It has weathered centuries of history – and countless fictional murders – but an iconic country manor may not survive the court of public opinion.
For years, the Grade-II listed Manor House in Little Missenden was a familiar face on British television – appearing in Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Miss Marple adaptations.
Now, however, the storied pile in Buckinghamshire has entered a new chapter – reborn as an Instagram influencer des-res for a well-heeled financier and his ‘digital creator’ wife who have been forced to apologise to their neighbours for their extensive renovations.
Investment banking strategist Hugh Karseras, 49, and former lifestyle consultant Hayley, 48, transformed the nine-bed, 16th century property in the charming village near Amersham, upsetting some neighbours who called the project ‘garish’.
The vast late-medieval pile – which was marketed for £4.75m in 2014 and is now thought to be worth around £6m – was long famed for its captivating period character and bucolic setting.
Now a sweeping renovation – featuring spa-style bathrooms, a contemporary kitchen extension and former outbuildings reimagined for candle-lit evenings and cold-plunge rituals – is likely to jar with period-property purists.
Mother-of-two Hayley – described by one newspaper as a ‘midlife fashionista’ who plugs Marks & Spencer and Tu clothing to her 1.3m Instagram followers – and Hugh, a former Deutsche Bank and Barclays strategist, have have documented virtually every step of their ambitious makeover online.
In one post, showing off a new extension, Mr Karseras revealed it had created a ‘spacious, tranquil and modern kitchen with utility, pantry, dining and lounge areas thrown in for good measure.’
For years, this Grade-II listed Manor House in Little Missenden weathered trends and remained as it was – but then new owners arrived
Hugh Karseras, and his wife Hayley have divided opinion in their village over the makeover of the property
Hundreds of thousands of pounds has since been poured into the home renovation project
Former lifestyle consultant and now ‘digital creator Hayley documented every step of the renovations on her Instagram
He added: ‘Our previous kitchen was on the roadside of the house, and while it was hundreds of years old and oddly charming in its own way, it had very poor usability: no work surfaces, no fixed cabinetry and an Aga and Fridge for appliances.
‘Most importantly though, it had no views of, or access to our gardens. Our new kitchen is everything our old kitchen could never have been.’
In another post from the new ‘kitchen snug’, Hugh described lighting fires and candles ahead of Hayley’s return from a spa retreat.
He added: ‘My plan was always to have a bit of a workout in the freezing gym followed by a sauna, plunge and open-air hot tub before dinner and properly settling down.
‘But tearing myself away from this spot will not be easy.’
The couple also showcase their revamped former schoolhouse outbuilding – now enclosed with bifold doors with added grey-washed timber for ‘a bit of a chalet vibe’. alongside reclaimed teak furniture, throws, candles and furs.
Mr Karseras told followers: ‘We love this room, it works really well with our spa rituals, but I probably love it most for the simple view that you see at the end.
‘The curve of the river, the weather on the water, the bushes and trees beyond, the red tiled roofs and then off in the distance the contours of the Chiltern Hills. It’s very easy to drift away in here.’
Elsewhere, Hugh explained why the home’s original 17th century Jacobean oak staircase was painted dark grey, while a former junk-filled bedroom is now, according to him, ‘the most spectacular space in the whole house’.
He added: ‘We love that it’s a real surprise for guests when they open the door. It is also serves as a real spa room and we love the ESPA candles and diffuser in this room which only enhance the spa- like ambience.’
Locals said the renovation took around 18 months, with road closures, noise and lorry traffic during the works
The high flying couple love to share snapshots from their glamorous life on the internet
The couple heavily modernised the kitchen of the grand manor house
Villagers noted that every step of the couples renovation journey was documented on Instagram
The couple also heavily landscaped the rolling green garden of the property
The former kitchen has become a snug with exposed beams, meat hooks repurposed for Christmas decorations and a log burner replacing a battered Aga.
Mr Karseras, whose posts are adorned with links to companies used during the revamp, adds: ‘Pretty much all of the furniture in this room including the corner sofa, as we have in many of our rooms, is made of reclaimed teak and made by a company that we love.’
Detailing his new bathroom, he adds: ‘As the double sinks attest, this was meant to be a his and hers bathroom, but Hayley tends to use her own rather bijou bathroom on the other side of the bedroom, so this has practically become mine and probably is a bit more masculine accordingly (I hope!).’
Another post revealed the couple had added a cedar-clad sauna and hot tub to the garden.
‘We added a hot tub and sauna to the outside landscaping but wanted them to blend in as much as possible so opted for cedar for both. But they are not just for show. We use them regularly,’ Mr Karseras said.
‘Last night before dinner Hayley and I both snuck in a workout, sauna and hot tub before dinner and settling into start ‘Girl Taken.’ I even managed a plunge in the river for a natural ice bath.’
Hundreds of thousands of pounds has since been poured into the home by Hugh and Hayley, whose Lady of the Manor Instagram account charts the transformation.
Locals said the renovation took around 18 months, with road closures, noise and lorry traffic during the works – though neighbours also described the couple as ‘lovely’ and said they ‘get on with everyone’.
A neighbour said: ‘They’re very proud of the house. They’ve worked really hard on it.
‘It’s not been inherited. It’s all from their work.’
But not everyone in the village was so complimentary of the ambitious transformation.
One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Mail the huge project had divided opinion.
‘It’s made the village very busy’, they claimed, ‘there was always noisy work going on.
‘It was all a bit garish to be honest with you, what with how they posted every step on Instagram. The village is a small place and naturally people are going to gossip if you insist on bragging about every step on the internet.
‘Why not leave the house alone? It was stunning as it was.’
Pictures taken from the Instagram show the vast and stylish home bar they have installed
The Manor House has a rich history, its original core a late medieval hall which was later expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the late 1700s it was owned by Dr Benjamin Bates, personal physician to Sir Francis Dashwood and member of the notorious Hellfire Club, who entertained artists and intellectuals.
The terrace gardens are believed to have been influenced by Swiss painter Angelica Kauffman, while plaster reliefs in the principal rooms are attributed to the sculptor John Flaxman.
Previous owner Thomas Cuff, whose family held the estate for nearly 60 years, once said the garden was its greatest asset, describing ‘the river curving round at the back of the house’ as ‘a very fine sight.’
He said in 2014: ‘Around here is known as Midsomer country and lots of the houses have been in the programme. It is a very pretty village.
‘They knock on the door and ask to use the house.’
The estate also boasts two three-bedroom cottages, a stable block, tennis court, walled kitchen garden, landscaped gardens, paddock and woodland.
In a statement the couple said: ‘We appreciate that the extension and restoration work on the Manor House caused some disruption, and we are sorry for any inconvenience that our neighbours experienced during the project.
‘From the beginning, we followed all listed building consents, planning permissions, environmental guidelines and building regulations, and we worked with a reputable local builder to carry out the work as carefully and sympathetically as possible.
‘The project was completed last summer, and we are grateful for the terrific patience and understanding shown by those neighbours living closest to us and most impacted during that time. We also feel it’s important to share that no one approached us to register any complaints throughout the entire project.
‘We feel very fortunate to be able to live in such a historic home, in such a lovely village and are committed to maintaining it responsibly for future generations.
‘We value our community greatly and would always prefer to discuss any concerns directly with our fellow villagers than through a story in the national press. Our door is always open.’
