A woman living in a historic 17th-century manor in Wales confesses to not having washed her bedsheets or mattress for a century, raising eyebrows and capturing the public’s attention.
In Flintshire, North Wales, there is a Grade I listed 17th-century manor house with a remarkable story. Cornelia Bayley, the owner of the ten-bedroom Jacobean mansion, first caught the public’s attention in 2013 when she appeared on the TV show Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners. The reason for her appearance was shocking: she admitted that she hadn’t washed her bedsheets or mattress for a century.
While experts recommend washing or cleaning bedding at least once or twice a week to prevent the accumulation of dead skin cells, sweat, and saliva, Bayley’s home was a far cry from this standard. But how did she come to own this magnificent property?
In 1985, Cornelia Bayley spotted a great deal and purchased the mansion for a mere seventy thousand British pounds. Built-in 1610, the house was more than two centuries old at the time. Following a breakup with someone she considered the love of her life, Bayley decided to move into the mansion, which seemed like a time capsule from a bygone era.
When she first acquired the property, it was barely more than a shell. Bayley had to invest tens of thousands of pounds to make it habitable, intending to live there for the rest of her days. However, financial difficulties eventually caught up with her. As her funds dwindled, she was forced to live on a modest retirement pension, barely enough to make ends meet.
Over the years, the once-grand mansion has become increasingly grimy. Bayley confessed to having cleaned it only once or twice since moving in during the 1980s. Reflecting on the situation, she remarked, “Two hundred years ago, there would be twenty or thirty people looking after the house. Now there is just me and the cat.”
Bayley’s personal hygiene has also suffered. She admitted to not bathing for two or three years due to a broken boiler that she couldn’t afford to repair. To cope with her circumstances, she pretends to be living in the past. “In the 18th century, people didn’t bathe all the time, so I’m just living in another age,” she explained.
During her appearance on the TV show, Bayley revealed the shocking truth about her bedding. Not only had she never washed her sheets, but she also believed the mattress she slept on was over a century old. “(The mattress) could be 100 years old or something. You know, this is how people used to live years ago – and I still live like that,” she told the show’s hosts.
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This unique story paints a vivid picture of a woman who fell in love with a historic manor house, only to find herself struggling to maintain it in the face of financial challenges. Cornelia Bayley’s experience serves as a reminder that sometimes, even the most beautiful things in life can come with their own set of difficulties.
Source: AWM