Anna Tyzack

If Henry Hobhouse's father hadn't blown the family fortune, Hadspen House near Castle Cary in Somerset would be his. Instead, he lives in a converted pig sty nearby and the house and surrounding estate belongs to Koos Bekker, a South African telecom billionaire, who with his wife, Karen Roos, has turned it into a hotel called The Newt. When Hobhouse fell in love a few years ago, he booked a room at the hotel, which charges from around £550 per night. For the most part though, when he visits his family estate, it's as a garden member – Bekker waives him the £40 per year local membership because he's a Hobhouse.

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