Owner of £2M home in Cornwall refused to sell it to anyone who wasn't local

The owner of one of the most historic homes in Cornwall has admitted he refused to sell the £2million property to anyone who was not local.

Lismore House in Helston is owned by Michael Jay who says he has received tons of interest and offers for the property, which is home to the town's famous Flora Day celebrations which mark the arrival of spring.

He says a lot of the people interested in buying his home in the town wanted to without even knowing what the famous, centuries old, celebrations were.

The house had been on the market with Christophers estate agents since May 2019, originally at a price of £2million. Most recently it was listed for £1.5million and was sold for an undisclosed sum.

The 77-year-old revealed he had eventually agreed to sell the home to Adam and Sarah Corbridge who own Wearnes Jewellers in Helston and Falmouth.

"I was interested that local people, and hopefully people actually from Helston, would buy the property," said Mr Jay.

"It's quite famous. It's a historic house in connection with Helston Flora Day And that has now been established because the people who have bought Lismore are a local family.

"There were several parties that were very keen but they were from up the country and didn't know anything about Helston Flora Day, so I wasn't very happy about it. I was in no hurry to sell the house.

"It has taken two years, but that is my fault. I wanted to make sure whoever bought it was local," he said, explaining none of the other interested parties were "good enough" for him.

The grand residence stands in enviable gardens and grounds of some 2.6 acres. Ordinarily, each year, Lismore’s picturesque ponds provide the backdrop to traditional dances as crowds gather to watch.

At the time the listing went up, Alan Christophers said: “As a Helston estate agency we feel extremely privileged to be invited to market Lismore, which has meant so much to generations of Helstonians through the integral part it plays in the Flora Day celebrations.

“It is a wonderful home with magnificent gardens and we, along with the owner Mr Michael Jay, hope that future owners will wish to continue the association that this superb residence has had with the town's most important day.

“Previous owners have embraced the wonderful relationship the property has with Flora Day and it is the very dear wish of the current incumbent, Mr Jay, that the new owners will welcome the opportunity of continuing this tradition.”