ESTATE LIFE
A FA M I LY A F FA I R Elysia Agnew meets with the Milbank family, making a house a home on the Barningham Estate
Get lost on the country tracks, just off the A66 towards Barnard Castle, and you may stumble upon beautiful Barningham – a quaint conservation village at the foot of the moors. After tackling the Monday morning A1 rush, it’s a welcome retreat as I step into a world of stone-built cottages, glorious gardens and rolling countryside as far as the eye can see. I find myself relaxing into my seat as I wind through the country roads. As I’m meandering through the village, I notice the entrance to Barningham Estate on my right. Sitting at a height along a pristine drive is Barningham Park – a beautiful, Grade II* listed country house, dating back to the 15th century and set in 7,000 acres of countryside. It has been the home of the Milbank family since 1690; and today, I have the pleasure of meeting the family who have made the house a home - Sir Edward and Lady Natalie Milbank. It’s a family home among many other things. It’s a business, and will always remain a family business, but it’s important for each generation to really get to grips with life on the Estate. Sir Edward and Lady Natalie live at Barningham Park with their three children and labrador, Rocket. Today, it’s all hands
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on deck as they prepare for a busy summer schedule – balancing family life with the running of the Estate. And with the re-opening of the much-loved Milbank Arms in the mix, there’s plenty to keep them busy. We’re here to talk all things Barningham – a day in the life of the Estate – but also, to explore the recently re-opened Milbank Arms, sitting in a quiet spot at the bottom of the Barningham Estate entrance – at the heart of the village. Loved amongst locals, it has been a treasured meeting point for many years – and, of course, an important part of the Milbank family since 1690. Retaining many of its original features, it enjoys a breathtaking location at the foot of the Yorkshire Dales and celebrates everything local, from the food and the real ales, to the decor and the staff. But before we get to see the Milbank makeover, it’s a pot of tea with Sir Edward and Lady Natalie in their home. Inside, the house nods to its history and heritage, but with a touch of contemporary design. It’s very much a running, family home. Wellies of all sizes are lined up at the door, a games room keeps the kids entertained and an Aga sits at the centre of the farmhouse kitchen. It’s everything you’d expect from a busy family home in the countryside, but with heaps of family history inside.
Iconic copies of Vogue line the drawing room table, while vintage tea sets are displayed in crooked cabinets. Loud, yellow sofas light up the room, while patterned chairs, passed down the family, take pride of place in the windows. There’s a real mix of old and new here, and it’s great to see the couple making their mark on a historical home. We settle down in the dining room; a large, banqueting table sitting at the centre – as you’d expect from an aristocratic family. Portraits and paintings adorn the walls and rich, traditional colours make up the decor. It’s timeless, it’s traditional – but it’s home. Over a pot of Yorkshire tea, Sir Edward and Lady Natalie tell me about their journey to Barningham. “I grew up on the Estate,” says Sir Edward. “So it really is home for me. I left for school and university – and then went on to work away, but returning to the Estate was always part of the plan, and I’m humbled to do so.” For Lady Natalie, it’s an adopted home – but one she feels incredibly passionate about and takes pride in running on a daily basis. “My mother is German and my father was in the military, so we’ve lived in lots of
interesting places including Hong Kong,” says Lady Natalie. “I attended boarding school in rural Wiltshire, based my career in London and then retreated to this beautiful part of the world,” she adds. “But before that, I escaped the big city to run an aid project in the wilderness in Africa, which was one of my favourite places to live, for sure. “I feel most at home when I’m surrounded by nature and animals – so Barningham Estate certainly feels like home for me.” Lady Natalie spent much of her career running reconstruction projects in postconflict war zones. Barningham Estate is a blissful comparison, and somewhere the couple, along with their three young children, dog and their wider family of staff and animals, are delighted to call home. After meeting through mutual friends in the Swiss Alps, the pair moved to the Estate nine years ago, with a transition period with Sir Edward’s parents. “We’ve undergone some renovations since taking on the Estate,” says Lady Natalie. “We renovated the back of the house,
It’s a family home among many other things. It’s a business, and will always remain a family business, but it’s important for each generation to really get to grips with life on the Estate
SEP/OCT19