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maunsel house

Will The Rock Star Inherit The Estate?


In 2006, when I learned about Sir Ben Slade's search for an heir for his home, Maunsel House in Somerset, England I remarked that it sounded like the makings of a reality TV show. Now the story gets even more interesting. After Slade's reality TV show on the Discovery channel, it turns out that one of the potential Slade heirs just might be Isaac Slade, the lead singer of the band the Fray. Isaac Slade recently paid a visit to Sir Ben to check out the estate. Reportedly the meeting went well and Isaac Slade is the front runner to inherit. It sounds like a match made in reality television heaven since Isaac Slade has a big enough income to pay for the expensive upkeep of the estate.

Who Wants To Be A British Heir?

Filed under: Estates

An English aristocrat, a country estate and the need for an heir, it sounds like the plot for either a romance novel, or, given the times we live in, a reality TV show. The New York Times profiles Sir Benjamin Slade, the owner of Maunsel House in Somerset England. Slade, who is 59 and childless has not found a relative willing to take responsibility for the estate which costs $140,000 per year to keep up not including incidental charges that arise. Slade is seeking an heir to produce children and make sure the estate continues to prosper. Maunsel House currently is rented out for weddings and parties.  He is hoping to find an American Slade with lots of enthusiasm for hard work so that the house doesn't have to be turned over to the British National Trust or sold. A television company wants to turn Slade's search into a reality TV show in which the potential heirs would live at the house and undergo challenges to determine the heir. You can see some interior pictures of Maunsel House at Sir Ben's website.


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