This week Ruth is at Whitbourne Hall, a Grade II listed Palladian mansion nestled in the Worcestershire countryside. This magnificent house was built in 1860 by the wealthy Bickerton Evans family, but over the years they struggled to keep the estate going. In the summer of 1977, the family invited a group of friends to move into Whitbourne in return for help with its upkeep. They set up a commune like existence in a bid to live harmoniously together, but the dream was short lived; after just three years the community disbanded and a company was formed to purchase the property for $108,000.