An estate in Cheshire has won a prestigious national award for how well it has been run. Edward Trevor-Barnston, the owner of the 1,800-acre Barnston Estate near Farndon, has received the Bledisloe Gold Medal from the Royal Agricultural Society of England. The medal is given to landowners who demonstrate outstanding achievement in the successful land management and development of an agricultural estate in England.
The Barnston Estate, which is managed by property consultancy Fisher German, has overseen the expansion of Crewe Hall Farm over the last year, and that successful project was a major factor in Edward landing the award. Edward said: “The tenant at Crewe Hall Farm wished to substantially increase the number of cows on the site, and I was happy to invest to help him achieve this. Over the last year, we have developed a state-of-the-art dairy farm, with new cattle housing, a 60-point rotary milking parlour and extended silage clamps. Crewe Hall Farm is now one of the best farms of its kind in Cheshire thanks to our investment and the tenant’s great ambition.
We’re always looking to expand and improve the Estate, so we’re incredibly proud to have been awarded the Bledisloe Gold Medal, which carries tremendous kudos in the rural world. I have to thank Fisher German for all the advice they have provided over many years. We have worked with the company for more than half a century and their input has been key.”
Along with Crewe Hall Farm, the Barnston Estate also consists of Monument Place Employment Park, a former plant breeding site which now hosts a children’s nursery and a greenhouse manufacturing company. Top Farm is also located on the Estate, which was converted for commercial use in the 1980s. It features a restaurant, physiotherapist clinic, hairdressing salon and picture gallery among other shops. And Edward is planning on expanding and improving the Barnston Estate even further in the next five years, with a cookery school and B&B on the horizon. He also aims to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the entire estate by adopting modern farming practices and technology.
Edward Clark, partner at Fisher German’s Chester office, said: “We have helped Edward and his predecessors manage the Barnston Estate for more than 50 years now, so we’re so pleased he has won the Bledisloe Gold Medal. His willingness to invest in new ideas rather than sitting on his laurels has paid off – both in the success of his tenants and with the awarding of the medal. Edward still has ambitious plans for the Estate, and we will be on hand to advise him every step of the way.”
