I live locally – my family are from nearby – so Eastnor has always been part of my world. I’ve worked here for around four years now. Before coming here, I worked on other estates, but Eastnor is different – and I mean that in the best way.
In a nutshell, as a land agent I’m responsible for the residential, commercial, agricultural, woodland and conservation areas of the estate. Everything outside the castle itself, essentially. It’s very varied – you very much need to have a “jack of all trades” approach – and that’s what I enjoy most. I have so much ground to work with that no two days are the same. It keeps me active, and it’s a great office.
Every estate follows a similar pattern, but they’re never the same. It all depends on the character in charge. Eastnor is a very entrepreneurial estate, with James Hervey-Bathurst very much having a brain for business. You can see that in projects like The Woodshed and the Land Rover Experience. For Land Rover, I’m responsible for maintaining the grounds and woodlands that the cars drive through – making sure the courses work, that access is right and that there aren’t too many challenges for them to get around once they leave the front entrance.
One of the parts of my job I really enjoy is working with our tenants, particularly the residential ones. You meet all sorts of characters at very different stages of life. We have a large and varied portfolio of residential properties across the estate. Just last week, I interviewed a newlywed couple looking for somewhere affordable to live where they could put down roots. Being part of those decisions feels meaningful.
Conservation is a huge part of my role. The park is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, so preserving it for future generations is vital. We’re currently developing a conservation project around a rare butterfly species in the Deer Park – the pearl-bordered fritillary. We’ve been working with a number of different parties and have put aside areas of the estate to encourage breeding pairs. They’re absolutely beautiful butterflies.
We’re also involved in a study around oak decline – looking at how environmental changes, water tables, insects and temperature affect oak trees, and how we can manage that. In the last 12 months alone, we’ve planted 4,000 trees, which is fantastic. At the same time, we have veteran oaks on the estate that are thought to be up to 2,000 years old. Making sure those continue on is incredibly important to us. We are a giant ecosystem, all working together.
If I had to pick a favourite spot in the estate, it would be the Obelisk. You get a wonderful view across the grounds from there. I also love the Deer Park – it gives you a beautiful view back towards the castle – though there are so many places across the estate where the castle suddenly reveals itself, sitting within a mosaic of grassland and woodland.
By agent standards, I’m quite young, so I’m very much in the early stages of my career. Ask me what I’m most proud of in 25 years’ time. For now, it’s about stewardship – making careful decisions that balance people, nature and the future of the estate.