West Horsley Place has been used as a filming location for several shows, such as Enola Holmes, Howards End, Vanity Fair and Ghosts, and one resident claims she’s being thrown out
BBC’s Ghosts was filmed at West Horsley Place in Surrey, which is where Baschea Walsh has been living for nearly 20 years. However, she has now claimed that she is being thrown out of her home so fans can rent it out instead.
The 71-year-old has said that she was told in July that she has until the middle of November to leave, so it can be turned into a short-term let. Baschea is gutted at having to move out and says the property will be aimed at watchers of Ghosts.
Ghosts is 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.
READ MORE: Stacey Solomon left screaming in horror as Britain’s Got Talent stunt goes wrongREAD MORE: BBC Countryfile star with cancer in tears as he admits suicidal thoughts
However, it has been denied that 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 because of greedy landlords.
“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, who is the former host of University Challenge, who then decided to hand over the manor house and its assets to a charitable trust, which was aimed at restoring the building.
It has been used as a location for film and television productions, including Enola Holmes, Howards End, Vanity Fair and Ghosts, where the building was renamed Button House.
Baschea first moved into the house back in 2006 and said that it was instantly her dream home. 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. We never thought they would sink so low.”
Baschea said that the Ghosts film crew were on set for five months every year for five years straight and that filming could be very disruptive.
She said: “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.”
Ghosts followed the adventures of a living couple sharing a house with a group of spirits, and it was a ratings hit for the BBC with 6.2 million people watching the final episode in 2023.
A friend of the pensioner has started a petition to stop her eviction from the home, which has received more than 2,000 signatures. Baschea said that she has started looking for a new home, but that she will not leave her cottage until a suitable replacement is found.
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.”
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.