Series synopsis
Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith is a British documentary television series that premiered on More4 on January 13, 2026. It stars Penelope Keith.
From cafes to craft fairs, glamping to ghosts, join Dame Penelope Keith as she meets the owners of Britain’s historic country houses struggling to keep their homes intact. Featured properties include Ashby Manor in Northamptonshire, Chillingham Castle in Northumberland, and Mapperton House in Dorset. As these estates turn to innovative ventures to stay afloat, Keith offers insight into the challenges of maintaining these grand homes in 2025. Will their creative solutions be enough to save their ...
Premise
From cafes to craft fairs, glamping to ghosts, join Dame Penelope Keith as she meets the owners of Britain’s historic country houses struggling to keep their homes intact. Featured properties include Ashby Manor in Northamptonshire, Chillingham Castle in Northumberland, and Mapperton House in Dorset. As these estates turn to innovative ventures to stay afloat, Keith offers insight into the challenges of maintaining these grand homes in 2025. Will their creative solutions be enough to save their history?
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Penelope Keith as Self - Presenter
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 10 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 10 | January 13, 2026 | March 17, 2026 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 Insight into the work that goes into maintaining stately homes and gardens. In the Cotswolds, young couple James and Emma recently inherited Chavenage House and have bold plans to turn the estate into a glamping and sauna destination. At Brancepeth Castle in County Durham, the extended Dobson family take on their ancient and decaying windows of this 14th-century fortress-turned-country house. |
January 13, 2026 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 After 25 years neglect, Pitchford Hall returns to its original family, who face a huge restoration task. In the Cotswolds, young couple James and Emma recently inherited Chavenage House and have bold plans to turn the estate into a glamping and sauna destination. At Brancepeth Castle in County Durham, the extended Dobson family take on their ancient and decaying windows of this 14th-century fortress-turned-country house. |
January 20, 2026 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 The owners of Elizabethan Pitchford Hall in Shropshire are puzzled by dangerous sinkholes on the estate, possibly caused by an extraordinary subterranean Georgian bathhouse. In Dorset, American countess Julie Mapperton is hard at work restoring Mapperton House, and Brancepeth Castle opens its doors for the annual Dragon Quest, celebrating the legend of the infamous Lambton Worm. |
January 27, 2026 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | More4 |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 13, 2026 |
| Last aired | March 17, 2026 |
| Runtime | 47 minutes |
| Status | continue |