzzing. I am getting so much support.
“I don’t know what will happen to me. I am obviously looking for somewhere new but I won’t take less than what I am living in now. This is my life, I need the space and air.
“I can’t go live in a bedsit in a council old people’s home. If that happens, I will be dead within a year. I rely on the nature. I am digging my heels in.
“I am not making a stand per say, but I won’t go until I find the equivalent.”
The West Horsley Trust said: “West Horsley Place Trust is an independent charity caring for a fragile heritage estate.
“To secure its future and continue our public mission, we are creating increased, diversified and sustainable income through carefully considered changes, including updating and converting two historic cottages into short term lets.
“The cottages will allow people to stay on the estate to access and enjoy it, our heritage, our cultural activities and those of the wider region.
“The short term lets will also support our wider business activities such as weddings and events.
“We fully appreciate how significant an upheaval this is for the tenant. We have not taken the decision to end this tenancy lightly.
“We have provided an extended notice period and offered personalised support, including assistance in exploring alternative housing options.”
What to do if you’ve been served a Section 21 notice
Here is what you can do, according to the Renters’ Reform Coalition…
Check the form – A section 21 notice must be on an official form, known as a 6a form. Your landlord can’t issue an eviction notice just by telling you in person or by text/email.
Check if the form is valid – you must be given at least two months notice to vacate a property. You also can’t be given a section 21 if your tenancy started less than four months prior. If you are on a fixed term contract you can’t receive a section 21 unless there is a break clause in it.
These things can also make a section 21 notice invalid:
- The council have given your landlord an improvement notice to fix things, or an emergency works notice, in the last 6 months.
- Your deposit isn’t in a deposit protection scheme. In that case the landlord must return it to you before they can issue a section 21.
- The property is a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) but it doesn’t have a HMO licence from the council. In some areas all rented properties need a licence – check with your council.
- The landlord has charged you illegal fees – such as a deposit worth more than 5 weeks rent, or admin fees. In this case they must return the money to you before serving a section 21.
- You never received key paperwork for the property – the Energy Performance Certificate, the ‘How to rent’ guide, and a gas safety certificate (if there is gas).
What to do if the section 21 is valid:
You don’t have to leave the property at the end of your section 21 notice. Your landlord still has to apply to court for a possession order and a warrant for eviction, to use court bailiffs to evict you.
If you are remaining in your property after the end of a section 21 notice, make sure you inform your landlord and continue to pay rent while you look for another place to live.
If you can’t find somewhere to rent and are facing homelessness, tell your council immediately. They should be able to advise you on what to do and provide emergency temporary accommodation or other support.
