Elaine Rolfe told to clear garden at Llanover Estate or face huge bill

5:00pm Sunday 10th March 2013 in Gwent news Photograph of the Author By Melissa Jones

Elaine Rolfe pictured in the grounds of Ochran Mill in 2006 Elaine Rolfe pictured in the grounds of Ochran Mill in 2006

A MUM-OF-EIGHT who spent around £20,000 on creating a spectacular garden at her former home is faced with tearing its plants up, as her husband lies terminally ill.

While Elaine Rolfe, 50, was a tenant at Ochran Mill, on the Llanover Estate, she ploughed all her time and energy into the project, which featured in national newspapers and on TV.

But due to her husband David's ailing health from cancer, he had to give up work and the family downsized their property, leaving the treasured garden behind.

More than a month on and Mrs Rolfe, who says her husband has just days to live, has been told she must remove the plants or pay a clearance bill of up to £5,000.

This is because the landlord says the garden is too high maintenance for a new tenant to handle.

Today, Mrs Rolfe had people, including representatives from Bristol Zoo and gardening clubs, digging up the plants, sourced from specialist nurseries across the UK.

Mrs Rolfe, who is on benefits, said: "If I had the time I would do it myself, but my husband is so ill I can't leave him. It's upsetting they are trying to charge me, it's very stressful for our whole family.

"It has been a bit of a nightmare, we didn't want to move. I would like the plants to go to a good home."

The couple's daughter Jennifer, 24, said: "We have great memories of the garden from growing up. It's a lot of upkeep but it's amazing and I'd like to see it preserved."

Mr Rolfe, who hosted the Welsh Classic Pinball Open in Ochran Mill in 2010, fell ill with cancer in June last year.

At the time of the contest, the Argus reported how the hobby for the ex-web designer saw him ranked number 40 in the UK's list of top pinball wizards.

James Perks, resident land agent for the Llanover Estate, confirmed the approximate cost to clear the "overgrown" garden and put gravel down would be £5,000.

He said when Mrs Rolfe has removed what she can, the cost will be reevaluated.

He defended the landlord's timing of the garden work, given Mr Rolfe's deteriorating condition.

"If someone creates something extraordinary it's not going to be sustainable once they have left. We have tried to be as sympathetic as we can and to give Mrs Rolfe more time but we have to get it (the home) ready for another tenant. It has become a real wilderness and we can't leave the property empty for months," said Mr Perks.

"It's a shame the garden is going. The estate has very much admired what she has done there, but the scale is quite beyond what a normal occupier can manage," he added.

Comments(29)

gadget says...
7:00pm Sun 10 Mar 13

perhaps llanover estates could use some of the massive eu grant they were given to create business units on their estate to help out mrs rolfe

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rlewis says...
7:36pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Llanover Estates are nothing but greedy bullies. They treated my friends atrociously after their parents died.

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Anne teak says...
7:43pm Sun 10 Mar 13

This shows a complete lack of compassion.

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pwharley says...
7:58pm Sun 10 Mar 13

This is just laziness by Llanover Estate.

If they had tried, I'm sure they could have found a tenant willing to maintain the garden.

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Dixie Smith says...
9:08pm Sun 10 Mar 13

What a heartless landlord!

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ExNewport says...
11:41pm Sun 10 Mar 13

They should be ashamed of themselves.

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Robodad says...
7:05am Mon 11 Mar 13

gadget wrote:
perhaps llanover estates could use some of the massive eu grant they were given to create business units on their estate to help out mrs rolfe
Can you imagine the fuss if Llanover Estates used EU grant money (which was given to create business units) to subsidise a tenants gardening project? Get real gadget.

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gadget says...
8:04am Mon 11 Mar 13

Robodad wrote:
gadget wrote:
perhaps llanover estates could use some of the massive eu grant they were given to create business units on their estate to help out mrs rolfe
Can you imagine the fuss if Llanover Estates used EU grant money (which was given to create business units) to subsidise a tenants gardening project? Get real gadget.
I was merely trying to draw attention to the fact that Llanover estates are a very wealthy private landlord and the poeple that own it are dripping in money ,Even to claim that money in the first place show what kind of folks they are .Perhaps this explains why the rolfes are being trated this way.

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Ken.webb says...
9:29am Mon 11 Mar 13

Llanover estate have no social conscience whatsoever, as I know from personal experience. They give absolutely nothing and rule their tenants with an iron rod. Tenants have been asked in the past to pay for rotted replacement windows, rebuild stone walls that have been derelict for years, pay for decorating the exterior of the buildings in the estates chosen colours. They are medieval in outlook and tradition. What should be a happy little country community is spoiled by the tenants fear of what is to come next. My heartfelt best wishes goes out to Elaine, David, Jenny and the children. As an addendum, no one has mentioned all the children Elaine and David have brought up here, fostering and adopting, and the added pain of losing some of them due to Davids sudden illness. Shame on you Llanover Estate.

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Loose Ed says...
11:11am Mon 11 Mar 13

What a terrible way for the High Sheriff of Gwent's family to behave with their treatment of this lady and her family.

Nothing changes, I remember a BBC Wales proramme where the estate or it's land agent on their behalf, were trying to get farmers to rebuild dry stone walls that had been derelict for generations,
or face huge delapidation bills, first in the trough for any EU or CADW grants for their buildings, last in the queue when it comes to any kind of compassion.

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Floppy backed says...
12:29pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Llanover Estates havent a clue how to look after properties I have had family live in their property and it wouldnt be classed as habitable by the LA - some works were completed and the standard of workmanship was appalling and done on the absolute cheap! Rich landowners sucking the blood out of everything and everyone. Disgusting they should be ashamed!

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jen.blufell says...
12:43pm Mon 11 Mar 13

A shocking display of indifference to a lady who has given freely of her time for years, best wishes to her and her family.

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ecles666 says...
4:22pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Such a lovely Garden, i would be more than happy to have a garden as beautiful as this, Shame on you Llanover Estate agents, nothing but gold digger, have you heart?

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ecles666 says...
4:25pm Mon 11 Mar 13

ecles666 wrote:
Such a lovely Garden, i would be more than happy to have a garden as beautiful as this, Shame on you Llanover Estate agents, nothing but gold digger, have you heart?
Shame on you Llanover Estate agents, This garden is beautiful, how can you just rip it all up, the other tenants may love it, pound sounds ey, bad feed back results in loss, Karma.

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gordelpus says...
6:14pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Come on Elizabeth. Do the decent thing. Dave and Elaine have worked miracles with the children they've taken in over the years and the garden was a large part of that. This story reflects very badly on the Estate which appears heartless in face of Dave's terminal illness. Their world has been torn apart by Dave's illness and they deserve better than this. Our best wishes to you both and keep your chin up Dave. Our thoughts are with you.

The ex- Llanover Evans family

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Ken.webb says...
6:35pm Mon 11 Mar 13

For people reading these posts, when the family moved in to Ochran Mill it included 2 acres of very dilapidated land, including a very wet field. Over the years they have transformed it into something beautiful listed with the NGS Gardens open for charity, I have taken this description from their website:
"Grade II listed water mill (not working) in approx 2-acres. An abundance of colour and lush growth packed with many varieties of herbaceous perennials and colourful shrubs. Interest from early spring to late autumn, hellebores, roses, asters and many more
Field for picnics. Pinball and arcade collection (very popular with non-gardeners and children)."

You can see some of the work carried out and the effort expended here: http://ochranmill.bl
ogspot.co.uk/

I am not surprised by the action of the High Sheriff of Gwent, but feel really sorry for their tenants Elaine and Dave Rolfe. This garden has brought pleasure to many. Shame it is in competition with Llanover House gardens.

I hope Dave lives long enough to see a satisfactory conclusion to this debacle.

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emlynkide says...
8:24pm Mon 11 Mar 13

nothing changes does it

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Dee-Gee says...
8:32am Tue 12 Mar 13

Truly dreadful defense (if it can be called that) of their actions... "We've tried to be sympathetic, but it interferes with our ability to make money, and nothing's more important than that" Greedy people who believe in nothing.

Best wishes to the family who created something beautiful with their time - it won't be forgotten.

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bossslady says...
8:52am Tue 12 Mar 13

i have heard of the Lannover Estate agents !!!! play the game ..... cold hearted selfless act let the lady alone .... the garden is "BEAUTIFUL" WHY TAKE THAT FROM HER & WHY TRY TO MAKE HER DO IT ????????? if it gets taken away then wha t??? what ever peole have to keep it tidy absolutely ridiculous REMIND ME NOT TO RENT ONE YOUR PROPERTIES ! DISSSSGUSSSSTING BEHAVIOUR OFF PEOPLE WHO HAVE MORE MONEY THAN SENCE !! MY NANNA LIVED THERE ONCE UPON A TIME !! SO I KNOW ABOUT THE PROPERTIES THERE WELL. I

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bossslady says...
8:53am Tue 12 Mar 13

rlewis wrote:
Llanover Estates are nothing but greedy bullies. They treated my friends atrociously after their parents died.
AMEN

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SASHA.P says...
2:05pm Tue 12 Mar 13

I wish I could help this lady is there any way to contact her ? I would be quiet willing to give a day to help her clear some of the growth does she have a set date it has to be done by?this is a dreadfull thing for the landlord to do to her im disgusted by the article they really should be ashamed of theirselfs

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Poolerkev says...
6:17pm Tue 12 Mar 13

And the positives are? Oh, none. Greedy wasters living off the peasants. Sheriff of Gwent my backside.

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gadget says...
6:20pm Tue 12 Mar 13

This story is on the daily mail website

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Big Bus Driver says...
11:41pm Tue 12 Mar 13

these people on benefits always tell a good tale, there is always someone treating them unfairly, I guess they have a lot of time to dream up these things

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Ken.webb says...
7:17am Wed 13 Mar 13

Big Bus Driver wrote:
these people on benefits always tell a good tale, there is always someone treating them unfairly, I guess they have a lot of time to dream up these things
How ignorant to quote without reading the story, these lovely people were not on benefits, David was a well established web designer. He is now dying and deserves any benefits he or his family get after paying his income tax and National Insurance all his working life.
They adopted and fostered children.
They are good people and your criticism is as bad as the hateful actions of their ex landlords and their agent.

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Ken.webb says...
7:19am Wed 13 Mar 13

Big Bus Driver wrote:
these people on benefits always tell a good tale, there is always someone treating them unfairly, I guess they have a lot of time to dream up these things
And Llanover Estate DO NOT offer tenancies to people on benefits, every advert states 'No DSS'

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Loose Ed says...
11:01pm Wed 13 Mar 13

Well done everyone who posted sensible and informed comments the BBC Wales website is running a story at 2250 on Wedneday night that Llanover Estate have backed down and the family will incur no charges over this matter.
It's not an apology but a pretty big grovelling climbdown by an estate spokeswoman.
As for you Big Bus Driver try finding out some facts before coming on here slagging people off,big typing finger small brain.

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Ken.webb says...
7:36am Thu 14 Mar 13

Loose Ed wrote:
Well done everyone who posted sensible and informed comments the BBC Wales website is running a story at 2250 on Wedneday night that Llanover Estate have backed down and the family will incur no charges over this matter.
It's not an apology but a pretty big grovelling climbdown by an estate spokeswoman.
As for you Big Bus Driver try finding out some facts before coming on here slagging people off,big typing finger small brain.
Well said Loose Ed, it was pretty much as I thought would happen With todays technology it is hard to impose overbearing tyranny. Once only the local populace would hear of it and put it down to just another typical act of greed and exerting power over your serfs, now the whole world finds out very quickly.
God bless the internet and the thousands of people that commented on this issue, nearly every one of them supporting the Rolfes. There were not enough supporters of this vile act to fill half the estates' stock of aged hovels.
Let us all hope that the Rolfe family get to be allowed peace and quiet during this extremely traumatic time.

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Loose Ed says...
8:24am Thu 14 Mar 13

Ken
Lets hope the news gets published quickly by the Argus not in two days time.
You are right about the internet, it is indeed a powerful tool when used in this way, it seems that once some of the national newspapers ran the story yesterday their forums were deluged with messages of support for the family and disdain for Llanover Estate.

Best wishes to the Rolfe family.

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