Estate Matters

James Nason and his wife, Rowena Colthurst, own Pitchford Hall and Estate in Shropshire. At least, they do now. In 1992, Rowena’s mother was forced to sell the Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house. Although the family retained the surrounding land, James and Rowena made it their mission to buy back the Hall and reunite her family home with the wider estate. In 2016, the couple raised the funds t...

Ben Bolgar is the Executive Director for Projects at The King’s Foundation. He first discussed architecture with the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, at Kensington Palace in 1988 and there was a meeting of minds that has underpinned Ben’s work during his nearly 25 years at the Foundation. In that time Ben has led over 50 collaborative planning and design frameworks all over the world, champi...

Turning underutilised land into thriving leisure and hospitality destinations is what entrepreneur Joel Cadbury does best. In the latest episode of Estate Matters, the founder and chief executive of Longshot tells podcast host Anna Byles how he has spent 30 years spotting opportunities where others see challenges. Joel describes how, as chair of The Royal Parks Foundation , he transformed empty bu...

Gavin Lane is President of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA). Gavin, who farms 1,200 acres in Norfolk and runs a holiday lettings business with his wife, Jane, explains one of his ambitions during his two-year presidency is to try to present an accurate and positive view of what farmers and landowners provide for their communities and the nation more widely. He tells podcast host Ann...

Lord Gascoigne is Chair of the House of Lords Built Environment Committee.  In this episode, Lord Gascoigne discusses how he got into politics; worked with Boris Johnson on his election campaign for Mayor of London in 2008, through to Johnson later taking office as Prime Minister.  He goes on to explain the key findings from the first part of the Committee's enquiry into New Towns, emphasisin...

Living life in the glare of publicity, with a hugely popular YouTube channel, would not be for every owner of a historic country Estate. But for James Lowsley-Williams and his wife Emma, documenting the running of the 500-year-old Chavenage Estate in the Cotswolds to thousands of viewers every week has proved to be a major success. In this episode of Estate Matters nothing is off-limits as James,...

Rebekah Pierce is a farmer and solar grazier in New York state. In this episode she explains how she got into farming by ‘accident’, but is now paving the way with ‘Agri Energy’ through solar grazing. She candidly explains to podcast host, Anna Byles that energy and food production don’t have to be separate and it is projects like her own solar grazing that are bridging that gap.  Listeners will a...

Eliza Ecclestone is the owner and Managing Trustee of St Clere Estate in Kent and Executive Chair of Trustees at Chevening Estate - the official country residence of the Foreign Secretary.   Eliza talks openly about the challenges she has faced since unexpectedly inheriting the 3,000-acre estate near Sevenoaks in Kent. But those challenges have not stopped Eliza’s YIMBY (yes in my backyard) attitu...

Jake Fiennes is one of Britain’s most high-profile and in-demand conservationists and he sat down with podcast host, Anna Byles, at Holkham Nature Reserve in Norfolk. Jake speaks candidly about the need for a natural capital 'Doomsday Book' to accurately measure the UK's fauna and flora, and what that means - not only for landowners - but a broad spectrum of land and green space cus...

Andy Squires is the Lead Security Consultant with County Investigations who work with land-owning clients across the UK to remove trespassers from private land and deter them in the first place. In this episode, Andy shares why landowners are not best placed to deal with trespassers and how the company's approach helps to avoid challenging situations. As a former police officer, Andy says his...

Kim Wilkie is a strategic and conceptual landscape architect, designing projects all over the world.  He is currently working with the Duchy of Cornwall to masterplan a new settlement South of Faversham, Kent.  Kim's key principle, and the title of his book is: 'Led by the Land'. He belives it is critical to consider how land, water, communities and people fit together. 

Patrick Galbraith is a columnist and author.  His recent book: 'Uncommon Ground: Rethinking our relationship with the countryside', explores the debate on access.  In this episode of Estate Matters he tells host Anna Byles about the estates he visited and the people he met as part of his research, including landowners and access campaigners.  Patrick's conclusion is that there needs...

Joe and Keeley Evans run the Whitbourne Estate in Herefordshire.  In this episode of Estate Matters, they discuss the challenges of growing their hospitality business, Crumplebury and what they have planned for the future of the estate.   Joe also talks about his Vice Presidency of the CLA and what he hopes to achieve in his time as President.  https://whitbourneestate.co.uk/ https://www.crumplebu...

Dr Johnny Wake is a Doctor turned Estate Manager.  He is the managing partner at his family's 1,700-acre Courteenhall Estate in Northamptonshire, as well as holding several positions with organisations including LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) and the Environmental Farmers Group.  In this epiosde of Estate Matters, Johnny talks about a people-focussed approach to both medicine and land...

Sir William Worsley is the owner of the 3,000-acre Hovingham Estate in North Yorkshire, which has been in his family for more than 450 years. He is joined in this episode of Estate Matters by Avril Roberts, Senior Property and Business Policy Advisor with the CLA.  The pair discuss masterplanning for rural estates and the importance of good communication and engagement with neighbours and stakehol...

Managing Director of Estates at Blenheim Palace, Roy Cox, is the first guest to join Season Two of the Estate Matters podcast. Roy, along with host Anna Byles and KOR's Senior Public Affairs Consultant, Andrew Howard, discuss the reasons behind the Estate's proposed solar farm at Botley West in Oxfordshire.  Roy explains how the rigid planning process governing nationally significant inf...

Iestyn John is a Partner at Planning Consultants, Bell Cornwell. In this episode of Estate Matters, he is joined by KOR's Senior Consultant in Public Affairs, Andrew Howard.  The pair discuss the detail in the updated Framework and what opportunities that poses for landowners. Both agree the main thrust of the revisions is creating more new homes, more quickly.  But will that mean compromisin...

Charlie Forbes Adam was responsible for Escrick Park Estate for 32 years, before handing over responsibility to his son, Beilby in recent years.  The Yorkshire estate, comprising a residential and commercial property portfolio, a 2,500 acre in-hand farm, a holiday park and a forestry operation, has been in the Forbes Adam family for over 350 years.   In this episode of Estate Matters, the father a...

Michael Birnie (Property Director) and Sarah White (Head of Learning Programmes Development) from The Ernest Cook Trust, discuss how the management of the nine estates that make up the land holdings of the charity, is carried out with a clear focus on the Trust’s primary purpose as providers of outdoor learning. Michael describes the challenges of explaining that the Trust has charitable objects,...

Philipp Lukas is Chief Executive Officer of Future Biogas - who develop and operate Anaerobic Digestor (AD) plants in the East of England.  In this episode Philipp discusses the challenges of promoting AD plants, including allaying fears that sites will smell and increase traffic.  He is joined by KOR's Senior Public Affairs Consultant, Andrew Howard who explains the principles of communicati...

Ben Murphy is the Estates Director for The Duchy of Cornwall's 130,000 acres, spread across 23 counties. The Duchy earned a reputation for building beautiful places that meet local needs with Poundbury in Dorset, now seen as a blueprint for placemaking by designers, architects and planners all over the world. In this episode of Estate Matters, Ben reveals that the key to the success of Poundb...

Molly Biddell is the Head of Natural Capital at Knepp Estate and Nature Based Solutions Manager at Hampton Estate.  In this episode she explains how food production and caring for the natural world are inextricably linked – but that it will take a cultural shift in the countryside to change the way many farmers and land managers view their role.

CLA President Victoria Vyvyan gives her thoughts on the approach of the new Labour Government.  In an open and frank conversation with Estate Matters host Anna Byles, Victoria explains how she became involved with the CLA and discusses how she hopes new Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, will tackle issues around planning, energy and food production.  

In July 2024, Estate Matters celebrates its 1st Birthday! Listen back to just some of the highlights of the last 12 months.  Guests have provided insights across the rural and development sectors, from farming to journalism, politics to housing.  But the over-arching theme, which has proved of significant interest to an audience in the land-based economy, has been the importance of communications...

Minette Batters was the President of the National Farmers' Union for 6 years until February 2024.  In her time as President, she navigated the effects of Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis and worked alongside six Secretaries of State. In this episode of Estate Matters, recorded at The Royal Bath and West Show, Minette shares some of the challenges sh...