For nearly six decades, the elegant family home near Wandsworth Common in southwest London was more than just a place to rest for Prunella Scales and Timothy West—it was the heart of a remarkable partnership, a sanctuary for a family deeply woven into British theatrical history, and, in the end, the place where Scales, beloved by millions as Sybil Fawlty, spent her final moments.
According to the Daily Mail, Prunella Scales died peacefully at her cherished residence on October 27, 2025, aged 93. Her sons, Samuel and Joseph, shared in a moving statement that she was watching Fawlty Towers—the sitcom that made her a household name—the day before she passed. The home, purchased in 1968 with her husband Timothy West, remains listed in both their names at the Land Registry, a testament to their enduring bond. West himself died in November 2024, aged 90, after a life of love, care, and shared artistry with Scales.
Their marriage, spanning 61 years, was rooted in a chance meeting on the set of the BBC drama She Died Young in 1961. As Hello! recounts, the couple quickly found common ground, spending their off-camera hours doing crosswords and writing letters—a habit that became a lifelong ritual. “We love writing letters about something that the other person might have missed or not quite understood. We would make each other laugh and make each other find out about things,” Timothy once reminisced on Loose Women.
Two years after their first encounter, Prunella and Timothy tied the knot in a low-key ceremony at the Chelsea Registry Office. Eschewing tradition, Prunella wore a tailored houndstooth coat with black accessories and a fur hat, while Timothy kept things simple in a suit and tie. Their wedding day style would later be echoed by fashion icons, but for the couple, it was simply another expression of their unique partnership.
As their careers flourished, so did their family. Prunella originated the role of Sybil in Fawlty Towers in 1975, while Timothy became a fixture in British theatre and television, appearing in shows like Coronation Street and EastEnders. The couple welcomed two sons: Samuel, who would follow in their footsteps as an actor, and Joseph, who chose a quieter path as a teacher in France.
“I am famous for playing unfortunate wives, but I have been a very lucky wife – it will be 50 years of marriage next year,” Prunella told The Guardian in an interview. She recounted the birth of their eldest son, Sam, with characteristic humor: “Tim was brilliant when I was in labour… Sam, our elder son, popped out, and Tim said, ‘very good, no retakes,’ and I laughed so much that I had to have stitches.”
Samuel West, now known for roles in All Creatures Great and Small, Slow Horses, The Crown, and Mr Selfridge, also serves as a director of Snipe Productions, the family company Prunella founded in 1972. As of March 2024, Snipe Productions held reserves of £293,800, according to company accounts signed off by Samuel. Timothy West remained listed as a director even after his passing, highlighting the enduring family ties to the business.
Joseph, meanwhile, found his calling in education. After earning a first-class degree in French at Manchester University, he settled in France with his wife and children. Prunella once expressed her pride in his chosen path: “I’m very proud and happy that they are teachers as we need good teachers. They have three children who speak very good English but it’s a little bit posh, actor’s English – I think they’ll have to modify it if they work over here. I love being a grandmother.”
Timothy West’s family extended beyond his marriage to Prunella. He was also father to Juliet, a hairdresser who contributed her talents to the family’s television endeavors, notably Great Canal Journeys. Juliet’s warmth and humor shone through on the show, and her close relationship with her father and stepmother was evident. As Samuel told The Times, “Juliet was amazing on the series. There are clips of her talking and she’s by far the most natural and funny of all of them. She spent a wonderful time on it and saw a lot of my dad.”
The couple’s professional lives remained intertwined even in retirement. From 2014 to 2021, they co-presented Great Canal Journeys, a 13-season odyssey through the world’s scenic waterways. The program became a gentle celebration of their partnership and resilience, especially after Prunella’s dementia diagnosis. Despite her symptoms, she continued to appear on the show, with Timothy remarking, “She can’t remember things very well, but you don’t have to remember things on the canal. You can just enjoy things as they happen — so it’s perfect for her.”
Their generosity extended beyond the screen. As revealed by the Daily Mail, Timothy West’s will was marked by thoughtful bequests to charities close to the couple’s hearts. He left £15,000 to The Combined Theatrical Charities Appeals Council, £10,000 each to the Bristol Old Vic, Theatre Royal Trust, Southwark Cathedral, Snipe Charitable Trust, and Medecins Sans Frontieres UK, and £5,000 to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. His sister, Patricia Anne West, received £20,000, while the remainder of his £109,892 estate—reduced from £221,425 after deductions—went to Prunella. An amendment in March 2024 noted, “I declare jointly with my wife Pru we are giving to our son Sam the sum of £300,000 to aid the renovation of his home.”
In their final years, the couple’s love story continued to inspire. Through illness and loss, they remained devoted. Prunella’s decade-long battle with dementia was met with unwavering care from Timothy until his own passing. Their sons, Samuel and Joseph, stood by them, upholding the family’s legacy of compassion and creativity.
As the curtain falls on the extraordinary lives of Prunella Scales and Timothy West, their story endures—not just in the bricks and mortar of their family home, but in the laughter, generosity, and love they shared with each other and the world.
