FRIENDS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE
XVIII GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEWMARKET, SUFFOLK, UK
MAY 2015
1
FCS TEAM
JEHANNE
CLARA
EMMANUELLE
JULIANNA
CAROLINE
ANA
+32 497 93 05 30
+34 629 64 38 92
+48 502 022 635
+32 493 70 20 01
+32 488 87 09 69
+32 486 87 09 69
With our special thanks to Michael Sayer, Caroline Cranbrook,
Caroline Ratcliff and Tim Breitmeyer
EMERGENCY NUMBERS NEWMARKET
URGENT CARE
Addenbriooke’s
Tel: +44 1223 245151
Address: Hills Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB” 0QQ
Website: www.cuh.org.uk/addenbrookes
West Suffolk Hospital
Tel: +44 1284 713000
Address: Hardwick Lane, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 2QZ
Website: www.wsh.nhs.uk
POLICE
FIRE AND
RESCUE SERVICE
2
In an emergency always dial 999
International callers +44 1473 613 500
Non emergency calls dial 101
Textphone +44 18001 101
[email protected]
Tel: +44 1473 260 588
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FOREWORD
FOREWORD
Michael Sayer
Vice President
Friends of the Countryside
General Assembly of the Friends of the Countryside at Newmarket, Suffolk, long
Welcome to the
considered the home of British racing. The programme will reflect that, but more importantly the unique
qualities of East Anglia as an agricultural region with farms and estates that are large by European standards,
with leading universities and research establishments, and a rich architectural heritage.
XVIIIth
This General Assembly comes at a particularly interesting moment politically for the United Kingdom, and in
the immediate aftermath of the General Election held on 7 May, it may be helpful to summarise the outcome
and indicate some potential consequences.
The UK Parliament is based on local single-member constituencies in which each elector casts a single vote
for one candidate only without indicating further preferences. Thus the system does not favour parties with
widespread, but locally shallower, support.
The election outcome by parties and votes was: Conservatives 331 seats (previously 306), 11,300,303 votes;
Labour 232 seats (previously 258), 9,344,328 votes; Liberal Democrats 8 seats (previously 57), 2,415,888
votes; Scottish National Party 56 seats (previously 6), 1,454,456 votes; others 23 (UKIP polled 3,881,129
votes but won 1 seat). The total of votes cast was 30,691,685 (66.1%). The overall Conservative majority in
the House of Commons is 6 seats.
The SNP votes were nevertheless slightly less than the 1,617,989 ‘Yes’ votes cast in favour of Scottish
independence in the referendum of September 2014.
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The Conservative Party is committed to offering a referendum on British membership of the EU before the
end of 2017. At the same time, the SNP, which would like Scotland to be an independent state within the EU,
will simply be waiting for the best moment to demand a second referendum on Scottish independence. This
love of referenda means that a period of potentially profound (if fundamentally unnecessary) uncertainty lies
ahead.
Although it is difficult to believe that for the UK to leave could be in anyone’s best interests, now is plainly the
time to assess the benefits of EU membership. In geo-political terms, globalisation is a reality. English is the
common language. Would the UK join another trading bloc (and which)? Or would it engage alone in WTO
and the big international conventions? Three million jobs are dependent on continental Europe. Would the UK
continue to be part of setting the standards and broader terms of trade with which in practice these employers
would need to comply?
There are immediate implications for agriculture and the countryside. Although the EU budget amounts to less
than one per cent of GDP, there is continuing pressure to reduce it, and especially from successive UK
governments. CAP payments, however, are a major contribution to UK farm income (£3.4 billion out of £5.5
billion in 2011). Without them, a prudent response would now be to defer investment, review borrowings, and
assume a rapid transition to a national scheme consisting only of limited pillar-2 type support.
That said, the Conservative Manifesto itself treads a fine line. ‘Yes to the Single Market’, although in practice it
has not always been clear that the party understands that this must mean free movement in labour, as well as
in goods, services and capital. ‘Yes to a family of nation states, all part of the European Union’, but ‘no to ever
closer union’. ‘We will take action in Europe to make you better off.’ These are statements of a wish to remain
in the EU, even with some potential contradictions. The all-important question of governance is seen primarily
in terms of repatriation of powers rather than democratising European institutions, such as the Parliament. Of
course, ‘ever closer union’ is open-ended, and electorates are entitled to ask what it means. If it is to be more
than a cultural statement, it would be wise to specify clear procedures for voters in all countries to validate
concrete steps towards structural integration before they could take place.
5
FOREWORD
THE REGION
If a European renegotiation is to be successfully completed according to an internal British timetable, the new
UK government needs to articulate a compelling, integrated Conservative vision for the EU. A clumsy process
could indeed prove a sleepwalk into isolation. This would almost certainly trigger Scotland’s departure from
the UK to re-join the EU. (Scottish landowners would presumably then be protected by Article 17 of the
Charter of Fundamental Rights, which the UK government refused to accept.)
Looking further afield, a Greek exit from the Euro looks increasingly probable. Greece is the classic example
of a country whose government was able to over-borrow because it could borrow more by belonging to the
Euro than would have been possible with its own national currency to defend. But the Eurozone overall is
likely to prove resilient, given the political will to make it succeed. Moreover, successful management of the
Euro is desirable for sterling, whose own management the Euro and the US dollar will in part condition. British
farmers would welcome a currency solution before September.
Finally, the conference of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will attempt to reach a
new climate agreement meeting in Paris for two weeks from 30 November. The implications for agriculture,
forestry, water resources, coastal zones and biodiversity are enormous, and the ELO is preparing a policy
paper on the role of land managers in adaptation and mitigation. Here the Conservative Manifesto commits to
the UK Climate Change Act and a strong global climate agreement in Paris that will keep the objective of
limiting global warming to 2 degrees firmly within reach. This, of course, is an area where negotiating as part
of the EU gives the UK considerably greater influence than it could now have alone.
Michael Sayer
Vice President FCS
May 2015
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East Anglia takes its names from the East Angles, whose kingdom formed part of the so-called Heptarchy of
Anglo-Saxon England during the sixth to ninth centuries. At this stage it consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, to which
Essex and Cambridge were added in the tenth century under when it formed part of the Danelaw. The region’s
history, however, goes back further to the Roman towns of Camulodunum Colchester) and Venta Icenorum.
The great monastic foundations of Ely, Bury and Ramsey all date from the period before the Norman Conquest
(1066), and the later medieval period gave rise to an enormously rich church architecture, dominated by the
cathedrals of Norwich and Ely, but with a collection of medieval parish churches in often tiny villages unique in
Europe.
There was a well-developed manorial economy whose origins pre-date 1066, and the region is noted for its
many country houses and estates. In the late medieval and early modern period, the prosperity was largely
based on sheep, while Norfolk, in particular, was at the forefront of the Agricultural Revolution of the eighteenth
and early nineteenth centuries, led by 2nd Viscount Townshend (‘Turnip Townshend’) and later Thomas William
Coke (‘Coke of Norfolk’, later Earl of Leicester).
The land seldom rises more than 100 m. above sea level, and consists of a range of soils from clay and loam to
areas of lighter, free-draining soils and sand (especially in the Breckland). The chalk at Newmarket has been
ideal for racing and rearing horses, a quality recognised as early as the Newmarket and Dunstable tournaments
in the fourteenth century. The coastline is soft, consisting partly of eroding cliffs and partly of dunes and
saltmarshes. The extensive fenlands were substantially drained in the seventeenth century, under the leadership
of the Earls of Bedford with the help of the Dutch engineer Vermuyden.
This is one of the richest agricultural regions of Great Britain, with predominantly arable cultivation based on
cereals, root crops and (in places) vegetables, although livestock still play a small role. There has also been
considerable afforestation in the Brecklands during the twentieth century. The climate is dry, with much of the
region receiving less than 700 mm and some parts below 600 mm annually, exposing the lighter soils to drought
in a dry spring.
The world-famous University of Cambridge was founded in 1209, and there are a number of other important
research institutions linked to agriculture and land management, including Rothamsted Research in
Hertfordshire, the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, the Sainsbury Laboratory and the Department of Land
Economy at Cambridge, and at Norwich the University of East Anglia, known for its Climatic Research Unit, and
the Norwich Research Park, including the John Innes Centre, the Institute of Food Research, and the Genome
Analysis Centre. The National Equine Hospital at Newmarket was opened in 2008.
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THE REGION
THE REGION
Newmarket
Agri-Food Research and Innovation in the East of England
By Martin Collison, Agri-Food Consultant
Newmarket is located North-East of London just 68km from the M25 / M11 junction and 19km from Cambridge.
It was King James I who introduced the sport to the sleepy village of Newmarket in the early 1600’s after having
stumbled across the open stretch of heathland whilst out hunting. Already a lover of equestrian pursuits, he
recognised its potential and built the first grandstand on the heath. However, it was during the reign of Charles II
that horseracing flourished and developed. He was competent in the saddle and, along with womanising and
generally making merry, he loved nothing more than the company of his jockeys. He had a palace built and from
1669 onwards moved his entire court, including all his ministers, to Newmarket twice a year for the racing
season.
Newmarket became known as the ‘unofficial’ capital
where affairs of state were conducted alongside racing,
hawking and cock-fighting. Newmarket Racecourse’s
Rowley Mile takes its name from Charles II’s nickname,
‘Olde Rowley’. It’s amusing to note that Olde Rowley
was a stallion at the Royal stud and this nickname
alluded to the many illegitimate children Charles II was
known to have sired!
The East of England is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world and, from Turnip Townshend of
Raynham and Coke of Holkham onwards, the region has bred innovators who played a leading role in
successive agricultural revolutions.
This continues with our scientists leading a range of programmes addressing the major global challenges we
face as we try to meet the increased demand for food whilst reducing the impact of food production on the
environment. In the next 50 years we know we face real challenges in delivering both Food and Environmental
Security, as first championed so eloquently by Professor Allan Buckwell, former Policy Director at the CLA.
In 2013 the government published the UK’s first Agri-Technology Strategy on the need to increase the translation
of science onto farms. But how much do we know about the work being conducted in our own region to help
manage soils, reduce fertiliser and pesticide use or address food waste. Despite being a regular visitor to our
leading science centres for over 15 years,the I am still constantly finding new gems of research just waiting to
escape from the lab.
Through the Biological and Biotechnology Science Research Council (BBSRC), UK taxpayers support eight
national research centres. Of these five are in the East of England. They are Rothamsted Research in
Hertfordshire which hosts the oldest field trials in the world, the Babraham Institute of Life Sciences in Cambridge
and three centres in Norwich at the John Innes Centre, the Institute of Food Research and the Genome Analysis
Centre.
This concentration of national research is bolstered by the National Institute of Agricutlrual Botany (NIAB)’s
headquarters in Cambridge, the privately funded Sainsbury Laboratories in Cambridge and Norwich, the
National Soil Resources Institute at Cranfield, the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO) in Norwich and
numerous privately owned research companies.
8
Our universities also work on agriculture from the focus on land economy, plant sciences and computing at
Cambridge to the University of East Anglia’s (UEA) work on plant sciences, water resources, climate change and
many other areas, including a strong focus on agriculture in the developing world. The Royal Veterinary College
in Hertfordshire is a national centre for veterinary science and the University of Essex works on plant sciences
and the interaction between agriculture and the environment.
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THE REGION
THE REGION
The scale of our research base is truly astounding and it continues to attract significant investment. For
example, Norwich Research Park, one of only five UK Research and Innovation Campuses for life sciences,
houses four major research centres, a University Hospital and a Top 20 University (UEA). The Park has 14,000
students, 2,700 scientists and delivers over £100m of research projects each year. Including the University and
University Hospital the Park employs 12,000 people.
The Park’s world-leading status in crop science (the John Innes Centre is the highest ranked centre globally),
works alongside our only nationally funded food science centre (the Institute of Food Research), a global Top 10
genetics centre (the Genome Analysis Centre) and world-leading climate research at UEA. This concentration
continues to attract new investment, with £26m being invested in the Park since 2012, a new £11.6m Enterprise
Centre due to open at UEA in 2015 and a planned £75m investment in a new national Centre for Diet and Health
by 2017.
The John Innes Centre is also leading a new £12.5m doctoral training programme to recruit 120 PhD students
and the UEA Adapt Group launched the UK’s first Venture Capital fund targeting the Agri-Tech sector in 2014.
The Park also hosts numerous events and open days and is firmly established as the venue for the Norfolk
Farming Conference which regularly attracts 350 delegates.
Our other regional centres in Cambridge and in Hertfordshire are also growing and have truly world-wide
reputations, although many of us in the industry locally only have very limited contact with them.
However, it is not just the breadth or scale of this science base which impresses me, it is that our scientists are
now keener to connect with the food and farming industry than at any time in my career. Our role, I would
suggest, is to reciprocate by finding time to engage with the scientists so we can learn from them whilst ensuring
that industry knowledge also informs their research.
Why is it that whilst in health we are happy to use GM insulin, or in the automotive and phone industries we
routinely use technologies most of us over the age of 20 don’t understand, too often it seems the public and
policy makers have become scared of agricultural science? An overt aversion to risk is now holding back
progress with the precautionary principle evident in much of our EU policy making in areas such as the removal
of active ingredients.
10
Without science we would still be scared of falling off the edge of the World and unless industry champions the
need for agricultural science we should not be surprised if others seek to stop us using it.
Whilst agricultural scientists do not yet have answers to every problem, we must embrace their knowledge and
use it to address the big challenges of our time. Whether you think the priority is addressing the decline of
pollinators, increasing yield, addressing climate change, encouraging healthier diets, or managing our soils, we
have scientists working locally on smart solutions.
If you are looking to learn about what science can offer to agriculture, then the East of England is an extremely
good place to start with its world-class concentration of research centres. So let’s invite the scientists out of their
labs or, even better, let’s go inside the labs ourselves and see what they can teach us about how we can lead the
world in making agriculture more productive and sustainable.
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THURSDAY 21st MAY
TRANSPORT
BY RAIL
BY AIR
BY CAR
TAXI NEWMARKET
Eurostar (passport needed) arrives at London St Pancras
London King’s Cross – Cambridge – Newmarket (1h30)
Newmarket rail station: 5 minutes taxi ride to the hotels
Stantsted Airport
Approximately 45 minutes taxi ride from the hotels
Alternatively use the No 747 Jet link coach service from Stansted to
Newmarket
Arrival in Newmarket
FCS Board Meeting and dinner (Board Members only)
04:00pm
04:30pm
08:00pm
08:30pm
Welcome for the FCS Board at Jockey Club/Coffee Room
Board meeting
Drinks at Jockey Club/Morning room
Dinner at Jockey Club/Dinning room
The Jockey Club in Newmarket, Suffolk, has been at the
heart of British horseracing for over 250 years. As a
private members club, few people have had the privilege
of stepping inside and seeing the magnificent interiors,
which house an unparalleled collection of British racing
memorabilia.
From London: M11 exit at Juntion 9 for the A11 – Exit at the A1304 for
Newmarket
From Cambridge: A14 towards Newmarket – Exit at A1303 Stow-cum-Quy
Go Bats Taxi (+44 1638 55255) / Cabline Taxis (+44 1638 751999)
HOTELS
BEDFORD LODGE
HOTEL & SPA ****
PADDOCKS HOUSE ****
POETS HOUSE ****
JOCKEY CLUB ****
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www.bedfordlodgehotelspa.co.uk
Bury Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7BX
www.paddockshouse.com
London Road, Six Mile Bottom, Newmarket CB8 OUE
• You need your own car
www.poetshouse.com
40 St Mary’s Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4EY
• You need your own car
www.jockeyclubrooms.co.uk
Welcome for the Friends of the Countryside and YFCS
05:30pm
06:00pm
08:00pm
11:00pm
Meeting for Bus at Bedford Lodge Hotel for visit to Chippenham Gardens
Welcome at the Chippenham Park by Becky NICOLLE and her husband Hugo who is a
landscape designer and will guide for a private tour in the gardens
Drinks and Buffet Dinner
Return to Bedford Lodge Hotel
Chippenham Park
101 High Street, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8JL
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Chippenham Park
21st MAY
www.chippenhamparkgardens.co.uk
The Chippenham Park gardens have been recently awarded the highest Twostars rating by the Good
Gardens Guide.
The village of Chippenham is located around 4 miles (6.4 km) North-East of Newmarket. Chippenham Park is
a thriving family estate. The house, gardens, and park were created at the very end of the 17th century by
Admiral Lord Russell with permission from William III. There are large avenues in the park to illustrate the
battle formations of La Hogue, The famous naval victory over the French.
Although the family has owned this estate for more than 250 years, Becca and Hugo Nicolle have only been
living there for four years. They left their view of Shepherd’s Bush train station for the glorious gardens and
rolling fields on the edge of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
Now, Chippenham Park is a family home. The family live and work there with their three children, as well as
dogs, chickens, sheep and pigs.
FRIDAY 22nd MAY
Morning Programme
Early Morning Gallops
06:45am
07:00am
08:00am
Bus Pick up at Bedford Lodge Hotel
Bus Pick up at Jockey Club
Return to Bedford Hotel and Jockey Club
Newmarket Training G
rounds
Rowley Mile Racecourses
08:30am
08:30am
Bus Pick up at Bedford Lodge Hotel
Bus Pick up Jockey Club
• If you participate in the Clay Pigeon Shooting don’t forget to
bring your belongings with you
FCS 18th General Assembly and Conference
09:00am
10:30am
01:00pm
FCS 18th General Assembly
FCS Conference
Lunch
Option 1
09:30am
09:45am
Option 2
09:30am
09:45am
Classic Roses
Bus Pick up at Jockey Club
Bus Pick up at Bedford Lodge Hotel
History
Bus Pick up at Jockey Club
Bus Pick up at Bedford Lodge Hotel
Racecourses, Rowley Mile
Millenium Suite
Partners’ Programme
14
Classic Rose
s
History
15
Newmarket Training Grounds
22nd MAY
Early Morning Gallops: For those who wish to, Friday will start early at 07:00am with the tour of the Jockey
Club’s world famous Newmarket Training Grounds to watch the training of over 2500 racehorses who
exercise there every day.
22nd MAY
Agenda
09:00am
Racecourses, Rowley Mile
Newmarket Racecourse is a horse racing venue in the town of Newmarket, Suffolk.. It is often referred to as
the headquarters of British horseracing and is home to the largest cluster of training yards in the United
Kingdom and many key horse racing organisations, including Tattersalls, the National Horseracing
Museum and the National Stud. The racecourse hosts two of the country's five Classic Races.
The Rowley Mile is used for racing in Spring and Autumn, while the July Course is used in Summer. Both are
wide, galloping tracks used for Flat racing only. Technically, there is also a third course, the Round Course,
but this is only used once a year for the Newmarket Town Plate, a race of great historical significance, but
limited importance in modern day racing. The grass strip is also used by light aircraft, and formerly by
the Royal Air Force.
CAR PARK
13. Varia
HONG KONG
SUITE
HEAD-ON
STAND
MILLENNIUM
GRANDSTAND
COMMERCIAL
OFFICES
CENTURY
STAND
Opening of the GA by Michael zu SALM-SALM, FCS President
1. Welcome by the President of Friends of the Countryside
2. Adoption of the proposed agenda
3. Approval of the minutes of the 2014 FCS General Assembly, Udine
4. Board elections and resignations
5. Approval of the candidates’ members
6. Adoption of amendments to statutes (text attached).
7. ELO’s achievements 2014, Thierry de l’ESCAILLE
8. Accounts 2014 and Presentation of the 2015 budget
9. Young Friends of the Countryside (YFCS)
10. Welcoming Estates
11. Other initiatives
12. GA 2016
PREMIER ENCLOSURE
ENTRANCE
HYPERION
LAWN
18th FCS General Assembly
10:15am
10:30am
12:30pm
12:50pm
Discussion time
FCS Conference
Anders Wall Award Ceremony
Conclusions by Michael zu SALM-SALM, FCS President
ROWLEY
ENCLOSURE
ENTRANCE
The Rowley Mile Racecourse and Conference Centre
16
17
22nd MAY
Conference & Anders Wall Award Ceremony
Agenda
11:00am
11:05am
11:25am
11:40am
12:00pm
12:20pm
12:30pm
12:50pm
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CONFERENCE: Rising to the Challenge: Diversification, Innovation and Environment for a
Green and pleasant land
Opening, Michael zu SALM-SALM, President Friends of the Countryside
“The challenges and priorities for an estate owner”, Richard BENYON, Member of Parliament,
Former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs
“Managing the modern estate- a multi-faceted business”, David HORTON-FAWKES, Estate
Director, Holkham
“The opportunities for science & technology”, Dr Gordon JAMIESON, John Innes Centre, Norwich
“Leading the challenge for UK estates”, Henry ROBINSON, President CLA
“Sustainable development and biodiversity: the ANDERS WALL AWARD” Ladislav MIKO, Acting
Director General, DG SANTE, European Commission
Presentation of the ANDERS WALL AWARD winner and ANDERS WALL DIPLOMA, Johan
NORDENFALK and Åke BARKLUND
Conclusions, Michael zu SALM-SALM, President Friends of the Countryside
Classic Roses tour
www.classicroses.co.uk
The Peter Beales world leaders in Classic Roses gardens consist of over three acres of award winning
varieties of roses. There are large, old-fashioned roses, The National Collection of Rosa Species, ramblers of
huge proportions, shrub roses and lower procumbent types. The roses are all grown on their own, so the
gardens incorporate many interesting and colorful companion plants and shrubs.
The garden has many points of interest in its room-like layout including a fishpond with koi carp, pergolas,
arbors and archways. Visitors are free to wander and enjoy the beautiful flowers and sensuous perfumes. At
the visit you will be able to learn how to prune the roses, and enjoy a cup of tea in the Bistro and visit the
Garden Centre where one can buy gardening essentials, luxury gifts and lots of varieties of roses.
History tour
www.elycathedral.org
Visit of the magnificent Ely Cathedral, acknowledged as one of the wonders of the
medieval world. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Ely, which covers 1,500
square miles of East Anglia. Worship has been present in this site for nearly 1400 years
and it continues to be a place of great worship.
The Cathedral was founded as a monastery in 673 by St. Etheldreda, a Saxon Princess
from East Anglia, the site of whose shrine is in front of the High Altar. Destroyed by the
Danes in 870, the monastery was re-founded as a Benedictine community in 970. Work
on the present building commenced in the early 1080's under Abbot Simeon. The
monks had in mind that only the best can ever be good enough to offer to God. They
built this massive church as an offering to him, and the worship that has been offered
here ever since is an echo in words and music of their practical work as builders. It is a
place made holy by the associations of the centuries, and a place where today, you can
be quiet and reflect. It became a Cathedral - the seat of the Bishop - in 1109. Henry VIII
closed the monastery in 1539 but it has continued to exist as a Cathedral to the present
day. The Benedictine community is very warm and welcoming, reflecting their wellknown traditional hospitality and faith.
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22nd MAY
Clay Pigeon Shooting
Afternoon Programme
Option 1: Inter-Countries Clay Pigeon Shooting
02:00pm
02:15pm
06:00pm
Bus Pick up from Rowley Mile (B1)
Start of the competition
Return to the hotels
Clay Pigeon Shooting
Option 2: Horses – Breeding and Care
01:45pm
02:00pm
06:00pm
Bus Pick up to Banstead Manor Stud (B2)
Bus Pick up to Dalham Hall Stud (B3)
National Horseracing Museum
Return to the hotels
Option 3: Agriculture Research
02:00pm
06:00pm
Gala Dinner
08:00pm
08:15pm
09:15pm
11:00pm
20
Dalham Hall Stud
22nd MAY
For the shooting lovers, we propose you a great competition between the FCS. Up to 25 team with 4 people on
each team, will be able to prove their abilities in 4 different stands:
– Walk up simulated Grouse drive
– Simulated driven Rabbits / Wild Boars
– Driven Partridge
– Driven high Pheasant
Each stand will have a flush of 40 birds released and each gun
has 25 to 30 cartridges to use at each stand.
There will also be a beginner stand available with instructors.
You don't have to bother regarding the details of the organisation, because guns and cartridges will be provided
and there are no license requirements. Equipment and health and safety will also be dealt with.
tud
Banstead Manor S
National Horseracing Museum
Bus Pick up to NIAB (B4)
Return to the hotels
for
National Institute
otany
Agriculture and B
Bus Pick up at Bedford Lodge Hotel and Back Gate of Jockey Club
Drinks and Clay Pigeon Shooting Ceremony
Gala Dinner
Return to hotels
Dalham Hall Stud
www.darleyeurope.com
Darley is HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global thoroughbred breeding operation, which
currently stands stallions in six countries around the world. Its headquarters are at Dalham Hall Stud, located
within the historic home of racing, Newmarket.
When purchased from the Philipps family in 1981, Dalham Hall stud farm stood just one stallion and employed
fewer than ten people. Currently heading the line-up of eight thoroughbred stallions at Dalham Hall is Dubawi, one
of the world’s most successful stallions and a son of one of the most famous stallions to stand at Dalham Hall –
Dubai Millennium. Since the acquisition of Dalham Hall Stud, various surrounding farms have been added to
Darley’s UK portfolio, where are breaded also other animals of selected breeds.
Banstead Manor Stud
www.juddmonte.co.uk
Banstead Manor Stud belong to the Group of Juddmonte Farms, that consists of six properties in the UK and
Ireland and three properties in the USA.
Juddmonte is one of the leading breeders in the world and have to date bred 102 individual Group/Grade
1 winners of 192 races, including 23 Classic winners, and race all their homebred progeny in Khalid Abdullah’s
colours (green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves).
National Horseracing Museum
SATURDAY 23rd MAY
www.nhrm.co.uk
The National Horseracing Museum, that occupies part of the buildings that were known as the Subscription
Rooms. As the racing business became more demanding on the time of racing professionals the support for the
Rooms steadily declined until the Rooms closed at the end of 1981. Major David Swannell, a prominent Jockey
Club Handicapper, had long envisaged setting up a national museum for racing to encourage the preservation of
items of historic and scientific interest connected with horseracing, and the empty Rooms building was an ideal
opportunity. Her Majesty the Queen officially opened the Museum on 30th April 1983.
National Institute for Agriculture and Botany
Meeting times
09:15am
09:30am
www.niab.com
NIAB is a pioneering plant science organization based at the heart of the Cambridge science, technology and
university communities and a thriving UK agricultural industry.
The mission of NIAB is to provide independent science-based research and information to support, develop and
promote agriculture and horticulture; helping the industry to fulfil its potential in supplying food and renewable
resources, while respecting the natural environment.
With over 90 years experience in the agricultural and food sectors, NIAB has an internationally recognized
reputation for independence, innovation and integrity. Their traditional activities have always focused on scienceled plant variety and seeds characterization, evaluation, quality control and knowledge transfer.
At the Farm you will be welcome Dr Lydia Smith, Head of NIAB Innovation farm; who will explain you their
research, then Dr Alison Bentley , Senior Research Scientist, will talk about their work on Genetics & Breeding,
followed by a tour of field and glasshouses .
Visits
Bus Pick up at Jockey Club
Start of the visits at Bedford Lodge Hotel
Yellow Tour
Yellow Tour: Agricultural Estate and Woods
Green Tour: Historic Estate and Parkland
Blue Tour: Historic House, Art Collection and Agricultural Estate
Red Tour: Agricultural Estate and associated developments
Orange Tour: Farming Models (YFCS)
Green Tour
Blue Tour
Dinner at the Jockey Club
Red Tour
07:45pm
08:00pm
Bus Pick up at Bedford Lodge Hotel
Dinner at the Jockey Club
Orange Tour
Tattersalls – Gala Dinner
The Gala Dinner will be held at the Tattersalls, founded in
1766 by Richard Tattersall, the oldest bloodstock
auctioneers in the world and the largest in Europe. Today,
Tattersalls is an international firm offering 10,000
thoroughbred horses each year at 15 sales either its
Newmarket headquarters, or at Fairyhouse outside Dublin.
Dress code: Dark Suit
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www.tattersalls.com
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23rd MAY
YELLOW TOUR
www.abbotsriptonhall.co.uk
Abbots Ripton Hall: Agricultural Estate and Woods
Lord & Lady De Ramsey will host the visit to Abbots Ripton Hall, there you will have the opportunity to visit the
solar renewable energy, the new houses, the farm, woods and gardens.
You will receive information about the commercial enterprises on the estate as well the shoot, conservation
projects and the annual music festival for 32,000 visitors. Their beautiful private gardens are only open once
every two years for a major charity event donating some £60,000 to only local charities.
The present Lord De Ramsey’s father moved into the hall in 1937 and started to make major changes and
restorations to the garden after the war. He was advised by Humphrey Waterfield and along with Lady De
Ramsey they set about changing the garden to what it is today. From a good basic framework of old trees and
lawns they added borders, roses and mixed plantings. There are several follies around the garden designed by
Peter Foster, the surveyor to Westminster Abbey, including a gothic trellis in the herbaceous border and the
Constable Pavilion at the end of the lake. The present Lord and Lady De Ramsey are carrying on with the work,
improving borders re-planting areas where age is beginning to show, adding new plants to the ever growing
collection commissioning new hard features and maintaining the follies. They have also started a fine collection
of red list and unusual oak trees, acorns are collected from around the world propagated then planted out in the
garden and parkland.
The village of Abbots Ripton dates from Saxon times and is recorded in the Domesday Book, though the house
and gardens date from the 18th and 19th centuries.
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23rd MAY
GREEN TOUR
www.eustonhall.co.uk
Euston Hall: Historic Estate and Parkland
Euston Hall has been home to the Dukes of Grafton for over 350 years, and the estate is one of the largest
private estates in East Anglia (10,500 acres).
The Estate has around 6,500 acres which are farmed ‘in-hand’ by the Euston Farms, but also rented out for freerange pig and poultry farming and to one of the area's major vegetable growers.
They are particularly proud of the ‘Suffolk Trinity’; their own Grafton herd of Red Poll cattle, along with Suffolk
Punch horses (bred by Lady Euston - mother of the current Duke) and the Suffolk sheep, which can all be seen
on Estate grassland.
In conjunction with FLI Energy and Strutt and Parker Farms , the Estate has recently constructed a 2.5 ME AD/
biogas plant.
All 1,500 acres of woodland (including the largest semi-ancient broadleaf woodland in East Anglia) is managed
by felling and controlled coppicing with both wildlife and productivity in mind. Within the woodlands are 540 acres
which have been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The Estate boasts a wide range of habitats, including many of the rarest species found in the Breckland area.
Large colonies of White Admiral butterflies are to be found in Fakenham Wood, as well as the rare Stone Curlew.
Apart from different species of game bird, the estate is also home to fallow, muntjac, roe deer and transitory
herds of Red Deer from the Breckland /Thetford woodland areas. The Estate supports the Game and Wildlife
Conservation Trust and the work they do to ensure the countryside stays in balance.
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23rd MAY
BLUE TOUR
www.eltonhall.com
Elton Hall: Historic House, Art Collection and Agricultural Estate
Elton Hall lies at the heart of a 3,800 acre Estate made up of a mixture of property including farms, houses and
cottages, commercial property and woodland. At the centre of the estate is Elton Hall which is a romantic and
part Gothic House which has been in the Proby family since 1660.
The Hall is a mixture of styles. The garden or south front incorporates the 15th century tower and chapel which
were built at the time of Henry VII. In the 17th century a new wing was added to the west. The Marble Hall and
main staircase, designed by Henry Ashton, are remarkable examples of a mid-Victorian revival of mid-18th
century style, as well as the Dining room built in 1860. The Drawing Room is the largest room in the house and
was formed from the medieval Chapel around 1740. The 18th century ceiling with its enriched cornice and frieze
remains, but the present decoration dates from 1860. The three large Gothic windows in the Big Dining Room are
exact copies of the windows that were in the North wall of the medieval Chapel. The Library contains a large
collection of books including a very rare collection of Bibles and Prayer Books and represents a continuous
interest from the time of Sir Thomas Proby. From the Main Library a short passage leads to the Inner Library
situated in the medieval Sapcote Tower.
Very little evidence remains of the original garden. We can see from the 1730 drawing by Buck that a formal
garden was laid out to the north-east of the house. Formal gardens and pleasure grounds were laid out in the
1890s and all that remains from this early planting are some of the mature trees, the box parterre and the four
conical yew shapes to the south of the Hall.
The garden you see today was originally laid out in
1913 with the construction of the paths, the lawns,
the lily pond, the well-head and the flower garden
wall, however almost all the planting is modern
being the creation of Lady Proby, the current
owner.
You will be receiving a tour of the house and
gardens, art collection, estate and woodland
management and Stockhill.
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23rd MAY
RED TOUR
www.trumpingtonestate.com
The Trumpington Estate: Agricultural Estate and Associated Developments
The Trumpington Estate: The Pemberton Family bought the original 400 hectares in 1675. Today the family
farms or manages over 3000 hectares. Of this over half is farmed by the family or rented from 3 Cambridge
Colleges or managed on behalf of Cambridge University.Although agriculture is still at the heart of the Estate, in
recent years, the Estate has diversified to include residential and commercial property, DIY livery, fishing
syndicate and a pub. Renewable energy project include solar, a wind farm and willow biomass.
The visit will start at Cantelupe House a new house on the estate built by Richard Pemberton the managing
director where coffee will be served. The first part of the farm tour will look at high Tec. farming systems, crops
and machinery. Your guide will be David Knott the Estate Manager
We shall then visit a 150 hectare development on the south side of Cambridge with which the family have been
have been involved for 15 years. It includes 2500 houses and the Cambridge University Biomedical Campus
whose mission is to be the greatest centre of medical excellence in Europe. Your guide will be John Somerville of
Bidwells the family’s agents who have delivered the scheme.
We shall then drive to Trumpington Hall to look at some of the Estate’s environmental schemes, in particular a
newly created Wetland habitat which is attracting many new bird species.
We will then go to Trumpington Hall the home of Antony Pemberton for lunch kindly sponsored by Bidwells.
There will be an opportunity to look round the house and garden.
After lunch the coach will go to Cambridge where we hope to include a private tour of parts of Kings College not
normally open to the public before attending Choral Evensong in Kings College Chapel (www.kings.cam.ac.uk)
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23rd MAY
ORANGE TOUR (YFCS)
Great Hallingbury – Streeter Farms
At A.C. & J. Streeter & Sons you will find a commercial thinking Farm Business, working in Partnership with
neighbours to increase acreage and pool machinery, and accommodate trial plots for new varieties and ideas in
combinable crops. At the end of 2005 the Partners realised that the Farm structure needed to change, from an
existing complex ‘mixed farming’ set-up of 770 Ha (1900 Ac) which had too many staff and very high costs, to a
standalone profitable Farm Business that would also free up Partners’ time. Tom and Will Streeter started to set
up a non profit making subcontracting venture for the benefit of the Parent Companies. The new Limited Liability
Partnership commenced trading January, 2007. The Parent Companies still trade independently, and Sub
contract the new Business in to do the Stubble to Stubble work. They started with combinable
Hectares of 1659 (4100 ac). The benefits they have seen are
Fixed Cost reduction, Economies of Scale with the reduction
of Staff and Machinery, improved efficiency and timeliness of
operations directly effecting yield, and better use of Partners’
time.
Optional Pre-Assembly Tour
18 – 21 May 2015
Norfolk, UK
Grey Farms
Over the last 40 years Greys has hosted a number of key environmental trials that have had major impacts in UK
government environmental policy. The farm has also being acknowledged in a number of national wildlife awards.
Today the work has influenced the creation of the charity Redlist Revival, standardising wildlife data to provide
the opportunity for private estates to bench-mark the scale of their provision, to provide the opportunity for the
taxpayer to understand the true cost of delivering wildlife and to provide the information to produce wildlife as
efficiently as possible in the future.
The fascinating farm shows how the wildlife crisis can be redressed within progressive land management rather
continuing the ecological policies of the last 40 years and studying species to extinction. You will be having a
firsthand experience in both of these innovative and forward looking agricultural business modules.
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Pre-Assembly Tour
HOTEL
Monday 18th May
06:30pm
06:45pm
08:00pm
Tuesday 19th May
08:45am
09.15am
09:30am
09:50am
11:30am
12:30pm
02:30pm
08:00pm
Wednesday 20th May
09:30am
01:00pm
08:00pm
Thursday 21st May
09:00am
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Programme
Victoria Inn Hotel www.holkham.co.uk/victoria
The Victoria, Park Road, Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1RG
Arrival at Holkham
Afternoon: Check in at the Hotel
Meeting in the Victoria Inn Lobby – Departure for Holkham Hall
* If you come by car, ask us for the security code for the gate
Welcome by The Earl of Leicester and visit of the Hall
Dinner (Dress code: suit)
Holkham Hall
Study day at Holkham
Meeting in the Victoria Inn Lobby – Departure for Holkham Hall
Welcome of participants at Holkham Hall
Introduction by The Earl of Leicester
Celia Deeley “Enterprises and Events”
Lexham Hall
Departure for National Nature Reserve
Visit “Pinewoods” and Lunch at the Beach Café
Castle Acre
Visit to the Farm, Game margin and Forestry
Informal drinks and dinner at the Victoria Inn
Visits to the Countryside
Meeting in the Victoria Inn Lobby – departure for one day visit
Lexham Hall
Castle Acre Lunch and Visit
Bradenham Hall
Bradenham Hall and Arboretum
Dinner at Victoria Inn
Oxburgh Hall
One day visit
Hotel Check-out with luggage
John Shropshire Farm
Oxburgh Hall
Lunch and visit at John Shropshire Farm
*Early departures for the Board Meeting
Holkham Hall
Holkham
Hall
MONDAY 18th – TUESDAY 19th MAY
Holkham is the centre of a thriving 25,000-acre agricultural estate; which provides resources both to maintain the
house, and to ensure that the social fabric of rural life remains intact.
Thomas Coke, the first Earl of Leicester, conceived the Palladian Hall as his vision of an Italian villa on the
windswept north Norfolk coast. The family has lived there continuously since the 1750s and they take great pride
in sharing the house and its treasures, the deer park and Holkham Beach, with visitors.
Regarding the farm, wheat is grown on the better land along with break crops such as beans, peas and potatoes.
The livestock enterprises consist of a herd of 190 suckler beef cattle and a flock of 100 sheep. All progeny from
the suckler herd are fattened and butchered locally. The meat can often be found on the menu at the estateowned Victoria Inn.
The Farming Company has a formal conservation policy, which is operated over all its farms. As part of the
Common Agricultural Policy agri-environmental measures, the estate is engaged on an enterprise to revert arable
land to grassland within the Deer Park.
There are 710 hectares of woodland on the estate, which are managed for amenity, shooting and commercial
forestry, under the guiding principle of sustainability. A team of foresters carry out all maintenance, planting,
weeding and thinning. Traditionally, agriculture and farm rentals have supported the estate and the maintenance
of the Hall and other properties. However, with costs of such maintenance increasing and the decline in farming
profits, this is no longer the case. The estate has diversified and, over the past 10 years, has adopted the policy of
running its own businesses in-house, rather than renting out premises for others to do so. For example,
Pinewoods Holiday Park near Wells-next-the-Sea, which had been let to North Norfolk District Council for 60
years from 1926, is now run by the estate and employs 50 people during the summer. Additionally, there is a café
and a gift shop in Holkham Park.
The management of land and property is the estate’s main activity and it is working on a planning and
development strategy which aims to find viable options for the reuse of redundant farm buildings. The estate owns
and maintains more than 300 houses, which are let to people who live and work locally. In 2000, the estate built
six almshouses in the nearby village of Burnham Market, which are now occupied by retired estate employees.
The estate runs its own maintenance and property development companies, which are involved both in complex
refurbishment projects on the Hall and essential repair and maintenance work on the estate cottages.
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Holkham Hall
Lexham
Hall
On the 19th you will be invited for a conference. After that you will be departing out of South Gates and into
“Pinewood”, with an explanation of Richard SEABROOKE, General Manager, and then a walk on the beach.
Lunch will be at 12:30pm which will lead to a tour of the estate, where you will be received by the different
managers of each duty: “National Nature Reserve” by Sarah HENDERSON, Manager NNR; “Farming” by Poul
HOVESEN, Farm Director, Holkham Estate and “Game management” by Jo STAPLETON Graduate Surveyor,
Holkham Estate.
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WEDNESDAY 20th MAY
On the 20th You will be visiting Lexham Hall, GRADE II Listed, at the centre of a 4400 acre (1781 Ha) agricultural
estate and which has been the home of the Foster family since 1946. The Hall dates from the 1630s with later
remodelling in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The park surrounding the house was enclosed in 1776 and the
layout is believed to have been influenced by “Capability” Brown who was employed by Sir John Wodehouse, the
owner of Lexham, to improve the park at his other property, Kimberley Hall.
Two World Wars and adverse economic conditions caused a slow but steady deterioration until the renaissance
brought about by Mr.William Foster and his wife Jean following their acquisition of the estate in 1946. To restore
the Hall the Fosters called in the distinguished Norwich architect James Fletcher-Watson, a disciple of Sir Edwin
Lutyens, who between 1947 and 1949, removed the Victorian accretions to produce a stylish and handsome four
square house. Sixty years on, it is by no means easy to tell which is 18th and which is 20th century work. The
house contains impressive interiors and a fine art collection including works by the Royal Portrait painter, Richard
Foster, brother of Neil Foster.
The garden was largely destroyed in World War II and the gardens of today were designed and planted by
Mrs.William Foster with the help of Dame Sylvia Crowe and Jim Russell between 1948 and 1986. The current
owners, Neil and Anthea Foster , have continued to develop the garden by redesigning the walled garden; double
borders span the garden with a central wisteria covered dome. The curves of the crinkle-crankle south facing
wall (originally for growing peaches) are echoed in the scalloped box hedges of the perennial borders on either
side of the entrance. The traditional kitchen garden produces fruit, vegetables and cutting flowers for the Hall.
With the help of the EU and Coca Cola the river and lake have been restored recently, as part part of a wider
scheme to restore the chalk streams of Norfolk from source to mouth.
The tour finishes with a visit to East Lexham Church with a round tower said to be one of the oldest in England
dating to 900AD. Housed in the Church is a superb painting of the Nativity by Richard Foster RP.
www.holkham.co.uk
www.lexhamestate.co.uk
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Holkham
Hall
Castle
Acre
WEDNESDAY 20th MAY
Castle Acre takes its name from the walled castle built in the 12th century by the Normans. There is much to see in
Castle Acre including the castle ruins and the Cluniac Priory. Both were founded soon after the Norman Conquest
by William de Warenne, the first Earl of Surrey. At its heyday, Castle Acre played an important role in the affairs of
the State, with many visits from royalty. Castle Acre itself was once a fortified town and still possesses one of its
gates, the Bailey Gate. When first established, Castle Acre was one of the finest examples of Norman town
planning in the country, and much of this can still be seen.
Holkham Hall Hall
Bradenham
WEDNESDAY 20th
MAY
You will be invited by Chris & Panda Allhusen to visit Bradenham Hall and visit the Hall and Arboretum.
Bradenham Hall is a fine early red brick Georgian house surrounded by its lovely Garden and Arboretum. It sits
near the top of one of Norfolk's highest points, providing visitors with a splendid view to the south over rolling
farmland. Bradenham Hall has been featured in magazines including "Country Life" and "House & Garden" and on
television in the programme "Gardens Without Borders".
For long periods of time, the house was let out, rather than lived in by the owners and reputedly amongst these
tenants was Lady Hamilton, who is said to have entertained Lord Nelson as a guest. Since the house was built in
about 1740, it had been owned by different families, including the author Ryder Haggard; until 1951 when Dick &
Jane Allhusen bought it, together with 1,500 acres of surrounding land and woods.
Plans for the garden were devised in about 1953 and continue to this day. The Garden and Arboretum extend to
around 27 acres. The gardens are divided up by Yew hedges into beautiful herbaceous borders, shrub borders, a
Philosophers walk, glass houses, a paved garden and traditional vegetable and fruit gardens. The borders have a
plantsman's collection of wonderful shrubs, flowers and trees, many of which are unusual and selective. The
Arboretum now contains over 750 different species of trees, many very unusual and rare. Much of it is
underplanted in spring with daffodils and spring bulbs. The spring and autumn colours can be truly spectacular.
The trees and most shrubs are labelled, on either path or North side, and bear the date of their planting.
The Hall was completely renovated
starting in 2009 and took three
years. This included a 200 kW
wood fuel boiler and 100 kW of
solar panels. Since the garden was
created in the 1950’s, much of the
original structure now needs
reinvention and modernisation.
Plans are underway for changes
including some exciting new
designs.
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www.bradenhamhall.co.uk
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Holkham
OxburghHall
Hall
THURSDAY 21st MAY
You will first be going to Oxburgh Hall for a visit of the Manor house and gardens. Oxburgh is an 15th century
moated manor house, built by the Bedingfeld family in the 15th century, they have lived here ever since. Inside, the
family's Catholic history is revealed, complete with a secret priest's hole which you can crawl inside.
On first sight, Oxburgh Hall looks to be an imposing castle, reflected in its impressive Tudor gatehouse and
surrounding moat. Despite being built during the Wars of the Roses, Oxburgh was never intended to be a castle
but a family home.
The King's and Queen's rooms record the occasion in the late 15th century when Henry VII and his Queen,
Elizabeth of York, stayed at Oxburgh.
Oxburgh is in some ways a story of two halves. The Medieval exterior is quite a contrast to the Victorian interior.
Several rooms at Oxburgh were re-modelled by the 6th Baronet, Sir Henry Paston-Bedingfeld. Oxburgh was filled
with rich textured wallpapper, dark paneling and heraldic symbols of the family.
You will be able to see the astonishing needlework by Mary, Queen of Scots, and the private chapel, built with
reclaimed materials. Outside, you can enjoy panoramic views from the gatehouse roof and follow the woodcarving
trails in the gardens and woodlands..
Sir Henry Bedingfeld will welcome you, and will tell you as his family managed to continue living in their home
through an agreement with the National Trust.
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www.nationaltrust.org.uk/oxburgh-hall
Holkham
Hall
John Shropshire
Farm
THURSDAY 21st MAY
You will be invited to John and Trish Shropshire’s Farm for lunch and spend the afternoon visiting their farm,
and they will explain to you about their company's concept and show us the new investments.
Shropshire’s is a family business, with a unique culture that encompasses its people, its products and its
processes.
The business was established in 1952 by Guy Shropshire Snr when he bought his first 300 acre farm near Ely.
The business’ own G’s Brand comes from Guy’s initials.
Now the third generation are taking up leadership positions within the organisation , Guy Shropshire Jnr is working
in Spain, Charles Shropshire in the UK and Henry Shropshire in Poland.
Although the number of people working within the business has increased significantly, family is a key factor there's a strong sense of teamwork and a commitment to realising the full potential of every member of staff. It's
an ethos that extends to customers and suppliers too, working in partnership to achieve the best results with
family farming values still the cornerstone of the company's culture.
Today the Shropshire family farms are part of a co-operative of growers running their own farms, all subject to the
same rigorous quality procedures and good farming practice as stipulated by G’s and its customers.
At Shropshire's they are passionate about freshness, quality and taste. Their farming methods ensure that
freshness is top of the agenda, with products harvested in the field and - depending on the crop, cut by hand and
packed in the field. Selecting and packing takes place on purpose-built mobile pack-houses called rigs.
Products are then taken to the depot within a target time of three hours and kept in temperature-controlled
conditions for maximum freshness until they reach the supermarket shelves a day later.
www.shropshiresorganics.co.uk
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NOTES
Friends of the Countryside
Rue de Trèves 67 B-1040 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0) 2 234 30 00
Fax: +32 (0) 2 234 30 09
www.friendsofthecountryside.org
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With our special thanks to:
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