Entrepreneur David Piper and Lord of the manor of Warleigh, near Plymouth has spent several years trying to sell his 111 acre estate which overlooks the beautiful Tavy river as it flows into the Tamar on the Devon-Cornwall border.

“It's costing me £1.23 a minute to run," said the portly Devon Lord on BBC television yesterday.

When divorced Lord David Piper found himself rattling around in the 71-room Grade II listed house, he wanted to sell it but people told him he would receive more interest in the estate if he advertised for a wife at the same time.

"I was very much interested in finding a wife, actually,” said David “But the ad was to increase awareness around the world of the estate."

The 53-year-old property developer placed an advert in the International Herald Tribune at the end of last year. Eight months later, after receiving more than 1,300 replies from women all over the world, the lord has chosen his lady – 32-year-old Mexican, Rosaura Cappelleri from America.

And yes, you guessed it – she’s a real estate agent to boot.

Rosaura Cappelleri sold her flat in Salt Lake City and brought herself and her two children halfway around the world to live with Lord Warleigh in his 71-room house in Tamerton Foliot on the banks of the river Tavy. "It started off as a bit of joke,” said Rosaura, “After seeing David in a television interview I wanted to find out more about him. I found it interesting that he described himself as eccentric."

"I must be crazy," she giggled on TV yesterday, adding, "My children are French and I was really interested in coming to Europe so they could have a little bit more of their own culture."

Of possible romance with Mr Piper she said: "We're very good friends and I'm here in the UK and want to see what comes."

And if it’s early days for the romance, at least the advertising seems to have worked for the estate. David Piper has accepted an offer on Warleigh House. If the sale goes through, Mr Piper will keep around 10 acres of land and his title.