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Privacy NoticeRenovating a grand coastal property while contending with hidden tunnels and spooky goings on has been a labour of love for TV presenter Anouska Lancaster. The interior designer and QVC UK presenter, and her husband Greig Scott, a specialist printer, snapped up three-storey, six-bedroom Penally House in the north Cornwall fishing village of Boscastle after a simple evening drive-by. “The whole of the front garden was covered in bluebells in the sunshine, and it has its own coastal path out to the sea. It just ticked every box for us.” Aside from continuing renovations, the duo are also embarking on new adventures in the property with the pair determined to locate a secret tunnel and investigate previous reports of resident ghosts. “Everyone in the village talks about a secret tunnel that leads from our house to the sea, but we haven’t found it yet,” says Anouska.
Penally House, in the north Cornwall fishing village of Boscastle, comes with hauntings and a secret tunnel
(Image: Darren Chung)
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“The owner of the house was a smuggler so it would have been for bringing in contraband. We’re hoping to find it full of gold one day! “We think a cupboard drops down into the tunnel so we’re exploring that, and we’ll also go out in a boat to explore the cave exit.” And what about those ghostly rumours that span back decades? “A Google search brought up Britain’s most haunted houses and Penally was in there,” Anouska recalls. “I said to Greig, ‘I don’t know if I can do this!’ “Rumour has it there’s the ghost of the original guy who killed himself here, and you can hear horses’ hooves going around the drive at certain times. There’s also the ‘lady’ passing through the window.
Interior designer and QVC presenter Anouska Lancaster put her stamp on the Grade II listed property
(Image: Darren Chung)
“I haven’t felt any haunted vibes but maybe she just loves my decor! I’ve been in haunted houses, but this feels warm with nothing untoward.” Built in 1836 for local merchant William Sloggatt, and set in 3 ½ acres of woodland, the Grade II listed home is perfect for the couple, who have four children and two dogs. “It’s a house we’d want to restore for our family and never sell on. I can see our grandchildren playing in the woods here,” says Anouska. Even so, coastal houses are notoriously tough to renovate, thanks to saltwater winds and hot sun. Luckily, Anouska loves a challenge, and they shared the first phase of the restoration on Channel 4’s Renovation Nation. The couple first viewed the property in May 2021, and began the refurbishment in January 2022. “Documenting our journey will be lovely for future generations. It’s our own piece of history.” The house has been badly treated in the recent past. In the 1980s, squatters removed the original fireplaces, mouldings and cornices, and even made fires on the original floors to keep warm.
Anouska’s eclectic taste is apparent in her ‘underwater’ dining room, inspired by art piece Great Barrier Reef by Kristjana S Williams
(Image: Darren Chung)
Anouska restored ceiling roses, cornices and mouldings to bring the property back to its former glory
(Image: Darren Chung)
“They wrecked it,” says Anouska. “It was important to me that the heritage of the house was kept. It had to feel like a period house, with lots of vintage furniture and heritage patterns, but with a modern twist because we’re a young family. “We wanted to bring the house back to its former glory, put back the heritage side and original features, but at the same time, put a fun, colourful twist on it.” With a quirky underwater diningroom theme to ‘create a experience for when I have guests over’ and a stunning bespoke ‘Penally pink’ bathroom, to loud and proud vintage wallpaper designs and statement art pieces that speak to the history of the building, Anouska has created an interiors masterpiece. Maybe amongst her incredible flair for bringing old and new together, she’ll also find the answers to some of her beautiful home’s hidden secrets. Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnInside Homes
