5 days ago
Blow to plans to transform King's former holiday home
Plans to convert the King's former Welsh holiday home into a wellness centre have been thrown into chaos after the new tenant went into liquidation.
The Telegraph revealed in January that the monarch's beloved cottage, called Llwynywermod, on the outskirts of the Brecon Beacons National Park, had been leased to the Arusha Gallery, which planned to host plant healing workshops and retreats on the site.
The official launch was due to coincide with the summer solstice on June 21, but it has now been put on hold, The Telegraph understands.
The gallery has been beset with financial problems, with 10 artists alleging that they are owed almost £500,000 between them in missing payments.
It was plunged into crisis in January following the sudden death of co-director Guy Bargery.
Bargery, 60, the husband of co-director Bella Arusha Collins King, was found dead in the River Tay in Perthshire. He is understood to have killed himself for reasons unrelated to the art business.
Until recently, the gallery was said to be pressing ahead with its plans to open Arusha at Llwynywermod and said it was working 'exceptionally hard' to turn things around.
However, the gallery confirmed to The Art Newspaper on Tuesday that it was now in the process of liquidation. Its latest accounts are more than two months overdue, according to Companies House.
Social media posts relating to the launch of its venture at the King's former home, owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, have been deleted and its two gallery spaces, in Edinburgh and London's Fitzrovia, are said to have been temporarily closed.
A spokesperson for the Duchy declined to comment. The gallery did not respond to requests for comment.
The King purchased Llwynywermod for £1.2 million via the Duchy of Cornwall in 2007 after searching for 40 years for the perfect Welsh holiday home.
The estate, nestled in 192 acres of rolling countryside, comprises the main house, a Grade-II listed barn and two separate properties, North Range and West Rage, which were previously rented out as holiday lets.
The King spent years having it restored, with the help of architect Craig Hamilton and interior designer Annabel Elliot, the Queen's sister. He stayed there for a week or two every year.
It was there that he chose to retreat following the death of his father, Prince Philip, in 2021.
In 2022, following the death of Elizabeth II, it was inherited by the Prince of Wales as part of the wider Duchy estate and the monarch voluntarily gave up the lease.
Two years later, the Arusha Gallery was due to have been the first tenant. It hailed the 'remarkable' estate, which it said was 'steeped in quiet beauty, surrounded by a rich legacy of Welsh legend and history'.
The main space was due to become an art gallery with additional areas for performance, retreats and workshops.
The gallery said in January that it had taken its inspiration from the legacy of 'the legendary Physicians of Myddfai' - 12th century pioneers of modern medicine through herbalism.
Its inaugural event was due to include an exhibition, lectures and workshops 'designed to inspire our spiritual relationship with plants as healers and teachers'.
The King, who has been a lifelong supporter of alternative medicine and therapies, was not involved in discussions about the new tenancy.
