SHE fell hook, line and sinker — the minute Valerie Lister saw Morwellham Quay last November she just knew it had to be her next business venture.

Morwellham, a unique museum and heritage centre bordering the River Tamar, four miles from Tavistock, was on the market after a long struggle to keep it afloat financially, but Valerie could see its potential immediately.

Valerie and husband Simon had been looking for another business following the success of Bicton Park Botanical Gardens near Exeter, which they restored to its former glory over 12 years, and a hotel and golf club in the Teign Valley.

'We saw the advert in a local paper about Morwellham,' said Valerie, who is Devon born and bred. 'We had been looking for another business for some time and as soon as we drove down the hill and arrived, I knew this was it.

'It was so lovely and yes it was in a bit of a pickle but there was so much scope.

'I could see the potential for turning it back to what it once was, the way I remembered it when I came here as a little girl. It was on a school trip and I remember dressing up in the old Victorian clothes and thinking I was the bee's knees — it was one of the best school trips I ever went on.'

Valerie said it was the 'air of peace and tranquility' that made her fall in love with Morwellham.

'This place has something really special and it has to be good for me to say that because I have lived in quiet places with lots of space my whole life.'

The new owner said she wanted other people to feel what she felt every day, coming to work: 'There is something about it here that makes me really happy and I would be disappointed if other people did not feel the same.

'I think Morwellham could bring something valuable into everyone's lives.

Morwellham Quay, which was previously run by a charitable trust, ceased operating last year, after Devon County Council refused to grant further subsidy from taxpayers' money. It had already received £1.2-million in support from the authority and substantial funding from West Devon Borough Council as well as cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The trust claimed all the money and hard work that had been put into the site over the last two years was about to come to fruition but the financial crisis forced Morwellham into administration.

As a private enterprise, the Listers will receive no grant help for Morwellham but are convinced the business will be a success.

'There was talk about splitting parts of it up before we bought it but that would ruin what this place is about,' said Valerie.

Together with their son, George, the couple are currently restoring areas and are due to open the attraction to the public in the summer.

They admit it is early days and plans for the quay and its attractions will be ongoing.

One of the first priorities is revamping the kitchen at the Ship Inn to provide freshly cooked meals with the best local ingredients and the waterwheel will be back in action in the next couple of weeks, restored by on-site blacksmith and millwright Simon Summers.

Bicton Park, which is home to rare plants from all over the world, will have its influence on Morwellham with the introduction of more green areas and the installation of play equipment to make the attraction more family-friendly.

Family focus and education will play a big part in what happens at the site and the owners would like to improve facilities for the disabled.

There are also plans to bring in a membership scheme for local people so they can use Morwellham as a local resource.

The Listers will also use their Bicton Park newsletter, sent out to 85,000 households, to advertise Morwellham to a whole new audience.

Valerie said if people only came for the mine train it would be a once in a lifetime experience — visitors travel by train along the banks of the river before venturing deep underground into the George and Charlotte copper mine.

Train drivers offer an expert commentary on the technical aspects of hard rock mining while displays illustrate the harsh working conditions of Victorian miners.

'It completed blew me away,' said Valerie, 'and then as you go down the mine you suddenly see this huge working waterwheel.'

Most of the buildings on the historic port and estate, including the village school, miners' cottages and assayer's laboratory, date from 1780 to 1860, a time when Britain became the world's first industrial nation and Cornwall and West Devon dominated world copper production.

She has yet to absorb the full wealth of history that this corner of Devon holds but Valerie is learning fast as she gets stuck into everything from rubbing down walls to making scones.

The new owners are not afraid to get their hands dirty.

'We have a way of working and that is to be there whenever anyone needs us,' she said.

'We are always there for our staff and they are always there for us. We help each other and are like a big family and that is why our employees tend to stay with us for a long time.'

As far as the locals go, the Listers acquiring Morwellham has been seen as a good thing.

'Some of the local people have been down and we have introduced ourselves. They seem really glad that a family has taken it over and not a big company.

'I don't feel any pressure to make this work because I am convinced it will be successful. There is no doubt in my mind.'

Valerie said she felt it was fate that brought her to Morwellham: 'Before we took over Bicton Park it was a charitable trust and so was Morwellham.

'I think fate has played a hand somewhere.'