John Henderson inherited the 1,565 acre Chesters Estate in 2003 from his grandfather, John Ogilvie, and at present it is home to five farms, a large Georgian manor house (built in 1790) and 14 cottages. Twenty five people live on the estate, along with approximately 1000 sheep, 100 cows, deer, pheasants and partridges. ‘I knew as a small child that the estate was coming my way one day,’ says John. ‘Many of my grandfather’s efforts were based around that knowledge, which helped enormously – I think it would be quite frightening otherwise. The work that is actually involved in keeping an estate together is considerable, but growing up with the knowledge that I was going to inherit meant I was much more attuned to what was involved.’

Earning a living

Although armed with this knowledge, it still didn’t provide John or even his grandfather with a quick fix for making the estate earn its keep. ‘My grandfather farmed and the house was never used for anything other than a home. He inherited it in a bad state with a huge mortgage which took about 25 years for him to clear. It was the late ‘70s before the estate was financially on a solid footing again.’ After John’s grandfather died in 1988 and his grandmother in 1991, the 40 room property started to crumble. The ceiling came down in the hall and there was subsidence in the back wing. John started the first stage of renovation in 2000, rewiring, replumbing and making sure it could withstand the Scottish weather.

Since then he has been researching ways that would allow him to live on the estate and use the skills he has gleaned from his advertising career in London. Fortunately, he married kindred spirit Ellie in 2005, and they’re working together to make living on the estate a reality. John gave up his advertising career in London last year and Ellie splits her time between London and the estate, managing her company, The Actors Temple. Chesters is first and foremost a home to the couple, a point they were keen to drive home when they featured on Channel Four’s ‘Country House Rescue’. The show’s presenter Ruth Watson urged them to turn Chesters into a full-on commercial venture, opening it to the public and using it as a conference venue. Although heeding Ruth’s advice, they were adamant that Chesters’ primary role would be that of a family home, and now that Ellie is pregnant with their first child, they feel they’ve been wise to stick their guns.

Decorating in stages

Their sentiments may be honest, but the Hendersons have to make a living. In the main house, the four public rooms – morning room, drawing room, dining room and games room are habitable and relatively untouched since John’s grandparents’ day. Upstairs, it’s an ongoing process, and the couple are gradually working their way through the bedrooms, which mainly need cosmetic work. The kitchen, although in working order, could do with modernising, but it’s the wings at the back and side of the house that cause the most concern. One requires serious building work. With this in mind, the couple have come up with a number of ideas to utilise the estate more efficiently while still retaining its character and their integrity. They are tentatively dipping their toes into the corporate and wedding market, opening the house up for exclusive use. And Ellie’s company, The Actors Temple, which is based in London, is also incorporating training sessions at Chesters into its syllabus.

However, the main plan is John’s aim to launch The Scottish Borders Brewery. ‘The concept didn’t quite come from the bottom of a glass, but it’s not far off!’ laughs John. ‘I think the timing for a micro brewery is right. People are keen to know the provenance of their food and drink and we’ve developed a holistic plough-to-pint ethos. We’ll produce cask ale and aim to distribute no further than a 75 mile radius to make it as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible. Country estates used to have their own breweries to provide beer for their workers, so I feel that we’re effectively going full circle.’ Substantial investment is required, and the renovation of a derelict mill building on the estate. Ruth Watson advised against this level of investment, but all her suggestions to make the estate more profitable included using the main house, something that the Hendersons can only bear to do in small doses.

‘I feel the same about Chesters as John,’ says Ellie. ‘I really value family, and when I came here and saw John and his mum Helen’s love for it, I can relate to it completely. I don’t see Chesters as a ball and chain, but you do have to take each day as it comes and obviously look to the future. The wing is falling down – we need to deal with it but we try not to get overwhelmed. It’s relatively simple. We look around the house and realise that crack is getting bigger – so that’s next on the list!’

Building a future

John and Ellie are attending to the problems though. They now have an estate builder and they’ve just completed the renovation of the first of the farm cottages, which will be a long term rental, with more to follow. John has finished his brewery course and is awaiting a decision about grant funding with the hope of having the brewery up and running by the end of the year. Ellie is maintaining a laid back approach despite the imminent patter of tiny feet. ‘It’s lucky for John that I’m not a woman who constantly wants to change the colour scheme and furnishings. You couldn’t have that kind of head with this house.’ She may be keen to get a nursery organised though! Before that happy event, ‘Country House Rescue’ are returning to do a ‘revisited’ programme, and despite its only being a year since the first one aired, Ruth Watson will undoubtedly be pleasantly surprised with the Hendersons’ efforts.

fieldfacts

For further information about exclusive use of Chesters Estate, The Actors Temple and The Scottish Borders Brewery visit www.chestersestate. com, or Tel: 07802 416 494.