After purchasing their Herefordshire home in 1991, Monty Don and his wife Sarah had a mammoth task ahead of them. A historic Tudor property located in Leominster; Longmeadow had no roof, electricity, running water or sanitation when they happened upon it.
With an extensive list of renovations to tick off, Monty and Sarah took up residence in a rental farmhouse down the road, but after moving in, the couple were faced with a waking nightmare.
Recalling the "horrid" experience in The Jewel Garden (2005), Monty writes: "Having spent eight months lodging with Sarah's parents, we rented a farmhouse a mile or so down the road from our new house. This place may have looked charming from the outside, but was damp, cold and rat-infested.
© Instagram"In the kitchen only the fridge was a rat-free zone. We would hear them scrabbling in the cutlery drawers in the evening whilst we ate and watch them hopping on the lawn in broad daylight."
Having recently welcomed their second son, Tom, at the time, Monty and Sarah were extremely concerned for the safety of their baby.
© Shutterstock"For three months, Tom slept with us because we were frightened they would attack him in his cot," penned Monty. "It was a symptom of our apathy that we never thought of asking the landlord to do something about this."
This period in their life was particularly challenging – The chapter itself is titled 'Rock Bottom'. During their stay at the rat-infested rental, Monty and Sarah were also struggling financially.
© Nick Harvey/Shutterstock"When you have no money things you have taken for granted become a major obstacle. One of these was simply getting around," he states.
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"Our nearest shop was five miles away, the children's village school two miles. There was no public transport. Just getting them to and from school took petrol and wear and tear. We dreaded the roadside hedges being cut because it usually resulted in a puncture that cost a third of our weekly income to repair."
© InstagramIn a 2020 interview with The English Home, Monty revealed that "It took 10 years to finish the initial building work," but it all worked out for the best. Now a forever home for Monty, his wife Sarah and their dogs, the couple's children have since flown the nest, but often return to the beautifully renovated Longmeadow.
With 10 work rooms and studios, a sitting room and four bedrooms, the house is perfect for entertaining, as well as Monty's stints on Gardeners' World.
