12
AG R I C U LT U R E & D I V E R S I F I CAT I O N
AG R I C U LT U R E & D I V E R S I F I CAT I O N
13
HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION
RECYCLING SCILLY’S
FLOWER BARNS
PRISTON MILL – EIGHT YEARS ON
WIGGLY WIGGLERS
TROPHY FOR BRIMPTS FARM
SHOP BENEFITS FROM
GOOD ADVICE
Many farms run bed and breakfast
businesses, ranging from a spare bedroom
to fully serviced suites of rooms, or offer
self catering accommodation.
In the early part of last century the
small scale of the Islands’ specialist
cut flower horticultural industry meant
small barns were built. These were
constructed of blocks of granite,
topped with natural grey slate or
imported red tiles.
Much has changed at Priston Mill Farm
since the watermill and surrounding
grounds were given by King Athelstan
to the monks of Bath Abbey in 931 AD.
Imagine spending your working day
surrounded by worms – does that
sound like something from a horror
movie? In fact ‘Wiggly Wigglers’ is
a very successful diversification
business located in the depths of
rural Herefordshire.
There is no doubt that hard work and
a tenacious approach are prerequisites
for success in diversification. It is
particularly pleasing that this has been
recognised with the award of the John
Neason Memorial Trophy to Brimpts
Farm on Dartmoor. Here Andy
Bradford and Gabrielle (Gaye) Cross
have bravely undertaken the conversion
of a substantial former hay barn to
create a function suite and 10 adjacent
guest rooms.
Two years ago, Andy Jeffery and his wife
Tish, of Home Farm, Farrington Gurney,
asked adviser John Stanley of the Farm
Retail Association to look at their shop
and make suggestions. His verdict was
damning, but ultimately helpful:
The Trophy is awarded to the winner
of an annual competition which seeks
the best examples of a farm in Devon
combining agriculture, conservation of
the environment and this year – for the
first time – farm diversification.
“It has to be bigger, the customers must
go around clockwise, the till has to be at
the exit, the displays must be ‘shoppable’
and the products labelled properly. The
staff must be friendly, knowledgeable and
look smart. The shop must aim to be
unique and up-market, and provide
customers with the whole weekly food
shop, with long opening hours.”
Professionalism and standards have
risen. Most B&B businesses, encouraged
by tourist organisations, grants and
local authorities, offer facilities such
as ensuite bathrooms as standard.
However, care is needed to avoid
harming the character and historic
integrity of old farmhouses, and it is
important not to focus on providing
fashionable amenities at the expense
of overall ambience and quality.
Philip and Janice Kitto of Treveria Farm at
Looe in Cornwall have been offering bed
and breakfast accommodation for the last
10 years. “Initially this pin money was
for general improvements to the house
and for a few extras for the family,” they
explain. “Today the business generates
a significant contribution to the overall
farm income.”
At Highdown Farm, an organic dairy
farm near Exeter, Graham and Sandra
Vallis offer self-catering accommodation.
They renovated a variety of 400 year old
farm buildings which now provide units
of the very highest quality, each with its
own garden; they also offer babysitting
services and supply fresh organic fruit
and vegetables from a nearby farm. “It is
important to think of things that will give
your business the extra edge to attract
customers,” says Sandra.
Marketing is vital and many businesses
use the Internet, have their own web
site or belong to a group website. It
can also help to be included in a good
specialist guide to farm accommodation.
Above left: Bedroom at Treveria Farm
Above centre: Converted barn on Isles of Scilly
Above right: Stained glass window at Priston Mill
The growth of the flower industry
required larger buildings designed
for modern machinery and equipment.
This freed up the smaller barns. With
essential grant aid from the Rural
Development Commission (now from
the South West England Regional
Development Agency) the Duchy,
together with architect Alf Trewin of
the Trewin Design Partnership, building
surveyors Piers Owen of Stratton &
Holborow and St Martin’s resident
John Poat, has recycled these buildings
for business and residential uses.
On St Martin’s barn projects include a
bakery, studio/galleries and new cottages.
Barns on Bryher have been adapted
to provide new housing, while former
gig sheds have been converted into a
studio gallery and a public waiting
room/visitor information point. On St
Mary’s, more barns have been transformed
into accommodation and work is in
progress on a workshop/studio.
Now Priston Mill has been beautifully
transformed into a venue for weddings,
activity days and social events. The
machinery and wheel survive, but
instead of grinding flour the mill
now accommodates 90 for dinner.
It complements the listed Tythe Barn,
also converted, which was a delightful
venue for the Eastern and Herefordshire
Tenants’ Lunch this year.
Priston Mill tenant Peter Hopwood
says: “The one constant at Priston is
change itself. Changing ourselves, and
encouraging those around us to adopt
new ways of doing things, can be an
intensely painful process. However,
provided we are prepared to adapt to –
or even to shape the future – we may
actually turn the uncertainties that face
our industry to advantage.
“I firmly believe that the future is in
our hands alone – don’t expect any
help from politicians. Once our industry
abandons its dependency culture, the
fight back can begin in earnest.”
Philip and Heather Gorringe live at
Lower Blakemere Farm where Philip
and his father Adrian farm the 500
acre Duchy holding.
Heather runs ‘Wiggly Wigglers’ from
a range of traditional farm buildings,
using an office in the farmhouse.
With a staff of eight, Heather originally
started worm composting, but the
business has developed considerably
and now supplies various live worms
and grubs for feeding garden birds.
Both domestic and commercial markets
are supplied, importing equipment and
exporting kits around the world. The
Eden Project in Cornwall is a customer.
The Duke of Cornwall saw the business
at first hand when he visited the farm
in May 2002. He saw the range of
worms, grubs and associated products
as well as the impressive marketing
methods based on internet sales.
DIRECTORY BOOST FOR DUCHY BUSINESSES
The Duchy Directory is in the process of being compiled and will be
a useful reference tool.
community with shared expertise
and knowledge.
Tenants have been encouraged to contribute and so far very positive feedback
has been received from a wide range of businesses. The diversity of businesses
within the Duchy is amazing – from dentists to travelling tailors, as well as
leisure and accommodation providers and, of course, farming in all its various forms.
It is hoped that the Directory will lead to more cooperation between tenants,
help pool resources, sell commodities, share ideas and lead to the setting up
of co-operatives within the Duchy. The aim is to make the Duchy a closer-knit
For more details, please contact:
Graham or Sandra Vallis,
Highdown Farm, Bradninch, Exeter,
Devon EX5 4LJ. Tel: 01392 881028
Email: [email protected]
Graham and Sandra Vallis at Highdown Farm.
The diversification project has
successfully capitalised on the assets
of the farm and the stunning
landscape. Since opening in 1996,
Andy and Gaye have entertained
a wide variety of clients at a range
of events, including management
teams from Estee Lauder and British
Telecom, training courses for
Operation Raleigh and numerous
conferences for local organisations.
“To be told by a consultant that the old
farm shop is wrong in every way is
difficult to swallow – but it starts you
thinking: ‘What if we did everything
right?” says Andy.
To make the changes the Jefferys needed
to raise £120,000. They received a grant
from the Local Community Fund, and
another (for 25 per cent of the nonbusiness conversion costs) from the South
West England Regional Development
Agency. Most importantly, according to
Andy, they also had a friendly bank
manager and a sympathetic landlord!
To avoid complications, Andy and Tish
took the precaution of consulting their
local authority environmental health
officers during the conversion. A local
butcher, Jon Thorner, now runs the fresh
meat counter.
The new shop opened in June 2001.
Planning permission for a coffee shop
and a commercial kitchen was recently
granted and work on these is underway.
Above left: Grubs up at Wiggly Wigglers
Above centre: The converted hay barn at
Brimpts Farm
Above right: The Jeffery’s Farm Shop
14
H O M E FA R M
H O M E FA R M
scientists, students, politicians and journalists –
have passed through the farm gates. Farm walks
are held throughout the summer and Home
Farm’s role as a ‘showcase’ for the organic
movement is increasing year on year.
Sixteen years of organic growth
The new dairy parlour at Home Farm
A traditional seven year crop rotation is in
place, alternating three years of clover with
wheat, oats, beans and rye. The wheat and
oats are used in The Prince of Wales’s Duchy
Originals food brand, while the rye is sold
wholesale for organic bread through the local
Shipton Mill.
Milk has become a mainstream enterprise at
Home Farm, and last year the Duchy built a
new dairy housing unit for the native Ayrshire
herd. As well as streamlining the milking
process, the extra space has had a positive
impact on the welfare of the herd – a major
bonus in a farming system where there is no
routine prophylactic use of wormers, vaccines
or antibiotics. The milk is sold through the
Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative, and on
to consumers under the Duchy Originals label.
It is over 16 years since The Duke of Cornwall
began to convert Home Farm on his Highgrove
Estate to an organic farming system.
It took time, vision and a lot of hard work to
complete – something that every farmer who has
gone through the organic conversion process will
appreciate. But the efforts have paid off. Home
Farm now plays a key role within the Duchy –
both as a successful and viable working farm, and
as a flagship enterprise, leading the way in raising
the public’s awareness of the environmental and
commercial benefits of organic farming.
Above: Bees act as non-chemical pesticides at Home Farm
Home Farm comprises several blocks of land
around Tetbury in Gloucestershire. The first three
blocks were acquired by the Duchy in 1980, and
additional land was purchased in 1989 and 1991
to make up the current total of 1,083 acres. The
first organic trials started in 1986, and the whole
farm was converted to organic production in
1990. There are currently seven farm staff,
headed by Farm Manager David Wilson, who
also contract farm for neighbouring farms.
“Home Farm is first and foremost a working
farm that has to pay its way in a very competitive
marketplace,” David explains. “As part of the
Duchy of Cornwall, the farm is required to
produce an income and must be run on
commercial lines, like any other farm.” With
dry and not very fertile soils, a mix of arable,
beef and sheep enterprises helps to spread the
financial risk in any one year.
15
The main commercial sheep flock comprises
over 500 North Country Mules, and the 150
strong beef herd are mainly Aberdeen-Angus
pedigree. Local butchers buy some of the farm’s
beef and lamb, but most of it goes to
supermarkets via organic cooperatives and
the ‘Q’ Guild of Master Butchers.
Wherever possible Home Farm tries to concentrate
on direct local sales. The farmers’ markets at
Tetbury and Cirencester are favourite options,
and local families are supplied with weekly
boxes of fresh, seasonal vegetables for over
nine months of the year.
Home Farm combines this busy working role
with an open door policy. As a firm advocate
of the ‘seeing is believing’ principle, His Royal
Highness has always encouraged visitors to see
the farm in action. Many thousands of people
from all over the world – including farmers,
The farm is certainly well placed to plug into
Britain’s organic farming network. The Duke
of Cornwall is Patron of the Soil Association
and the Duchy has close links with Organic
South West, the Henry Doubleday Research
Association and other education and research
establishments. It is also one of Elm Farm
Research Centre’s network of 12 demonstration
farms, for those interested in converting to an
organic system. Many Duchy tenants have
taken advantage of these links over the years.
Home Farm is also the Duchy’s leading
test-ground where it can put its sustainable
land stewardship and environmental principles
into practice.
Some 20 acres of older woodland have been
converted from mainly conifer to broadleaved
native trees, and over 20 acres of new woodland
have been planted. A continual programme of
stonewall maintenance is in place and many
existing field ponds have been restored. Over
10 miles of new hedges have also been planted
to provide a habitat for birds and insects, which
act as non-chemical pesticides on the farm.
The results have been very encouraging. “Over
the past 15 years there has been a noticeable
increase in the wildlife,” David says. “Skylarks,
yellowhammers and kestrels are now a common
sight. In the winter we also see large numbers of
finches and we have had a dramatic increase in
the number and variety of butterflies.”
Agronomic and environmental research carried
out on the farm since 1986 by various institutions
– including the Government’s three Research
Councils – have backed up these findings. They
have revealed the positive benefits of organic
production, such as the low levels of nitrate
leaching and higher than average numbers of
butterflies, birds and beneficial insects.
This is what Home Farm is all about. “What
we are trying to do,” David says, “is to
produce food of the highest quality, while
minimising our impact on the environment,
enhancing wildlife and without degrading
the soil. At Home Farm, our whole
philosophy is to ensure that there is
something left for future generations.”
Kirsteen Clark
16
H O M E FA R M
HOME FARM
HOME FARM HERBS
ECHINACEA
Medicinally beneficial in
the treatment of upper
respiratory problems
ST JOHN’S WORT
Beneficial in mild to moderate
depression and in the
treatment and prevention
of viral infections
DANDELION
Recommended for liver,
digestive and gallbladder
disorders (root), useful for
urinary, fluid retention and
hypertension (leaf)
MARIGOLD
Known for its skin healing
and anti-inflammatory actions
SKULLCAP
Useful in the treatment of
anxiety, irritability, tension
headaches and IBS
INULA
Beneficial in the treatment
of dry coughs, bronchitis
and other forms of
pulmonary disease
VALERIAN
Useful for insomnia,
restlessness, nervous tension
and digestive spasms
Herbs at Highgrove
Above: Aubrac cow
and calves, Hebridean
sheep and Large Black pigs
Demand for herbal medicine is growing –
but with the total UK acreage of organic herb
production at less than 20 acres, almost all
the herbs used in the UK have to be imported.
Home Farm’s trial aims to establish whether
herbs could be a useful and sustainable cash
crop for Britain’s organic farmers – possibly
enabling the substitution of some plants
endangered in the wild.
The seeds of the project began in 1998
when The Prince of Wales, whose interest
in complementary medicine is well known,
opened the University of Westminster’s herbal
medicine Polyclinic. The Prince suggested that
the University show him how to grow herbs on
Home Farm – both as a research station for
students and scientists, and as a demonstration
plot for other organic farmers.
Supporting Genetic Diversity
Rare and native breeds are an integral part of
Home Farm. As Patron of the Rare Breeds Survival
Trust, a charity established to conserve rare British
livestock breeds, The Duke of Cornwall believes
strongly in conserving our livestock heritage and
the biodiversity of our food chain.
One acre of Home Farm is used to grow
one of the farm’s more unusual crops: organic
herbs. It may look like a field of weeds to the
casual observer – but these special plants
could become a premium product for Britain’s
organic farmers.
Herb growing began in Spring 2000 under the
direction of Mark Colwell, a herbal medicine
consultant. A trial crop of over 40 herbs was
grown and harvested in the first year – with
encouraging results. The following year the
acreage expanded, with 10 herbs that had fared
best in the English climate.
Home Farm’s herbs are processed on site and a
variety of high quality herbal medicines are
prepared. Some are used for research and some
are sold directly to registered herbal medicine
practitioners and training clinics.
The Prince of Wales helped to raise the profile
of medicinal herbs through his “Healing
Garden” at the 2002 Chelsea Flower Show.
Above left and below: Herbs at Home Farm. Above right: David Wilson conducting a farm tour
Kirsteen Clark
His Royal Highness has said: “It is absolutely
vital, I believe, to protect the diverse genetic base
of our native breeds. We need rare breeds
because of their particular adaptation to regions
and climatic conditions and, above all, because
of the sheer quality of their meat.”
At Home Farm, rare breeds include
Irish-Moiled, Shetland and Gloucester cows.
MILK THISTLE
Used in the treatment
of numerous acute and
chronic liver disorders
There are also Hebridean and Cotswold
ewes, Large Black pigs and two Tamworth
Sows. Less common breeds are the Aubrac
cows, Welsh Black cows and a Sussex cow.
Native breeds on the farm include the
Ayrshire dairy herd, the Aberdeen Angus beef
herd and cross-breed North Country Mule
sheep. A recent addition to the farm are two
rare breed Suffolk Punch horses.
His Royal Highness also encourages
the planting of heritage seeds for the
vegetable box scheme on the farm,
sometimes on a very small plot just to
keep the gene pool alive.
Kirsteen Clark
Duchy Originals 10th anniversary
In the autumn of 1992 The Prince of Wales set
up a new venture into organic food production.
Wheat and oats, harvested from organic land
on Home Farm, were stoneground by the local
miller and sent to the Highlands to be baked
into biscuits. The Oaten Biscuit launched a
brand which, over the last decade, has become
established as one of the UK’s leading names in
organic food and has raised over £1.5 million
for charity.
VERVAIN
Useful in the treatment of
debilitation and depression,
especially post viral
17
Ten years on, Duchy Originals retains close
links with Home Farm, its main source of
ingredients. Home Farm supplies most of the
wheat and oats, although increasingly supplies
have to be bought in from other British farms.
In 1997, an organic pig herd was established by
Richard Hazell, a tenant on the farm, and started
providing meat for bacon and sausages the
following year. Milk from the Ayrshire herd was
launched in summer 2001.
With growing sales, Duchy Originals has been
able to generate significant sums for The Prince
of Wales’s Charitable Foundation, which supports
a wide range of causes, many related to the
countryside and environment. For example,
the money Duchy Originals raised enabled
His Royal Highness to give £500,000 to
charities supporting farmers through the Foot
and Mouth crisis.
The Prince of Wales is keen to see activities
extend into other areas of sustainable production,
such as wood products, made with native
hardwoods from sustainable forests on the
Duchy estate, which will be launched in 2003.
Fiona Gately
18
DESIGN &
DEVELOPMENT
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
On the cusp
of change
It is 10 years since development
started at Poundbury. A decade of
revolution in which 1,000 houses
have been built on 14 other Duchy
sites in seven counties. What has
the Duchy made of this broad
experience and what are the issues
for the future?
The real needs of people are being denied by
price or an inability to tailor provision. We are
becoming nomadic. Some graze the pastures of
house price inflation and some are displaced to
live in cities away from family roots.
Work patterns are changing. A range of factors
will conspire to make travel unattractive.
We will tire of it. Work that can be brought
to us will be attractive. Creating sustainable
developments is not just about the construction
and performance of buildings: it is also about
the way we live our lives.
And we are all now fascinated by design: cars,
furniture, clothes, gardens, interiors. And
perhaps, at long last, houses as well. Methods
of building and materials will be spotlighted.
While the ambition is to reflect local identity
the test will be in how we do it. Granite and
slate may suit Cornwall – but perhaps not if
imported from China and South America.
Important challenges face us: meeting future
needs, extending sustainable horizons and
involving people in creating new communities.
The industry has another chance to present its
credentials. The public is interested to explore
what dividend can be derived from
development. Attitudes are on the cusp of
change and the opportunity should be grasped.
We asked those involved with us what they
thought of the approach the Duchy has taken
and, more importantly, should be adopting to
meet these challenges. In the end we are really
asking ourselves because the consensus invites
the Duchy to help find solutions. “I have
experience of a village asking for new
development from the Duchy because
it understood that good development
can contribute and add new life,” says
Robert Adam, an architect. That was
Curry Mallet where a desire by the
village to be reinforced by a mixed
use scheme ran across the grain
of planning guidance.
“The characteristics of traditional
building vernacular which have, over
centuries, developed distinctively in
different places are like local dialects:
a vivid expression of the individual
identity of those places and the people
who live there,” says architect
Peterjohn Smyth. Fine – but the
integrity of this approach turns upon
sourcing locally won materials and
providing some housing for speakers
of that local dialect. We must
challenge the companies that supply
materials to re-open quarries and to
make tiles locally rather than to
import. We should help producers
here to sustain operations, increase
volume and reduce prices.
“Development can be popular again,
particularly as housing need moves up
the political agenda. But there needs
to be a more inclusive approach,” says
Peter Prescott of Devon and Cornwall
Housing Association. Putting up with
development should entitle people to
hope that it might provide an affordable
home or workspace for their family.
They know best what needs exist – and
if consulted they could help to shape
a development. Lindsey Wood, Clerk
to the Mere Parish Council, says “the
Duchy should congratulate itself for
taking a proactive approach in local
consultation.” We do it because
it helps achieve better results.
Steve Briggs, a planner with South
Somerset District Council likes the
traditional approach and says “the
Duchy should show the same courage
once again to exert its influence on
developing a sustainable built
environment for the future.“ This
subject goes beyond what we have
achieved. If longevity is one measure
of success in building and if we are
to be fit for the future we should be
designing the car out of our lives.
Consultant Engineer Martyn Iles says
highway engineers touring Poundbury
“enjoy the experience. You can see
they are interested because they
take photographs, ask questions, and
make positive comments.”
Terraces will be in for a revival and
there is no need to worry about upper
storey construction. An extra room, or
space over a garage, from which to
work, or to expand into as the family
grows, is efficient use of land.
“Working from home is increasingly
popular and sustainable” confirms
Richard Rees of Savills. Workspace is
a popular neighbour to housing.
Residents maintain a watchful eye
overnight and those at work repay the
compliment during the day. A sense
of security makes for a liveable
environment and bonds the
community. Tony Pomeroy, Chairman
of the Poundbury Residents
Association feels that “the mix has
worked: it makes best use of land the
scarcest resource. Poundbury has
become a community at all levels.
The industry needs to follow.”
None of this can be achieved without
masterplanning. It transcends property
constraints and discards the piecemeal
approach. “Masterplanning creates a
framework for good design and gives
long-term value to development land,”
advises Robert Adam, and Charles
Morris, the designer, points out “that
good towns are recognised by their
spaces as much as by their buildings”.
Where should we most productively
direct efforts in the future? Progress in
three areas would make a real difference.
We need to sponsor a new climate in
the sourcing of materials. Using
natural local materials means
encouraging primary producers. We
need to work with other stakeholders
to bring investment and reinvigorate
local industry to supply at prices that
make it reasonable to require these
materials in new buildings.
Secondly we must provide both
freehold and rented provision. We are
in danger of excluding the middle
ground: those who want to buy but
cannot afford to, those who want the
option to live and work within the
same curtilage and, of course, key
workers. “All workers are key
19
workers,” says Phil Randall of
Restormel Borough Council. “The
issue must be to ensure affordability
for those on low incomes without
sacrificing build and design quality.”
The solution depends upon an
understanding of local needs and a
flexible approach to tenure and
transaction. Matching these needs
will keep communities together.
And finally we need to extend
horizons in terms of sustainability at
all levels. A key finding of a Joseph
Rowntree report this year was that
“good initial design and the use of
high quality materials can have a
major impact on the long term
sustainability of an area.” Charles
Morris argues that “new development
should give pride of place to the
pedestrian,” and that “building design
must have integrity and not pretend to
be something it is not.”
Let’s leave the last word to John
Hammond of Salisbury District
Council. Given the revolution that
has been sponsored, he feels that the
Duchy is in a special position now to
“move the sustainable development
debate forward by focusing more
attention on live/work design, mixed
use scale, energy efficient buildings
and sustainable materials and less on
the dummy chimneys.”
Tim Gray and Simon Conibear
Below: Kyl Cober Parc, Stoke Climsland
20
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
21
Poundbury: Taking Stock
Above: Al fresco meals at
the Octagon Café
Below: The Farmers’ Market
at Brownsword Hall
It is not quite the anniversary of anything
in Poundbury yet. The project is a bit more
than 10 per cent completed, but it is not
quite 10 years since the first houses were
built. However, with the virtual completion
of Phase I in 2002, it is a good time to
reflect on what has been achieved and what
has yet to be achieved, in this most singular
of mould breaking modern developments.
A great deal was expected of the Poundbury
project from its earliest days. It had to reflect
the aspirations and views of local Dorset
people as expressed at the Poundbury Barns
charette (an open consultation meeting
between experts and the local community) in
1989. A Vision of Britain, the book that set out
The Prince of Wales’s views on the way forward
for design and future developments, was
published in the same year. Poundbury provided
the chance to put those principles into reality.
Above: Street in Poundbury
The Master Planner, Leon Krier, is utterly
international, but the agenda was local, almost
parochial. The District Council had identified
Poundbury as Dorchester’s growth area, there
to meet the needs of the expanding county
town and relieve pressures on Dorset. The Town
Council supported the idea for this sustainable,
self-sufficient development, where residents
Neil Embleton
Artist’s impression of new
square at Poundbury
might meet the majority of their daily needs
by a short walk to the town centre.
Housebuilders knew their traditional markets
and did not believe in urban villages. Since
the first Town and Country Planning Act was
passed, planning officers had established a
range of standards applying to roads, housing
layouts, parking and factories. Treasury rules
demanded commercial viability. With all these
demands needing to be reconciled, it is
amazing that anything ever got built.
But it did – slowly at first, pioneered as a joint
venture between the Duchy of Cornwall, CG
Fry and the Guinness Trust. The Prince of Wales
invited Andrew Hamilton, famous for the
Richmond Riverside development, to direct
operations. It was a risk: integrating social
housing with private housing and building a
place so distinct from a conventional housing
estate; making streets and cars subsidiary to
people; creating expensive-looking architecture
using natural materials in the depths of a
housing recession; and using unconventional
layouts and designs.
Fortunately, an enlightened planning authority
and county surveyor were prepared to take an
innovative approach to this mixed development.
They allowed higher property densities (more
like those seen in historic towns and
villages), roads difficult for cars to negotiate
except at low speed, and unconventional
dimensions in and between buildings.
Poundbury became a homogenous entity: a
place with street scenes, roofscapes, vistas and
most of all a distinct sense of place. Houses
sold briskly and prices rose rapidly. Houses
which sold for £56,000 in 1994 are now selling
for three to four times that sum.
The development started with a few workshops,
where a handful of craftsmen had been coaxed
in to mend antiques, stitch curtains and repair
stained glass. Five years later, an American
company was manufacturing computers in a
factory of 20,000 square feet. Three years after
that, there were 280 people working in
factories, workshops and offices in Poundbury,
and a café and six shops had been established.
These were the beginnings of local amenities
for the 550 residents.
Most of all, Poundbury boasted a community
where people knew each other, where crime
was exceptionally low (even by Dorchester
standards) and there was an element of living
and working on site. The residents of
Poundbury became the development’s greatest
protagonists. Press criticism slackened. A House
of Commons Select Committee visited, followed
by John Prescott, then Secretary of State for
Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Meanwhile Poundbury had become
Dorchester’s number one tourist attraction,
drawing around 30,000 visitors a year (to the
dismay of some residents) and the Duchy
development team were hosting around 100
official visits a year, mainly by planning officials,
house builders and housing associations.
Phase I of Poundbury is very distinctive.
It is also a closely knit social community. The
Master Planner’s concept of an urban extension
of Dorchester does not prevent the inhabitants
calling Poundbury a ‘village’. And so be it.
They should know what it is. They live there.
But communities can be exclusive as well as
inclusive. Lois Rose, Dorset County Council’s
Community Action Officer, recognises this.