‘I felt I was being gaslit’ – the landlord who helped Raynor Winn and Moth

Chloe Hadjimatheou

Narrative Editor

‘I felt I was being gaslit’ – the landlord who helped Raynor Winn and Moth

Moved by the plight of the Winns, Bill Cole rented his cider farm in Cornwall to them at a knockdown rent. But they left him feeling confused and betrayed

In 2018, the illustrated cover of The Salt Path caught Bill Cole’s eye, and he found himself profoundly moved by the story. His wife had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, so Raynor Winn’s struggle to come to terms with her partner’s condition resonated with him. As did the idea that the couple had been conned by a close friend. Bill had also been betrayed by someone, costing him both professionally and personally, so he felt sympathy with Winn and her husband, Moth.

Bill, 58, had spent more than 30 years working in the City, mainly at a Dutch agricultural firm, Rabo Bank. He had saved for three decades to indulge his dream of owning his own farm. In 2011 he bought Haye at St Veep, nestling in the stunning Cornwall countryside overlooking the River Fowey. The heritage apple orchards have yielded cider there for more than 800 years.