Outstanding achievement in the successful development of an agricultural estate has earned Sir Richard FitzHerbert the Royal Agricultural Society of England’s Bledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners. The award was made to Sir Richard at the Royal Show on Monday 3 July by Sir Stuart Hampson, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership and president of the Royal Agricultural Society of England.
Sir Richard owns Tissington Hall in Derbyshire, which has been home to the FitzHerbert family for 500 years. Along with the Hall, built by his ancestors in 1609, the estate consists of 2,400 acres comprising 13 farms, 40 cottages and various commercial lettings. The village of Tissington surrounds the Hall and is 95% owned by the family.
Since he inherited the estate in 1989, Sir Richard, with the help of rural property agents Fisher German, has successfully developed it, building on its strengths and introducing new diversified enterprises with the estate’s tenants. The result is a vibrant, thriving rural community, that attracts thousands of tourists, drawn to Tissington as much for its charm and friendliness, as for the natural beauty of its setting.
Some of the changes that Sir Richard and his wife have brought to Tissington, and have helped nurture a warm and welcoming rural community, include:
• A nursery has been opened in the Old Kitchen Gardens with plants available for sale
• The Old Coach House has been converted to thriving tearooms
• The old Joiner’s shop has been re-opened as the Craft Shop Acanthus
• A candle-maker now runs his business from the Old Forge
• The Old Slaughterhouse has been transformed into White Peak Butchery – a master butcher selling locally-sourced prime cuts to a growing and discerning customer base of mainly local pubs and restaurants.
“We’re really pleased that we have been recognised for the changes we have made over the past 17 years,” says Sir Richard. “My wife Caroline and I and all the staff at Tissington have worked hard to ensure the estate has a prosperous and secure future. Above all, we have aimed to maintain a community – we feel strongly that a village is about the people who live and work in it. And on the estate in general we have succeeded in replacing jobs that have been lost in traditional agriculture with new ones we have created through our diversified enterprises. It is very gratifying to see how the changes we have made have brought more people, spending more money, into the village and the area as a whole, rather than relying on government grants.”
David Merton, partner at Fisher German adds: “We’re thrilled that Tissington has received this award – few estates in England are more deserving. We’ve worked alongside Sir Richard since 1992 to develop the estate in a way that ensures its future prosperity but maintains a community feel and preserves the glorious nature of the Peak District. Running an estate like Tissington is a delicate balance between bringing in new opportunities and a thorough understanding of the needs of the people who work and live there. The award is proof that we’re getting that balance right.”
