‘We have been trying to sell the house for the last ten to twelve years. It has ruined our retirement’
The couple bought the 20-bed mansion in 1971. and have seen its value rocket to £1.2m(Image: SWNS)
A couple who bought a sprawling 20-bed mansion for just £9,000 have now seen its value skyrocket to £1.2million – but they can’t sell the property.
Charles and Patricia Lester MBE, who are renowned in the fashion industry having dressed stars like Barbara Streisand and Adele, bought the historic Grade II listed Llanfoist House in Wales back in September 1971.
However, they find themselves unable to sell the house due to the impact of devastating landslides.
The stately home, believed to date back to around 1690 and divided into sections in the 1920s, is plagued by landslides and water damage from a nearby canal.
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The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, which runs close to Abergavenny, sits about 70ft above their home on a steep slope and has caused significant flooding over the years, as reported by Wales Online.
Notable incidents include a life-threatening landslide in 1975 and another major occurrence in 2014.
Now in their early eighties, Mr and Mrs Lester express that the constant fear of the canal’s threat has taken a toll on their health and made it nearly impossible to sell their home.
“We have been trying to sell the house for the last ten to twelve years. It has ruined our retirement,” Mr Lester said.
“We were going to retire to a home that we had built ourselves in west Wales. It was by the sea and it was built for old people. An old couple could have lived in and run it, while still staying in a stunning location.
“We had been working on it since the 1990s – completely rebuilding it. If you give two designers a blank sheet of paper, you get carried away. Sadly, we eventually had to sell it. It was heartbreaking.”
The stunning Grade II listed Country House is believed to date back to around 1690(Image: SWNS)
The couple’s property, situated within six acres of spectacular countryside, had previously belonged to Crawshay Bailey, the Newport MP who made his mark as a leading ironmaster, coal industry trailblazer and devoted railway champion.
The duo disclosed that both have experienced heart complications and endured countless “sleepless nights” whilst stuck in a dwelling far too big for an elderly pair to handle.
They found themselves compelled to accept a diminished bid of £850,000 for the residence – nearly half a million pounds below the property’s £1.2m valuation – to have any chance of achieving a successful sale.
Even that agreement fell through when the pair were unable to find a firm prepared to confirm the structure’s safety standards.
Mr and Mrs Lester have been at loggerheads with the Canal and River Trust (CRT), which took over responsibility from the government-operated British Waterways in 2012.
They claim the body has neglected its obligation to preserve the waterway and maintain their concerns ‘haven’t been taken seriously over the decades’.
Mr Lester, from Banbury in Oxfordshire, recounted the harrowing experience of a landslide in 1975 that nearly claimed his and his wife’s lives.
Designers Charles and Patricia Lester have made clothes worn by stars such as Barbara Streisand and Adele(Image: SWNS)
“We heard a noise and came out of the house to see great jets of water coming out of the bank,” said Mr Lester.
“A mass of 20,000 tonnes or so of water headed straight for us, bringing a tremendous amount of rocks and trees streaming towards where we were standing. I remember my body just froze.
“Luckily, the biggest trees came down first and their roots hit a wall and formed a sort of dam and stopped us from getting washed away.”
Reflecting on the history of the canal near his home, Mr Lester added: “The canal was closed in 1960. Back then, it was an extraordinary piece of engineering and there had never been a collapse in its 200 year history.
“That is how it was when we bought it. But then they dredged it for boats with modern propellers and they lined the canal with clay. British Waterways kept working their way down – dredging it deeper. We have had all our problems since then.”
He also shared that after the frightening incident five decades ago, he and his wife raised concerns with the Canal & River Trust (CRT), but lamented that maintenance issues continued.
“In the major landslide, the canal’s safety gates hadn’t worked because they had rotted away,” said Mr Lester.
“Afterwards, they continued to do all sorts of things which any competent engineer would tell you are terrible ideas. They put thick concrete at the bottom of the bank, with concrete slabs on the sides. They didn’t even put any seals on the joints.”
In 2014, the situation worsened as cracks began appearing on the banks near their home. “One of our engineers said that if the canal came down it could sweep us away” he explained.
The couple’s mansion is ;proving to be unsellable (Image: SWNS)
Mrs Lester from Buckinghamshire, expressed her ongoing trauma: “I still suffer from sleepless nights. Can you imagine what would happen if it went in the middle of the night?
“When something as big as the collapse happens and you know it could happen again, it makes you relive the whole thing again and again.
“I think about it every night when I go to bed. It’s a nightmare. You become really really stressed, not knowing if you’re going to be bankrupt or even killed. It takes your life up completely.”
The Lesters have previously attempted legal action against the CRT, utilising their housing insurance policy which included legal expenses cover up to £100,000.
A representative for the CRT commented on the canal’s historical significance, stating: “The canal is an engineering marvel from the industrial age that attracts visitors from around the world.
“Our charity works hard to keep it open and navigable for people to enjoy and for the benefit of wildlife. We will continue our programme of maintenance and repairs, monitoring for leaks or movement in the canal’s embankments and acting to remedy them as necessary, along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, including at Llanfoist.”
Charles and Patricia have dedicated over fifty years to the art of creating bespoke ladies gowns and interior design fabrics.
Their exquisite creations are celebrated in museum collections worldwide, with pieces featured at prestigious institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Ohio State University – Wexner Centre, Phoenix Art Museum, and Houston Museum of Fine Arts.
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