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Monty Don’s Property Revelation: From “Derelict” House to Garden Paradise
Celebrated gardening expert Monty Don disclosed that he and his wife Sarah acquired a “derelict” residence in 1991. The television personality purchased an expansive estate in Herefordshire, acknowledging it was encompassed by “rubble” and featured an “awkward” and “utterly impractical” design. Notably, the property lacked a garden, a crucial element Monty was determined to cultivate given his burgeoning career in horticulture.
Initial State of the Herefordshire Home
In his autobiographical work, “The Ivington Diaries,” Don, now 69, detailed the process of restoring the dwelling. He penned, “In 1991 we bought a derelict house with a two-acre field. There was no garden to speak of, although a pile of building rubble, sheltered by a curving stone wall, had once been a vegetable garden.” He further noted the house’s positioning as “jammed into one corner” of the land, near the River Arrow and adjacent to converted barns.
The ‘Gardeners’ World’ presenter admitted, “It was awkward, utterly impractical and, of course, irresistible. The house was very old, with the majority of the extant part 15th and 16th century, and the first year was spent repairing it so that it was habitable.”
Garden Transformation and Personal Challenges
Monty participated in clearing the grounds of undergrowth and thorny bushes as builders worked on the home’s interior. Planting commenced approximately 18 months after the property acquisition. This relocation transpired shortly after Monty and Sarah experienced business failures, necessitating the sale of their assets to resolve financial difficulties.
He revealed that an inheritance received following his mother’s passing was instrumental in enabling the property purchase, describing it as “astonishingly cheap”.
Financial Hardship Preceding Property Purchase
Prior to this period, Monty and Sarah operated a thriving costume jewellery enterprise throughout the 1980s. However, the stock market crash of 1987 led to near complete financial ruin for the couple. Monty and Sarah likened their experience to being “lambs to the slaughter” when compelled to auction off “every stick of furniture” they possessed at Leominster Market.
Sarah recounted, “A bad situation got worse every day. The banks wanted their money and started to bounce our cheques whilst simultaneously adding their charges – and interest on them – to the tally. Of course, it could not go on. Something had to give. As it turned out, that something proved to be our shop, our business, our savings, our furniture – and our home.”
Recovery and Current Success
Fortunately, Monty and Sarah have since achieved financial recovery. The ‘BBC’ personality is currently estimated to possess a net worth ranging from approximately £1 million to £3 million.