ECT raises its voice over high-speed rail :: The Trust's Estates in Buckinghamshire
The Hartwell Estate and Fairford Leys
1,809 acres
The Hartwell Estate in the Vale of Aylesbury was purchased by Ernest Cook in 1938 and currently covers some 1,809 acres. The estate is mixed arable and dairy land and is home to two of the Trust’s eight dairy farms. One of the farming tenant’s family has been farming the area for the last 150 years.
Hartwell House is the most celebrated residence on the Trust’s estates. With its Elizabethan and Georgian facades and garden landscaped by Capability Brown it was, for a time between 1807 and 1814, the residence of the exiled future king of France Louis XVIII.
Ernest Cook had intended to live on this estate and indeed spent time in the 1930s installing modern heating systems, repairing the roof and the stonework. However, he did not actually take up residence, choosing instead to retire to Bath.
After use of the building as a finishing school and a subsequent serious fire, the leasehold of the house was acquired by Historic Hotels whose owner, Richard Broyd, put huge effort and considerable funds into a programme of restoration. In accordance with Mr Broyd’s wishes, the lease was assigned to the National Trust in 2008 but the house continues to be run as one of the UK's top country house hotels.
The estate lies on the southwestern boundary of Aylesbury and over the last few decades has benefited from growth of the town.
On the eastern edge of the Hartwell estate lies the new village of Fairford Leys which was built on land sold by the Trust between 1993 and 2004. The design and management of the development was controlled by the Trust during construction; to ensure community life would be central to the development, facilities such as a community centre, ecumenical church, leisure facilities, shops, offices and a primary school were provided. This has resulted in a vibrant community with a range of accommodation – Fairford Leys is always referred to as an exemplar of sustainable development.
Trust raises its voice over high-speed rail
The Ernest Cook Trust has joined forces with the National Trust to voice its opposition to the Government’s proposed new high-speed rail link (HS2) between London and Birmingham.
The Trust is directly concerned with this as the proposed route runs through the middle of its Hartwell Estate. The route, first published last year, passes straight through the Grade II* listed parkland at Hartwell House, and only 150 metres from the Grade I listed house.
ECT sent its objections to the Secretary of State for Transport, Philip Hammond, and joined the National Trust which leases the property, and Historic House Hotels, the sub-lessee and operator of Hartwell House hotel, in opposing the route.
Following meetings with HS2 this route has been amended slightly, taking it further away from the house. Nicholas Ford said: “Although we appreciate this change, which shows that the HS2 planners recognise the importance of Hartwell, the route still runs through the historic parkland and too close to the house.
"We remain extremely concerned about not only the visual impact, but also the effect of the noise from the trains, and of course the consequent impact upon the operation of this superb country house hotel.
“We and our fellow objectors believe the only acceptable way to minimise the effects of the route is to run the line through a tunnel beneath the estate although we understand that while this is technically possible, it has not been proposed because of the cost.”
The Trust is in continuing discussions with HS2 to try and mitigate the effects of the high-speed link.