Country Matters 2024

COUNTRY MATTERS

COUNTRY MATTERS

WELCOME

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have been reflecting on my long career and how times have changed sometimes but not always for the better. We are so familiar with technology that it seems that we have always had it, but the internet has only been with us since 1993, emails for all from 1995, Wi-Fi in 1997 and the iPhone since 2007. Some firms still provide their fax number – when was the last time anyone used one of those?

David Bowie once said ‘I think the potential of what the internet is going to do to society, both good and bad, is unimaginable. I think we’re actually on the cusp of something exhilarating and terrifying.’ He said this in 1999 but I imagine he would say something similar about AI. This seems to be the big topic that could well dominate our future and whereas I have believed that a robot could not do my job as an auctioneer I am now not so sure.

Whilst writing an article for this magazine I asked ChatGPT for five hundred words. I had an immediate response, but the vocabulary was so obviously not me that I abandoned it and wrote from scratch. By sanitising the subject the personal touch is gone and, when applied to our professional life, experience is lost as well.

Some auctioneers have abandoned the rostrum and hide behind an eBay type auction. This might be satisfactory for the bland and shy ‘auctioneers’, or when farm machinery lots are not in one place, but all nuance and that special audience interaction is lost. Likewise, a flavour of property prices in an area may be readily available on various websites but an experienced valuer will look at the subject and add or subtract to find the true and fair figure. There are clearly some great advantages to AI, especially with medical matters, but how it is developed, deployed, and regulated will be a challenge for whatever government we end up with this year, and beyond.

If you are new to Symonds & Sampson, I hope the magazine gives you ideas about how we may be able to help you. To regular readers thank you for your support and kind feedback about our annual publication. It means a great deal and I am pleased to say that we can now boast that Country Matters is an award-winning magazine. It is put together by staff and partners across our sixteen offices and edited by a small team. It aims to entertain, inform, and educate but in no particular order. There is, hopefully, something that catches your eye as you flick through. We have left one article written by AI so see if you can spot it!

Mark Lewis Senior Partner

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CONTENTS

PROFESSIONAL AND PLANNING For this section, we’ve curated a mix of advice, opinion, information and inspiration – starting with insights from an agricultural valuer. Next, we explore the cleanliness of our rivers, the pros and cons of treeplanting, and strategies for deer population management. There’s an overview of local nature conservation, a trip to Salisbury Plain and a bike ride along the Imber Path. Switching gears, we have advice on schedule of condition reports, agricultural tenancies and rural grants. We take a scenic journey along the South West Coast Path, peep into the world of Studland Bay naturists, and learn about British maps. There’s time to celebrate with the Society of Dorset Men, glean advice on unearthing your ‘hidden gem’, and discover why we’re in favour of sprinklers. Then we admire the humble brick, look at ways to improve energy efficiency, and get a town planner’s view on electric vehicles.

AGRICULTURE Rural pursuits take centre stage here, starting with highlights from our farm dispersal sales. There’s advice on preventing machinery theft, and a reminder to get your kit valued. Then we introduce you to some farm sale characters, acquire a taste for Dorset-made food and drink, and suggest positive steps to help farmers’ mental health. We talk about storks, and sing the praises of the region’s cathedrals, then it’s back to 1974 to remember the best film releases. We offer fashion tips on country-chic, decode environmental terms, explore ‘slow’ farming, and visit Frome Market. Then it’s over to our Agriculture ace, Andrew Tuffin, to sum up the farmland market and share his top 10.

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AGENCY King Charles and Queen Camilla open this section as we recall their visit to Poundbury. There’s an explanation of guide prices and tips for moving home. Then we raise a glass to Brewery Square, take to the high seas, and share memories of Enid Blyton. We dip our toes into the history of sea bathing, get to grips with ropemaking, then steer the conversation around to cars. There’s a look at our ‘best solds’, and a review of new homes. We hear why motorbikes are marvellous, discover the meaning of Pack Monday, and explore the legend of St Augustine’s Well at Cerne Abbas. Next, we look at the lure of ley lines, and learn how to place garden décor. The Lettings team share their considerable knowledge, we take a design detour via weathervanes and Christopher Wren, then return to discover our ‘best lettings’ list. There’s advice on downsizing, a few words from a church warden, and we answer the question of whether gundogs make good pets. We round things off with a tale of deadly cargo, a look at commercial rent reviews, and a flashback to 1984.

AUCTIONS We begin this section with our ‘best lots’, then share our Auction dates for 2024. There’s an appreciation of Barbara Hepworth, your essential Auction Q&A, and an entertaining piggy tale. We share our rostrum rituals, discover surprising links between the West Country and London, and hear about the small stone pillar with a big story.

AND FINALLY… Did you come along to a country show last year? Then you could be featured in our fabulous photo spreads. If you enjoy an adrenaline rush, we have features on mountain climbing, ziplining and racehorse ownership. You can catch up with our charitable endeavours, test your local knowledge with our fun quiz, then settle back to enjoy the grand parade.

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#established1858

PROFESSIONAL Hard working and intuitive, you’ll be hard pushed to beat the work ethic of our Professional team.

Bred to adapt in an ever-changing industry, they are determined and quick to evaluate even the most demanding of situations.

With an excellent nose and an instinct for opportunity, they are outstanding in their field.

CAAV Man Chris Powell reflects on a busy year as chairman of the Hants, Wilts and Dorset branch of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers

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or 12 months spanning 2022 and 2023, I had the privilege of chairing the Hants, Wilts and Dorset Branch of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers. I was entrusted with the year-long role last September – the start of a very busy time.

The position carries the responsibility of chairing the quarterly committees for the branch, hosting and speaking at conferences, and organising the AGM and Chairman’s Day. All this while also being the branch members’ main point of contact on professional matters – an added pressure to stay up to date on every aspect of the business, even areas outside your normal area of practice. This meant I found myself learning about the complexities of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), the opportunities of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, and the tribulations of Nutrient Neutrality, to name but a few.

The first responsibility of the year came when I was asked to open and host the Petersfield Update on 16 November 2022. The conference for rural surveyors and valuers had speakers on a range of topics including agricultural law; trees and developments; leisure opportunities with water; and a very interesting discussion on natural capital.

As Christmas passed, attention turned to the association’s spring briefing. The decision was made to move this conference to the larger, more central venue of Salisbury Racecourse. With more than 150 attendees, the conference was well received and provided members with an insightful update on recent case law, BNG and capital markets.

The last duty of the year, and arguably the most important, is the Chairman’s Day and AGM. As we are an association of

The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, or CAAV for short, is a specialist professional body representing, qualifying and briefing almost 3,000 members practising in a diverse range of agricultural and rural work throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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agricultural valuers, I thought it fitting to hold the event in a farm setting. We were kindly hosted by the Wookey family of Rushall Organics, a 5,000-acre organically farmed estate near Salisbury Plain.

An overview of the farm and guided walk by Joe Wookey was enjoyed by the members in the morning, followed by a leisurely lunch in the sunshine. The afternoon was taken up with our AGM, and an informative and interesting presentation by Josh Stratton of J M Stratton & Co.

Josh, whose estate in Wiltshire is made up of a diverse mix of arable farming, renewable energy, and property, spoke about the range of farming activities the business undertakes. He also gave us an overview of the history of the farm, their conservation and environmental efforts, and the wide range of diversification projects taking place, including an anaerobic digestion plant, and glasshouses spanning a hectare.

The AGM brought to an end my time as chairman and a role I am incredibly proud to have held; I wish my successor all the best for the forthcoming year.

Chris Powell BSc(Hons) MRICS FAAV Rural Partner 01380 710535 cpowell@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Tales of the

Riverbank

John Miller with the sort of salmon the River Frome used to produce back in the day – shame he killed it!

Water, water everywhere… but how clean are our rivers, asks Richard Miller

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et me be clear, I am no scientist and I am no learned environmentalist. But I do have 40-plus years’ experience of poking around in the rivers and streams of Dorset, chucking artificial flies at some of the most discerning trout, in the often vain hope they might be fooled.

I cannot describe the changes I have seen to the habitat in that time as dramatic – the basic scene before me when thigh-deep looks much the same as it did in the 1980s – but it is significant.

And to those who know, the signs have been worrying.

In fact it is fair to say that back in the 1960s and 1970s there were some pretty awful crimes committed against our rivers which have become generally forgotten in the mists of time. My grandfather stopped fishing for salmon on the lower River Frome when it was dredged and straightened as part of a “flood relief and river improvement scheme”. With recent enlightenment much of the gravel previously removed has been reinstated.

We should also not forget that tipping raw sewage into rivers

is nothing new; for my sins I am secretary of the Dorchester Fishing Club, and I am lucky to have access to our club records going back to the early 20th century. As late as the 1960s our annual members’ catch return distinguished between the weight of “clean” trout caught above the outfall at Louds Mill in Dorchester, and those classed as (heavier) “sewage fed” trout, caught below it. In those days most fish were killed and eaten.

Maybe we had stronger stomachs in those days, but that’s a debate for another day.

It’s just that these days we put so much more pressure on water resources and the land around us, expecting our rivers to cope and wash away our dodgy habits. An increased population, using way more water than we used to, excreting more, washing more and with questionable chemicals, building more, cropping the land in ways which haven’t sat comfortably with environmental protection. The list goes on. And the current weather pattern of warm and stormy winters followed by droughtprone summers just turbocharges the contributory issues.

So what do I see when I’m waiting for a trout to rise? Well, often far more flow at times and, equally, far less flow at other times, than I recall as being the case back in the day. Of course there are exceptions – I can just about remember the drought of 1976 – but the extremes just seem to roll round more frequently now. And a generally warming climate doesn’t help fish populations – their eggs really don’t like our recent tropical winters.

In the spring, around mid to late April, I also see the usually gin-clear water going cloudy. It’s like somebody has dropped a bit of gravy in the Gordon’s. It’s algal bloom, caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorous in warming spring sunshine, consuming oxygen and blocking sunlight. When combined with the excessive sediment, washed down from land over winter, it creates a layer of gunk on the riverbed, stopping the river weed from growing.

The most valuable of these river weeds is ‘ranunculus fluitans’, otherwise known as water crowfoot. It has long, wavy strands with buttercup-type flowers, and it harbours all the invertebrates that eventually hatch from the surface, bringing the trout on the feed. No ranunculus means no home for invertebrates, and no hatching into flies. And no splattering of those flies on to windscreens, like we had when driving along river valleys on warm summer evenings in the good old days.

Thankfully we’re all experiencing a realisation that things cannot go on like this. At last the government has been forced to wake from its environmental slumber (thank you, Feargal Sharkey, and many others on the campaign trail), and now has a plan to improve the health of our rivers, while also seeking to better safeguard our precious drinking water.

The stick is finally being dusted off and applied to the water companies, and more of a carrot approach is being offered to farmers and land managers to lessen the environmental pressure from intensive farming, and improve the way we regard our rivers.

If that means I can stand beside my beloved River Frome and watch more insects hatching, more swallows feeding on them, more kingfishers dazzling, more bats flitting at dusk – and more trout rising – then it will be a sign that the collective effort to sort out our water problem will at least be starting to work.

It’s like somebody dropped a bit of gravy in the Gordon’s

Richard Miller MRICS FAAV Managing Partner 01305 236574 rmiller@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Special Branch

Jane Ruell on the challenges of farming with trees

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ore than 3,000 hectares of new woodland was created in 2022/23, but we still need to plant more trees. We have heard this call to action many times.

But, despite grants and funding incentives, we still need to consider more woodland creation and management, especially as we contemplate net-zero targets.

The tree planting targets set by the government in England and Wales are ambitious at 7,500 hectares per annum. The problems we face are linked to taking good agricultural land out of production – which impacts food supply – and planting in poorer areas of the farm which are often small acreages. Is it worth the hassle, especially when the grant aid is quite complex?

There is also the cost. Tree planting is funded by the Nature for Climate Fund – soon to be the England Woodland Creation Offer and then part of Environmental Land Management.

This looks like ‘pass the parcel’ but, hopefully, is just a way to ensure the right money is delivered from the correct fund.

Making sure there is an incentive for woodland management is also key – planting is one thing but nurturing is another.

The other problems are the number of trees felled as a result of ash dieback and whether they are being replaced, especially next to roads. I see little replanting being done, so is road planting something we should be looking at?

Drive along the roads on the continent, and the avenues of trees make for a stunning site. If our vehicles contribute to climate change, could planting trees along the motorways, especially where there are traffic pinch points, be possible?

Questions arise around who is going to maintain and manage the trees, and who is liable if they cause an accident, but it could be considered. Tree planting in towns and cities must also be addressed.

The government also needs to look at deer and squirrel management – both enjoy feeding off young saplings. The deer population has grown exponentially and the damage to crops as well as trees cannot be underestimated.

Active management of deer, leading to a better supply of the highly sustainable and healthy meat, is essential.

As for squirrels, while many people find them endearing, they pose an existential threat to the native red squirrel. The Grey Squirrel Action Plan could be an interesting read!

Planting more trees is needed, but there are issues for us to overcome and I am not sure present grant funding will make it attractive enough.

Is it worth the hassle, especially when the grant aid is quite complex?

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Jane Ruell MSc Graduate Surveyor 01884 218911 jruell@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Oh Deer!

Salome Shaddick on how to bring the UK’s deer population back to more manageable levels

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anaging wild deer has become a major problem for landowners as the numbers have risen considerably over the past 40 years. Deer breed more rapidly than is necessary to simply sustain their population – in the space of a decade, a herd of 100 roe deer can grow to 1,000.

The UK now has six species of deer: red, roe, fallow, sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer. On the mainland, it is believed there are 2 million thanks to milder winters, increased woodland cover – if they haven’t eaten the shoots – and a lack of deer culls with some two million deer in our countryside and semi-urban areas.

They are lovely to see about – we all have a soft spot for Bambi – but there are problems. Road traffic accidents, crop loss (a standing arable crop can be decimated overnight), and the destruction of trees and habitats. There is no deer predator apart from man, and this is where we need to step up our management.

Deer management, however, is more than just culling (how much venison can we eat?) and we can still do this and

ensure the populations remain healthy and in balance with the environment. Many argue against hunting and deer culling as a socially unacceptable method of managing deer populations, advocating instead for the use of contraception or surgical sterilisation as the primary means.

The chief advantage of fertility control lies in its potential to reduce the necessity for lethal measures.

Nonetheless, even when employing fertility control, there will still be a requirement for humane, lethal options to remove diseased, injured or ageing animals from treated populations.

Fertility control may enhance the survival of treated females, but the population cannot be expected to decline rapidly.

These populations may not increase in number, but they will age, resulting in static populations with a growing proportion of senescent individuals.

Within the boundaries of the law, landowners have the right to decide how to manage deer on their land, however there is no fertility control available for widespread use in rural areas that can safely and effectively manage wild deer populations, resulting in the use of the lethal method.

Peter Green is the honorary veterinary surgeon for the British Deer Society. In 2019, he wrote that restraining and injecting might be the answer, but vaccination could become popular.

Conception rates have dropped from 80 per cent to 12 per cent with a single injection. It sounds like hard work ­– and try catching the wild deer first, remember how skittish they are!

Perhaps if the price of venison dropped dramatically, people would buy more; but this would be at the cost of other red meats – not a popular move for beef and lamb producers. But remember the old joke: “I was offered eight legs of venison for £30. Was that two deer?

With thanks to the British Deer Society

Within the boundaries of the law, landowners have the right to decide how to manage deer

Species

England/Wales

Red Stag

1 Aug – 30 April

Red Hind

1 Nov – 31 Mar

Sika Stag

1 Aug – 30 April

Sika Hind

1 Nov – 31 March

Red/Sika Hybrid Stag

1 Aug – 30 April

Red/Sika Hybrid Hind

1 Nov – 31 March

Fallow Buck

1 Aug – 30 April

Fallow Doe

1 Nov – 31 March

Roe Buck

1 April – 31 Oct

Roe Doe

1 Nov – 31 March

Chinese Water Deer Buck

1 Nov – 31 March

Chinese Water Deer Doe

1 Nov – 31 March

Muntjac

No closed season

Salome Shaddick BSc (Hons) Graduate Rural Surveyor 01884 218911 sshaddick@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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New Lease of Life Proposals to change permitted development rights may benefit farmers, reports Beatrice Foale

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t the time of writing, the general permitted development order (GPDO) allows for the conversion of agricultural buildings to commercial and residential use classes where specified conditions are satisfied. New proposals could make it easier for changes to be made to buildings. Let’s take a closer look at how things stand, and what the proposals could mean for farmers...

What is permitted development?

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill announced a consultation in May 2022 proposing changes and expansion to the current permitted development rights, including the conversion of agricultural buildings and addition of farm diversification. The consultation closed on 25 September 2023 and, if the changes are adopted, could lead to potential development that would not be permitted under current legislation.

The proposals for Class R are less radical but still welcome

Permitted development is a simplified planning process that grants planning permission for specified development or change of use without having to formally apply for planning permission, although still requires a submission to the local council to confirm that prior approval is not required. The GPDO principles for the conversion of agricultural barns to commercial and residential use are set out under Schedule 2, Part 3 – Class Q and Class R of the legislation. The current conditions and limitations for Class Q and Class R are outlined in this article.

What is permitted development Class Q? Permitted development Class Q allows a change of use of a building and any land within its curtilage from agricultural to a use falling within Class C3 (‘dwellinghouses’) and will only be permitted where the site was solely in agricultural use on 20 March 2013, or at least 10 years before the date prior to development, and is structurally capable of conversion.

At the time of writing, Class Q allows for the creation of up to five dwellings with a maximum cumulative floor area of 865m2, comprising up to three smaller dwellings (100m2 and below) and two larger dwellings (more than 100m2).

Class Q development is currently prohibited on listed buildings and in conservation areas, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and national parks.

What is permitted development Class R? Permitted development Class R allows a change of use of a building and any land within its curtilage from use as an agricultural building to a flexible use falling within Class A1 (shops); Class A2 (financial and professional services); Class A3 (restaurants and cafés); Class B1 (business); Class B8 (storage or distribution); Class C1 (hotels); or Class D2 (assembly and leisure).

It will only be permitted if: the building was solely in agricultural use on 3 July 2012, last in use on that date, or brought into use after 3 July 2012 for a period of at least 10 years; the cumulative floor area does not exceed 500m2; and it does not form part of a military explosives storage area, safety hazard area, listed building or a scheduled monument.

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What could be changing?

What do these changes entail?

If the planning conditions are met, permitted development Class Q or Class R represent the simplest means of gaining residential or commercial planning consent – common work undertaken by us here at Symonds & Sampson.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill proposes increasing the allowances mentioned under Class Q to allow up to 10 dwellings, with a maximum floor area of 1,000m2. While the allocation of a smaller home will remain at 100m2, larger dwellings are proposed to reduce to 150m2. The aim is to boost local councils’ efforts to achieve further affordable housing. This could be limiting for clients looking to convert barns for their own or family occupation. However, a follow up full application could allow for larger homes if required, once the residential element is established.

There is also proposed removal of the wording that a building was solely in agricultural use, opening up development of buildings which have been reoccupied for other purposes such as stabling or storage. There is also the possibility that not only the building curtilage could be extended but the addition of a four-metre single storey extension.

One major proposed change is the allowance to convert buildings on Article 2(3) land which includes conservation areas, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and national parks – which was formally prohibited.

The proposals for Class R are less radical but still welcome, allowing an extension of up to 1,000m² to be converted and the potential for further farm diversification to include outdoor sports and recreation.

If you would like to discuss the potential options for your site or building, please do get in touch.

Jack Edwards MRICS FAAV Partner 01722 334323 jedwards@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Exploring Local Landscape A dip into the history of Salisbury Plain, and a cycle ride along the Imber Perimeter Path

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alisbury Plain is one of Britain’s best known open spaces and a significant landmark, stretching some 300 square miles across the centre of Wiltshire, with Warminster to the west and Tidworth to the east. The plain encompasses a number of famous historic features such as Stonehenge and many of Wiltshire’s white horses.

Salisbury Plain has a long history with archaeological digs dating the earthworks and earliest settlements back to 2500BC. Development continued through the bronze age and, around 600BC, iron age hill forts were constructed along the boundaries of the plain. Following this and the Roman invasion of Britain in around AD50, Roman roads also appeared across the plain.

For a long time, the plain was a farming force to be reckoned with – the buoyant wool trade funded the construction of Salisbury Cathedral in the 13th and 14th centuries.

More recently, the area has been used as a training area by the Ministry of Defence which now owns approximately half of Salisbury Plain. The military first conducted training exercises on the plain in 1898 and from this time until the Second World War the MoD began buying up large areas of land.

In 1943 the village of Imber was evacuated, with residents given just 47 days to leave, to allow for Operation Overlord (the code name given to the Battle of Normandy), the allied operation that launched the successful campaign to liberate Nazi-occupied Europe. Imber village now sits within the centre of the Imber range live firing area which is closed to the public for 99 per cent of the year.

Public access to the range is extremely limited but recent work, particularly by Cycling UK, has allowed the Imber Range Perimeter Path to be opened as a long-distance walk, mountain bike ride or horse ride around the perimeter of the military training firing range on Salisbury Plain.

Cycling the Imber Range Perimeter Path Jack Curnick-James and George Whittaker saddle up

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n a sunny day in late May 2023, we headed north out of Warminster to join the loop and travel clockwise around the range. We settled into a rhythm and pedalled east into a headwind following mainly grassy bridleways and rutted gravel tracks with plenty of puddles.

The route took us past both the Battlesbury Hill and Scratchbury Hill iron age forts. We continued and stopped briefly at Copehill Down, the eerily quiet replica village built for training during the Cold War. Given the isolated route of the path, refreshments were few and far between. We passed Tilshead, just out of sight through the trees, and started northwards to follow a gravel track adjacent to the A360 before finally stopping for lunch at the top of Tinhead Hill looking out over Edington and Bratton.

Now heading west and with the wind behind us we picked up speed and looped down to the south of Westbury, we took a photo up above the Westbury White Horse. Heading back to the car, we took in a few more of Wiltshire’s famous rolling hills and chalk tracks, finishing our loop with 53km cycled, 770m climbed and nearly four hours in the saddle.

Jack Curnick-James MRICS FAAV Senior Surveyor 01380 710535 jcjames@symondsandsampson.co.uk George Whittaker AssocRICS FAAV MBIAC CEnv Senior Surveyor 01305 236578 gwhittaker@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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The Camera Never Lies Ever wondered: should I get a schedule of condition before letting out my property? Read on…

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n common with many of life’s dilemmas, the answer to the question of whether to commission a schedule of condition report before letting out your property depends on the circumstances.

If the lease being entered into is on a tenant’s ‘full repairing’ basis (often referred to as FRI – as in a full repairing and insuring lease) then it may be less important as the tenant would be required to leave the property in a good condition, no matter what the condition at the outset.

However, if instead there is a requirement on the tenant to leave the property at termination in no worse condition than it was at the commencement of the lease, it is important to have a record that can be referred back to when the time comes.

It is also important to note that just because the tenant and landlord appear to get on well at the start of the lease, it does not mean the relationship will necessarily be as good natured at the end; occasionally we find the relationship will have soured.

When entering into a lease, particularly one that may run for many years, there is often failure to consider that during the term of the lease, the parties may change in the event of an assignment of the lease (if permitted within the terms of the agreement), or where the landlord’s interest is transferred to a third party. Therefore, it is important to start a lease with everything fully documented to ensure that, at the end of the

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term, there is a record of the property’s condition prior to the commencement of the lease.

Symonds & Sampson regularly prepare schedules of condition for residential, commercial and agricultural properties.

It’s impossible at the commencement of a lease to know what the condition will be at the end, so a comprehensive range of photos along with a description of the property, to include its fixtures and fittings, is essential. That way, all parties have a reliable document to refer to when the lease ends.

With the benefit of modern technology such as a drone, we can inspect and record the condition of all parts of a property, including those parts not easily accessible. This provides a comprehensive report which can then be utilised as a comparison, removing uncertainty and assisting in providing evidence of any dilapidations at termination.

If you are considering entering into a lease, particularly a longterm one, we would strongly recommend that a schedule of condition is undertaken, and that all parties sign the document as an agreement of the condition of the property at the outset.

We can inspect and record the condition of a property, including those parts not easily accessible

A-J Monro MRICS FAAV Partner 01202 882103 amonro@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Agricultural Tenancies

Patrick Woodford unpicks the history of this notoriously complex area of property law

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any older agricultural tenancies are still subject to the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 with succession rights in place for agreements granted before 12 July 1984. Succession can be operated on two occasions following death or retirement of the original tenant, but strict notice requirements and timescales apply. There are many hoops to jump through for the would-be successor to demonstrate his or her eligibility and suitability to succeed.

How did we get to the current tenancy law? Following the end of the American Civil War in 1865 the US charged ahead in the field of agricultural innovation and production, with modernisation of techniques in livestock and crop breeding, machinery and refrigeration.

They also extended the rail network and increased the number of steamer ships moving food long distances across land and the Atlantic Ocean. This, combined with bad harvests in Britain, resulted in depressed prices and huge reductions in the numbers of livestock being kept. The area cropped for cereals, for instance, was reduced by about two million acres.

These factors provided the impetus for protection of agriculture in the UK through innovation and support. It is estimated at this time that 90 per cent of land was farmed by tenants. The economic challenges demanded modernisation of tenancy law applying to the occupation of agricultural land to strengthen the sector and provide incentives to landlords and tenants to invest and improve.

Prior to the Agricultural Holdings (England) Act 1875 the occupation of agricultural premises was governed by common law and the Landlord and Tenant Act 1730. The 1875 Act chiefly dealt with provision for compensation of outgoing tenants for improvements to incentivise investment throughout their occupation. It also extended the notice to quit period from six months to a year.

Between 1875 and 1923 a further eight Agricultural Holdings Acts appeared, each of them adding modernising provisions that remain recognisable today. These were consolidated firstly in 1923 and then more significantly in 1948 as part of the great period of legislative reform under the first Labour Government elected at the end of the Second World War. Much of this touched on land ownership and management including the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, the Town and Country Planning Act, and the Forestry Act. The 1986 Act which we work with day to day, was the last of the consolidating legislation. The introduction of Farm Business Tenancies (FBTs) under the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 completely reformed the law and means that we now have two (almost) entirely different legal frameworks operating side by side.

The terms of FBTs can be substantially negotiated between the parties but the principle of a tenant’s entitlement to compensation remains embedded. 1986 Act tenancies are highly prescriptive and complicated arrangements bound up with timescales and procedures for every aspect, with many pitfalls for the unwary.

Both types of tenancy are the backbone of the rural surveyor’s work. Whether you are a landlord or tenant we can assist in relation to the negotiations around rent reviews, surrenders, repairs, compensation and succession, among the many other aspects of this notoriously complex area of property law.

There are many pitfalls for the unwary

Patrick Woodford MRICS FAAV Partner 01308 426922 pwoodford@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Rural Grants

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n the Autumn of 2023 the RPA launched the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Symonds & Sampson are encouraging all clients to at least consider entering the scheme, as we believe there are appropriate management prescriptions for nearly all farmers and landowners. SFI is designed to be flexible allowing as much or as little of a farm into the scheme as one wants.

At the time of writing SFI agreements run for 3 years with rolling start dates and no application deadline, with payments made quarterly. If you are eligible, you can apply for up to 23 actions for soil health, hedgerows, integrated pest management, nutrient management, farmland wildlife on arable, horticultural land and/or improved grassland, buffer strips and low input grassland. Examples of popular options include:  LIG 1 Manage grassland with very low nutrient inputs – For grassland that is used for forage production and/or grazing, grass must be left between cuts for a continuous period of 7 weeks during the spring and summer months.

No more than 12 tonnes per ha of cattle FYM or equivalent amounts of nutrients as other FYM fertiliser can be applied. Payment: £151/hectare/year

 SAM 2 Multi-species winter cover – This can be an alternative to forage rape for arable land; you must sow a mix containing at least 2 species. Payment: £129/hectare/ year.  NUM 2 Legumes on improved grassland – You can maintain an existing ley or add a legume such as clover to an existing ley. Payment: £102/hectare/year.  IGL 2 Winter bird food on improved grassland – Leaving grass that has gone to seed after grazing or final cut.

Payment: £515 acre/year.  IPM 1 Integrated pest management plan and NUM 1 Nutrient management review are agreement level SFI actions which pay £1129 and £652 per year for a qualified professional to prepare the relevant documents.

SFI can be claimed alongside existing Countryside Stewardship agreements in many circumstances. We have clients who are continuing existing Mid-Tier agreements on part of the farm and then starting new SFI agreements alongside.

 SAM 3 Herbal Leys – You can maintain an existing herbal ley or add legumes, such as clover and herbs, such as chicory, trefoil or plantain to existing pasture. Payment: £382/hectare/year.

FG2: Sheep Netting Fencing funded through countryside stewardship, protecting a Devon Bank from grazing livestock

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Priority Habitat: Lowland calcareous grassland showing species richness to include wildflowers, managed as part of a countryside stewardship scheme

RP28: Roofing to cover a yard in Devon previously contributing to the amount of dirty water going into slurry storage. S&S responded to initial EA correspondence, as well as successfully sourcing grant funding and planning permission being a single point of contact for the whole project.

GS7: Restoration towards species rich grassland, managed as part of a Higher Tier Stewardship Agreement on a Dorset Estate. This land lies adjacent to Priority Habitat - Purple moor grass and rush pastures and a SSSI.

We are also encouraging all clients to consider a standalone Countryside Stewardship Capital Grant application for capital works.

Some examples of capital items and their payment rates below: Code

Option Description

Payment Rate

RP28

Roofing (livestock gathering areas, slurry/silage/manure store)

£72.50/m²

RP4

Livestock and Machinery Hardcore Tracks

£44.63/m

BN11

Planting New Hedges

£22.97/m

BN5

Hedgerow laying

£13.52/m

FG2

Sheep Netting Fencing

£7.47/m

FG1

Cattle Fencing

£6.34/m

The RPA estimate that there are some 83,000 farmers in England who are eligible to apply for SFI and the Capital Grant.

For further information and advice please contact your local Symonds & Sampson agricultural office.

AB8: Flower-rich plot on an organic farm in Dorset providing an important habitat for invertebrates and farmland birds before being grazed with sheep

SG2: Fixed Cattle Handling System funded through the Countryside Productivity Small Grant on a Dorset Estate, improving productivity, efficiency and safety

Lester Williams MRICS FAAV Partner, Auctioneer 01935 818513 lwilliams@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Will Wallis MRICS FAAV Partner, Auctioneer 01305 236572 wwallis@symondsandsampson.co.uk

George Whittaker AssocRICS FAAV MBIAC CEnv Senior Surveyor 01305 236578 gwhittaker@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Chris Powell BSc(Hons) MRICS FAAV Rural Partner 01380 710535 cpowell@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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The South West Coast Path Edward Dyke puts his best foot forward

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ne of the joys of living and working in our region is that you are never too far away from some of the most dramatic coastline in Britain. You may not have walked the whole length (630 miles), but I feel sure you will have done some of it – possibly the same stretch many times!

The South West Coast Path is the longest of the English National Trails and takes in a wealth of stunning scenery, pretty ports and historic towns. Some people walk it in random stages and others do as much as they can in a set number of days but, as long as you get the weather right, it is one of the most beautiful and uplifting experiences.

Starting at Minehead in Somerset, it runs along the North Devon coast into Cornwall before going across the mouth of the Tamar and back into Devon. It then follows the Dorset coastline, finishing at Poole Harbour.

you stop to admire the view, a euphemism for getting your breath back as the route has 115,000 feet of ascent and descent, there is usually someone with whom you can pass the time of day.

There are also good stop-off points – Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, St Mawes Castle, Glendurgan Garden, The Minack Theatre, Tate St Ives or the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden are particular highlights.

For me it is about finding something surprising. I walked from Port Iassac to Polzeath and happened across a plaque overlooking The Rumps (a cliff castle with three ramparts). It is a tribute written

by Laurence Binyon in 1914. The words will be familiar:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

It was unexpected and therefore a very poignant moment. I sat down contemplating the words and looked out to sea. It is worth the walk for that alone.

Some people see the trail as a challenge, others as a holiday, but walking along the big dipper valleys, dizzying clifftops and wearying shingle can be awe inspiring. There is certainly something for everyone – breathtaking views of sea and inland countryside, moorland and the sound and smells of the sea – it can rarely be beaten.

One of the bonuses is meeting people along the way. They may be just on a short hop from one seaside town to another, or they could be walking anti-clockwise (from Minehead to Poole) while you go in the opposite direction. There is great camaraderie and if

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Edward Dyke FRICS FAAV Partner, Head of Professional Services 01258 472244 edyke@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Bare with Us

Naturism is gaining popularity in Britain, and we have one of the world’s finest nudist beaches on our doorstep, writes All Overtan

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tudland Bay is probably the best known official naturist beach in Britain, but this Dorset gem has other claims to fame. Its salt pans and workers are mentioned in the Doomsday book. It was also seen as a possible target for a German invasion during the Second World War, and the beach and village was used for training in the build-up to the D-day landings.

The section is clearly marked with green-topped posts and signs. Naturists are asked to be clothed if they’re outside the designated area. But if you want to strip off, relax and get an all-over Dorset tan, make sure you know your nudist beach etiquette:  Don’t stare: You can look (it’s difficult not to), but no ogling.

If you struggle to keep your eyes off your fellow sunseekers, read a book.  Leave your camera at home: Another part of the “don’t be creepy” category. If you have to take a selfie make sure nobody else, without their permission, is in the shot.  Carry a towel wherever you go: You’ll need it to sit on furniture at restaurants and bars, or in any other common area.  Apply sunscreen liberally on all exposed skin: Especially those parts that don’t often see the light of day.

Studland has been a nudist beach since the 1920s. Today, the area is managed by the National Trust and the charity has designated a 900m stretch of beach where clothing is optional.

 Keep your distance from others: There is a lot of space on the beach, and especially the dunes, so there’s no need to sit too close to others.  No hanky-panky: Any sexual activity is just as unwelcome and just as criminal as in other public places.

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Cartographic Chronicles Simon Lamb of The Swan Gallery in Sherborne shares his love of collecting British maps

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ne spring morning in the year 1574, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Christopher Saxton, a 34-yearold surveyor, began an incredibly ambitious journey. Accompanied by an assistant and equipped only with a plane table and a ‘planimetrum’ (a simple theodolite) his aim was to accurately survey the entire kingdom of England and Wales at a time when roads consisted of little more than rough tracks.

This extraordinary endeavour lasted four years and resulted in the publication of the first ever set of English and Welsh county maps.

British maps are not merely ink on paper; they’re a kind of time travel

The maps and sea charts created by Saxton and his successors are not just static renderings of geography; they are threads in the intricate tapestry of antiquity, encapsulating the essence of a nation’s history.

They show the evolution of the British landscape, revealing the transformation of villages into sprawling metropolises, and tranquil rivers into bustling trade routes. What distinguishes

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them is not just their practicality but their undeniable artistic flair as early cartographers sought to create masterpieces. With meticulous illustrations, intricate details and ornate calligraphy, collectors are not merely amassing historical documents, they are curating a gallery of the finest artistic achievements of their time.

John Speed, the renowned 17th-century English cartographer and Saxton’s pre-eminent successor, was not just a mapmaker but a storyteller infusing maps with rich historical anecdotes and illustrations. Speed’s Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine (1610–11) is a crown jewel of British map collecting, offering a vivid portrayal of the British Isles and its history.

Old maps are not merely ink on paper; they’re a kind of time travel. Each map carries with it the spirit of its era, from Saxton’s meticulous surveying to Speed’s storytelling prowess, to the highly detailed and historically important landscape information recorded on 19th-century Ordnance Survey maps.

Owning these maps is akin to having a piece of history in one’s hands, a tangible connection to the past. Collectors, in preserving these cartographic legacies, are safeguarding a slice of British history for posterity.

British maps offer a captivating odyssey through the pages of our history – a gallery of artistic masterpieces, and a testament to the pioneering spirit of early cartographers. These mapmakers, with their visionary craftsmanship, have left behind a legacy that continues to inspire and enchant.

So, if you ever chance upon an old British map, don’t just see paper and ink; see a portal to a bygone era, a masterpiece waiting to share its fascinating story.

Swan Gallery 51 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AX 01935 814465 swangallery.co.uk

The Society of Dorset Men As the society enters its 120th year, we celebrate its past, present and future

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n 2 December 1904, the first Annual General Meeting of the Society of Dorset Men in London was held at the Inns of Court Hotel in High Holborn. Sir Frederick Treves, the eminent surgeon, became the society’s first president and, in February 1905, the inaugural dinner was held at the Trocadero Restaurant, in London’s Piccadilly. Among the 230 attendees were Thomas Hardy, Lord Portman (owner of the Bryanston Estate near Blandford), and the famous Weymouth architect George Rackstrow Crickmay.

The idea for the society came about because, despite many Dorset men living and working in London, their paths rarely crossed; this was a way to bring them together. It was also intended to assist young Dorset men to find employment in the capital, and to make them feel that they were not separated from the county. The aim was to establish a feeling of brotherhood between Dorset men residing or visiting London, and to improve their knowledge of their native county.

Today it is more Dorset-based, with over 700 members, but the society’s emblem remains the same – a silver tower dating from Agincourt bearing the wording “Who’s a-feard”, chosen by

Hardy. A yearbook is produced, bursting with fascinating history and reminiscences about the county, and the Dorset dialect is encouraged so it is not lost to future generations.

The current president is Julian Fellowes, best known for creating the television series Downton Abbey and more formerly addressed as Lord Fellowes of West Stafford. He follows in august footsteps – as well as Sir Frederick Treves, many other notable names have taken the helm, including Thomas Hardy, Colonel John Mount Batten, Sir Robert Williams, Sir Stephen Collins and the Earl of Shaftesbury.

It only costs £15 per annum to be a member – the magazine is worth that alone – and you’ll be joining a society with a vibrant past and exciting future. In the words of Weymouth-born Sir Anthony Jolliffe, the 655th Lord Mayor of London and thus far the only Dorset man to be elected to this high office: “There will be a society of Dorset Men as long as there is a Dorset”.

The poem recited on the entry of the Blue Vinny cheese at the annual dinner is quite a spectacle! And you never know, they may allow women to join one day.

The Society’s Objectives  To make and renew personal friendships and associations.  To promote good fellowship among Dorset men wherever they may reside.  To foster a love of the county and pride in its history and traditions.  To assist by every means in its power, natives of Dorset who may stand in need of the influence and help of the society.

Find out more via the website: societyofdorsetmen.co.uk

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PLANNING /DEVELOPMENT

Innovative and inspiring, our Planning and Development team has a natural flair for problem-solving.

Never happier than when there is a testing task at hand, they are hard-working, precise partners.

Experts in their discipline, you can count on them to point you in the right direction.

#established1858

Do you have a Hidden Gem?

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s a valuer, I have the fortunate position of being allowed to poke around a variety of homes, farms and estates; from the sublime to the ridiculous. The types of property can be a small field, a farm, a large brand new shoreline house to one of Dorset’s finest estates.

It is not uncommon for owners to be unaware of the potential opportunities their property has, which can be well outside of anything they have considered, but equally, it is also not uncommon for people to consider they have a development opportunity which unfortunately planning policy would never allow. Taking early advice will quickly bottom out what can and cannot be achieved.

I would consider that in order to be a good valuer, particularly in regard to rural and agricultural valuations, it is essential that you also undertake an extensive amount of Town and Country planning work, as this provides an essential insight into understanding the opportunities that may exist. For example, I recently visited an overgrown 4acre site where there was a redundant pigsty building which the owner was certain would have no potential opportunity for any alternative use and he was considering selling it to his neighbour.

I considered that there was the potential to convert the building under Permitted Development Class Q Legislation, creating a dwelling out of the existing structure. Whilst the structure may not lend itself to the most fabulous of dwellings; where it was of a reasonably good size, with a multitude of existing openings, it would easily convert to make a twobedroom bungalow and with landscaping and clearance of the remaining part of the property, this would provide an overall attractive setting. In this situation, the 4acre overgrown scrub which the owner considered would be worth no more than £50,000 at the most, could well be valued significantly in excess of that if the Class Q consent could be achieved, potentially giving a value of nearer to £250,000.

In relation to farm buildings, it has never been a better time to look to secure consent for an alternative use under the current planning system. Whilst additional levels of bureaucracy continue to add to the plethora of documents that have to be provided with an application, good opportunities for the reuse of structures most certainly exist.

Do you have any redundant structures which are no longer needed as part of the farm and are looking for a way to generate an additional income, if so, we would be pleased to inspect and report on the opportunities that exist along with the likely cost of works to achieve the conversion and the potential income or sale value that could then follow. Please contact either your local office or A-J Monro.

A-J Monro Richard Mogg MRICS MRICS FAAV Partner rmogg@symondsandsampson.co.uk 01202 882103 01202 639407 amonro@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Burning Issue The case for installing fire suppression systems in historic buildings is a strong one, writes Barnaby Fry

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struggled to decide on my final year dissertation at the University of Plymouth, where I was studying Building surveying and the Environment. At the time, Notre-Dame was partly destroyed by fire and, as I watched television footage of the flèche collapsing into the inferno, I thought: “I bet one sprinkler could have stopped that” – and therein lay my subject: Sprinkler systems in historic non-domestic buildings.

I became genuinely interested in recent fire disasters in historic buildings, and discovered that these events are worryingly frequent.

For instance, the Glasgow School of Art, a category A listed building, burned down in 2014. A restoration took place, which was to include the installation of sprinklers. Sadly, as the project neared its end in 2018, the building was once again destroyed by fire. Tragically, and somewhat ironically, the sprinklers had been delivered to the site just the day before, but not yet installed.

The school’s current rebuild is estimated to complete in 2030, with costs projected to reach more than £100m.

Closer to home, the Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter, a grade II listed building reputed to be the oldest hotel in the UK, was gutted by fire in 2016. To this day it remains in ruins, a casualty of unviable rebuilding costs.

Perhaps the most infamous example is the 1992 fire at Windsor Castle, a factor in our late Queen’s “annus horribilis”. I was perplexed at the lack of adequate fire detection and prevention systems in one of the most culturally important buildings in the country.

Sadly, the castle succumbed to a single spotlight, placed too close to a curtain in the Queen’s private chapel. The fire spread quickly: the 30ft curtains gave the flames easy passage to the false ceilings and to the voids beneath the floors. Building contractors on site attempted to tackle the flames with fire extinguishers, while others present rushed to save paintings from the chapel.

Artefacts saved from the flames included a 150ft table, a 120ft carpet, 300 clocks, and thousands of significant books and historic manuscripts. Paintings, furniture and tapestries were all hurried outside to the gravel driveway, away from the flames.

By some stroke of luck, the most seriously damaged rooms had been emptied of their valuable contents the day prior to the fire.

However, some items were inevitably lost: a large portrait by Sir William Beechey was too cumbersome to move, chandeliers could

not be disassembled, porcelain items, carpets and an organ were reduced to ash.

Contents aside, the main casualty in my eyes is the loss of historic fabric. Ceilings and roofs had collapsed – structures that had stood the test of time for centuries – and more than 100 rooms with their plasterwork, paper coverings, coving, ornate woodwork and medieval timbers were now dust. It was a national disaster.

In my research for my dissertation, I talked to professionals who disagreed with the retrofitting of sprinklers in these buildings, with the reasoning that they were not built with them in the first place. While this is true, I would argue that these properties were also built in an era before electric lighting, gas heating and hot water systems. What would be the harm in installing one more modern system, that could save invaluable historic material, and potentially human life?

I wonder if there are some common misconceptions of fire sprinklers, perhaps perpetuated by modern culture? I’m sure we have all watched a TV drama or a film where an entire building is flooded by sprinkler systems, due to one open flame, or perhaps a cigarette. In reality, sprinkler heads are activated separately; a common sprinkler head will activate when exposed to a high enough temperature.

The wonders of modern technology now mean that there are “heat-seeking” sprinkler systems, that will aim a jet of dense mist towards flames to suppress a fire. Further advancements in sprinkler technology have created sprinkler heads that are extremely small, easily blending into ornate ceilings; only the most observant among us would perhaps be able to locate them.

If Windsor Castle was fitted with a sprinkler system, prior to the 1992 disaster, instead of an entire building gutted by flames, we are faced with one singed curtain, and an area of the castle damaged by water. While it is indeed a shame for water damage to occur in an area of a historic building, I for one would much rather that than an entire history lost to fire.

Sprinkler systems are expensive and may be anathema to us historic building buffs, however they are much cheaper than a total restoration project, and much more aesthetically pleasing than a pile of smouldering ash. And should the worst happen, with sprinklers in place, you already have a firefighter in the room.

With sprinklers in place, you already have a firefighter in the room

Barnaby Fry BSc (Hons) Assistant Building Surveyor 01202 639407 bfry@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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The Humble Brick They can be easy to overlook but it’s time to celebrate this familiar building material, writes James Shapland

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mainstay of architecture and construction for some 9,000 years, bricks have been used as a construction material since around 7000BC, with early examples of mud and straw bricks being used to build the ancient city of Jericho.

In this period, bricks were formed and left to dry in the sun, and it wasn’t until around 3500BC that bricks were fired in order to hasten the set.

This allowed their wider use in cooler climates, and it was the Romans who spread the use of the brick across Europe.

In Britain, early bricks were formed around a local clay pit or brickfield, where the raw material was kneaded by the workers’ feet, before being pressed into a mould or shaped and fired in a kiln. By the 1500s the brickmaking process was well established in the UK. Fine bricks were used in the construction of Hampton Court Palace, which displays some wonderful examples of Tudor brickwork, including intricately twisting and complex chimney stacks.

The process of clamp-fired or stock bricks was progressed by the Victorians. The process allowed many bricks to be made at once, with some brickworks firing up to one million bricks at a time. These plants would be situated close to rivers or waterways, where other materials used in the production of the bricks were plentiful and it was easy to transport the finished product.

The Victorians also sought to standardise the size of a brick to provide a more uniform product. Early bricks tended to vary in size depending on where they were found in the UK, but by 1840 the widely recognised size of a brick was 9 x 4½ x 3½ inches. The brick of 215 x 102.5 x 65mm which we know today, was introduced via a British Standard in January 1970.

Traditionally bricks were laid on beds of lime mortar, but lime products have now been replaced by cementitious mortars. The pattern formed by the bricks as they are laid is known as the bond. Different brick bonds were popular at different times in the UK and can be identified by the respective positions of the “header” (the short face of the brick), and the “stretcher” (the long face of the brick).

In some instances, there would be a structural reason to choose a particular bond, and in other cases the use of a large number of bricks was an indication of status, particularly during the years of the brick tax from 1784 to 1850.

Today, by far the most common brick bond is the Stretcher, but over the years bonds such as English, English Garden Wall, Flemish and Flemish Garden Wall (Sussex Bond), among others, have been commonly used.

The use of a large number of bricks was an indication of status

English Bond

So, the next time you pass a brick-built building or wall on your way into town, take a moment to appreciate the humble brick. There is a lot to learn about the structure just by looking at the brickwork: when it may have Flemish Bond been built; how it may have been added to and developed over the years; how it has been constructed; its status; and most importantly in my role, how much longer it may last!

James Shapland BSc MRICS C.Build E MCABE Surveying Partner 01202 639404 jshapland@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Lagging Behind The UK’s old, cold homes must be retrofitted with energy efficiency measures but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, warns Richard Mogg

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he energy efficiency of the UK’s existing housing stock is a major concern. With the current challenges of the cost of living, energy security and the requirement to achieve net zero by 2050, the need for pragmatic and effective measures to improve the thermal performance of UK properties is of the utmost importance.

The thermal standards of new housing have been tightened over the years and we are now at the stage where new-build housing is extremely energy efficient and inexpensive to heat. However, of the current 28 million homes in the UK, the vast majority do not meet this standard – approximately 40 per cent were built before 1946 and more than 50 per cent were built before 1965.

It has been estimated that 80 per cent of the homes we’ll be living in by 2050, when the UK government has committed to achieving net zero, have already been built.

If we are to ease the cost of heating our homes, reduce reliance on unstable energy sources, and meet our commitments to reducing UK carbon emissions, we must embrace the challenge of improving the thermal performance of our existing housing.

There are several ways that the energy efficiency of an existing house can be improved, and many of these will be familiar.

The first area to focus on is improvements to the building fabric. This can take the form of the installation of double-glazed windows, additional mineral wool insulation in the attic, internal and external wall insulation, and draught proofing.

The next area involves replacing legacy fossil fuel-powered heating and hot water systems, such as gas and oil-fired boilers, with more efficient low-carbon alternatives such as ground and air-source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, and district heating systems.

Finally, the installation of whole-house ventilation systems is important to remove contaminants and pollutants, and improve internal air quality.

There is much guidance available relating to retrofit EEMs, but two particularly important publications are Publicly Available Specifications PAS 2030 and PAS 2035. These set out the approach that domestic retrofit schemes should take and, together, they are a best practice guide to providing whole-house retrofit projects from commencement through to completion. Compliance with PAS 2030 and 2035 is a requirement for any domestic retrofit projects undertaken through government schemes.

There is, unfortunately, the very real risk that retrofit EEMs will

not achieve the intended savings and it has become evident that poorly designed and installed, or inappropriately specified EEMs can cause more damage, creating issues and an unhealthy internal environment, where none existed before.

They can even impact the value and saleability of the property.

An example of this being spray foam insulation in lofts, which can cost thousands of pounds to install, has little logical benefit, can increase the risk of condensation causing decay to the roof timbers, and even make a property un-mortgageable, meaning further costs are incurred in having the foam removed.

Poorly installed wall insulation can increase mould and damp issues, and air-source heat pumps installed in inappropriate houses cannot create a comfortable warm environment, resulting in the claims that the technology doesn’t work.

The path to avoiding these issues is to realise that a one-sizefits-all approach does not work and there are some EEMs which will simply not be appropriate to be installed in certain types of houses and in certain locations.

It is important to look at each house as an individual bespoke project and take a whole-house approach by understanding which measures are appropriate and ensuring they are complementary.

As with any construction project, time up front in planning and designing the right scheme is rarely time wasted.

If the UK is to meet its net zero target in 2050 and improve the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock, a dramatic increase in the rate of installation of retrofit EEMs is required.

While this presents a huge opportunity for UK households to reduce their fuel payments and improve the comfort of their homes, there is also a great risk that poorly designed and implemented retrofit energy efficiency projects will not only fail to deliver the expected improvements regarding the reduction of energy use, but could create new issues or worsen internal conditions for homeowners.

The need to take a whole-house approach to retrofit EEMs and ensure that only appropriate solutions are installed is crucial. Taking this approach means the vision of reduced energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, cheaper fuel bills and a healthier home environment is within reach.

Some EEMs will simply not be appropriate in certain types of houses and in certain locations

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Richard Mogg MRICS Senior Building Surveyor 01202 639407 rmogg@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Sparking Change Town planner Andrew Tregay on how electric vehicles could change our view of what makes a sustainable location

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recently visited a family member who had just bought their first electric car. As they showed me around, we got to talking about the differences between this new model and their old petrol car. Being a town planner, this got me thinking: as we transition to the new age of electric vehicles, how will this impact what we consider a sustainable location and how we move around?

The government defines sustainable development via a triad of objectives: economic, environmental and social.

However, when we are considering ‘sustainable development’ for the purposes of planning, for example new housing or commercial development, the focus is often on location when assessing its sustainable credentials. Does that new house, factory or building have access to local facilities or services? Are there public transport links? If no, then it is often considered unsustainable. In the most part this is to (rightly) avoid reliance on private motor vehicles due to the adverse environmental impacts from harmful emissions.

However if, as a society, we are able to transition to emission-free motoring (at the time of writing, the government is looking to achieve this by 2035), then the environmental impacts of private cars are somewhat lessened.

This leaves consideration of the social and economic impacts. Increasing the range at which a person can sustainably interact with society or move around for work or engagement with the economy is a good thing. Those who live in an area with limited or no facilities can now access facilities from further afield without damaging the environment. This doesn’t make every village or settlement suddenly sustainable overnight, or suitable for unfettered development, but it does require a reorientation of our priorities and perception of sustainable development.

Assuming, as a society we can move away from petrol or diesel to power our travel needs, does this then require a reassessment of what is considered a sustainable location?

There are wider structural changes required, as well as a shift in the public mentality towards travel. However, if I can travel from one place to the next via sustainably generated electricity, then the environmental harms from private travel are removed.

I appreciate these are oversimplified musings on a complex topic but, in principle, being able to travel from A to B in a truly sustainable way fundamentally changes how we perceive the sustainability of place.

Increasing the range at which a person can sustainably move around for work or engagement with the economy is a good thing

Andrew Tregay MPlan MRTPI Head of Planning 01258 472244 atregay@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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AGRICULTURAL Dynamic, diligent, and able to predict their client’s needs in advance, our agricultural teams are a cut above the rest. Intelligent and agile, nimbly negotiating even the trickiest of terrain to deliver unparalleled results every time. They are trustworthy companions for life.

Level-headed and down-to-earth, they really are the cream of the crop.

Farm Dispersal Sale Highlights

Top Price Lot – Bateman RB35 Self Propelled

Oldest Tractor Sold – 1938 Case DEX for Helen and Philip Burge at Sunnyside Farm, Axminster.

Largest Lot – New Holland CR9080 Combine with 35’ Header going to a new home in Warwick.

Item the Auctioneer would like to take home – John Deere 6155R Ultimate

Sprayer £97,700 closely followed by a Valtra T235 tractor at £94,300.

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Most charming – A glass butter maker in mint

condition which is now in Wyke Farms Cheese Museum or a hand-made walking stick with a carved duck’s beak from the Yarde Bros, Beaminster.

Acres of Standing Straw – 9,582 acres Largest number of lots – Anthony Lane’s ‘Retirement’ sale with 769 lots.

Largest Crowd – Preston Farm, Blandford – we’ve never seen so many people in a field!

Most specialist sale – Savage Cat Farms – auction of equipment at an ex-broiler unit of 200,000 birds.

Most unusual – Antique washing machine

Hottest Sale of the year – Graham White’s

sale at Misterton, Crewkerne – Greg had to get his mum to drop off some shorts!

Coldest Sale – John

Whitfield’s at East Fleet Farm, Chickerell – one field away from the sea, but unfortunately on the same day as Storm Babet

Longest Journey Home – The purchaser of a

Claas 750 Montana combine driving from Blandford to Wadebridge, Cornwall all through the night arriving at 4.55am in his yard with the 30’ header attached on the back! At least it saved some haulage.

Wettest Sales – Thong Farm, Barrington for Andy & Rosemary King – it rained constantly for days! And then we went back to Barrington a few weeks later at Ruskway Farm for Trevor Brice, and it poured again!

Furthest Buyer – Kelso, Scotland Best organised sale – Derek Tottle’s at Meadow View, Marston Magna, the field was laid out weeks in advance of the sale day.

Latest finish – Alan & Alexa Buckland at

Goathill Farm, Milborne Port – initially a small June evening sale, which grew to over 300 lots, it was getting dark by the time we finished!

New Sale site – Newbury Showground, Berkshire Lot locations – Throughout Cornwall, Devon,

Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire.

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Tackling Machinery

Theft

Greg Ridout looks at the latest initiative to combat countryside crime

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It encompasses a wide range of here will be issues and challenges, including: few farmers and contractors who  Agricultural and rural have not been business crime: plant/ The latest figures (gathered by NFU Mutual affected by the rising theft of agricultural machinery theft, in 2022) show an increase in criminal machinery from farms and sites livestock and equine offences activity across the British countryside throughout our region. It is not and cybercrime. only machines that go missing,  22% increase in the cost of rural crime to £49.5m  Environmental and heritage however, as fuel theft has  £2.7m of livestock stolen crime: theft from land and been on the rise. Householders  £11.7m of farm machinery stolen marine sites, protection of are also at risk, with garden  £3.1m ATV and quad bikes stolen marine life, and any illegal sheds proving easy pickings  15% increase in GPS theft act which directly harms the for criminals hoping to find environment. valuable tools and equipment.  Games, sports and wildlife crime: the illegal taking of animals The police response is invariably slow, or non-existent, which and birds, hare coursing, and deer and fish poaching. causes understandable frustration and anger, but we hope help  There is also a rural isolation initiative identifying domestic is at hand. Symonds & Sampson is supporting the National abuse, sexual offences, child criminal exploitation, and illegal Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy, an initiative to co-ordinate immigration and human trafficking. national intelligence and analytical support to crime prevention and investigation teams. The aim is to reduce crime and build It is a wide remit and will confidence in policing within rural communities. take great energy and

Rural Crime Report

co-ordination to succeed.

However, there are also some quick fixes we can all implement to help in the fight against rural crime – such as fitting forensic markings to vehicles, and adding theft prevention technology and immobilisers. Upgrading security with cameras and lighting, movement sensors and intruder alarms may also help, but don’t be tempted to take things into your own hands – personally tackling ‘tooled up’ gang members may be foolish.

Greg Ridout MRICS Partner, Head of Agricultural Sales 01935 382909 gridout@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Kit Check

Your farm machinery is a major asset and it’s important to get your insurance coverage right, writes Paul Heard

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eeping your insurers up to date with rising farm machinery values is crucial for several reasons.

First and foremost, it ensures that your insurance coverage accurately reflects the current worth of your equipment. If you fail to update your insurer, you risk being underinsured which can lead to significant financial losses in the event of damage, theft or other unforeseen incidents.

Staying up to date with machinery values can also help you save time and money.

By regularly reassessing the value of your farm equipment, you can adjust your insurance premiums accordingly. This means you won’t overpay for coverage you no longer need, or underpay and risk insufficient coverage. It also demonstrates responsible risk management to your insurer, potentially leading to lower premiums.

To simplify matters and streamline the process of keeping your insurers informed, consider the following steps:

 Maintain detailed records: Keep comprehensive records of your machinery’s purchase price, depreciation rates and any upgrades or modifications. This documentation will serve as evidence when updating your insurer.  Communicate promptly: Whenever there’s

Have a professional a significant change in machinery value, promptly notify your insurance provider. appraiser assess the Waiting too long to update your coverage current value of your can expose you to unnecessary risks. farm equipment  Explore technology: Consider using farm management software that tracks equipment values and automatically calculates adjustments for your insurance coverage.

 Schedule regular machinery appraisals: Have a professional appraiser assess the current value of your farm equipment at predetermined intervals, such as annually or biennially.

In conclusion, maintaining accurate insurance coverage for your farm machinery is vital to protect your assets and finances. By staying proactive, organised and informed, you can save money, simplify the process and ensure your insurance aligns with your evolving needs.

Paul Heard MRICS FAAV Partner, Head of Agricultural Sales 01884 218911 pheard@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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West Country Characters

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Celebrate Local Produce Love Local, Trust Local shines a spotlight on Dorset-made food and drink

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lot has been going on behind the scenes at Love Local, Trust Local. You may have heard of us through our fabulous Love Local, Trust Local awards – an annual celebration of local products that are grown, produced, caught, reared, brewed, crafted or cooked here in Dorset.

The 2024 Love Local, Trust Local awards open for entries in March, with exciting new categories. But we’ve also been busy with other things.

We have revamped our website (lovelocaltrustlocal.co.uk) and it is now our information hub where everyone can find out about what we do, who we support and who is supporting us. Our directory section makes it easy to find and connect with local producers who share our ethos and support our brand. And through our relaunched membership and sponsorship packages, we now have something to offer every business and producer, no matter what their size.

While all this has been going on, we have been continuing to support our previous award winners and sponsors through our social media channels.

There are exciting times are ahead for the Love Local, Trust Local brand and we would love you to join us for the journey.

We are totally self-funded, other than the support of our sponsors, and are working hard to raise our profile to secure grants and additional funding where possible to help us spread our message.

Love Local, Trust Local was founded in 2018 by farmers, for farmers and producers. The Cossins family are sixthgeneration farmers. As well as their family farm, for over 30 years they have owned and run an award-winning country pub in the Tarrant Valley, just outside Blandford Forum in Dorset. In 2012 they opened a farm shop and butchery on the farm.

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As supporters of the LEAF (linking environment and farming) campaign, every third year they host Open Farm Sunday, taking the opportunity to talk to as many local people as possible. Their visitors love knowing the story of their food, the miles it has travelled and that they are buying and eating genuine local produce. Many ask: “How do we know that the food we buy really is what it says it is?” and, after a handful of these conversations at the 2018 Open Farm event, the Cossins decided to do something about it.

Love Local, Trust Local – Dorset’s ownproduce label – was born. The aim is to increase consumer trust in buying local, and promote products with genuine provenance and full traceability.

There is no better time to get involved and support our local farmers and producers. Our farming industry is fragile and there is an ongoing concern about where our food will come from in the future with everything our world is facing right now. The time is right to buy produce from our own land, famers and producers and celebrate everything Britain has to offer, before it is too late.

The aim is to promote products with genuine provenance and full traceability

Get in touch

You can find us at Love Local, Trust Local, Rawston Farm, Tarrant Rawston, Dorset DT11 8SF. Check out our website at lovelocaltrustlocal.co.uk. And if you’re feeling social, email us at info@lovelocaltrustlocal.co.uk, or connect via facebook.com/www.lovelocaltrustlocalawards. co.uk and instagram.com/lovelocaltrustlocalawards/

Head in the Game Isolation, long working hours and financial worries can chip away at farmers’ mental health. Ashleigh Stokes suggests some positive steps to help

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ental health awareness may not be the most glamourous topic in the farming community, but as we spend half our time splattered in cow pats, dolloped in sheep dip, and slathered in grease, glamour isn’t our top priority… so let’s get grubby and chat about it!

Research by the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) uncovered the sad truth that 36 per cent of the farming community are probably or possibly depressed and, subsequently, the industry has a catastrophically high percentage of suicides each year. For myself, as well as many others, I know this is a far more familiar realisation than it should ever be.

Although mental health awareness is, and has been, a driving force in many places of work, education and recreation, it is not so easy to wrap the safety net around rural workers who spend most of their day, well… alone.

Urban workers may take for granted the friendly familiarity of saying “good morning” to the coffee shop barista, or waving to the postman. These small interactions make a larger positive impact on our day than we appreciate.

Meanwhile, farmers are contending with the grumpy neighbour who can’t understand why they are muckspreading on a Sunday, or having the dreaded phone call from the grain merchant who says there is ergot in the load of malting barley delivered yesterday. They are then left to dwell on the financial struggles, the curve balls thrown by Parliament and the tiring long hours.

The good news is there are organisations out there ready and willing to help. Leading the charge is the RABI, a charity founded by John Mechi in 1860 with the initial purpose of

securing a home for, or pension to, the bona fide farmer or widow(er) of a farmer and to maintain and educate the orphan children of farmers.

Today, the RABI’s mission is to “provide guidance, practical care and financial support to those in need within the farming community”. RABI offers support including a freephone helpline (call 0800 188 4444), online wellbeing platforms (go to rabi.org.uk/how-we-help/ mental-wellbeing/), in-person counselling and various grant support programmes.

They also offer ‘mental health first aid training’ so that people like you and I can be taught to recognise the signs and symptoms of many mental health conditions and be confident in providing support and guidance.

As this is such a simple, yet effective way to help combat the statistics we are faced with, I decided to work with RABI to arrange a training day locally and encourage as many people along as possible.

On the day, we will learn how to understand and recognise mental health issues; we will gain an awareness of the most common mental health illnesses; how we can promote positive mental health among our peers and how to create an effective mental health first aid action plan, so we are ready for anyone that needs our help.

I’m ready to give something back to our community, are you?

You and I can be taught to recognise the signs of many mental health conditions and be confident in providing support

Ashleigh Stokes MSc Graduate Rural Surveyor 01722 334323 astokes@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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The State of

Nature in Dorset The county’s wildlife is in trouble but it’s not too late, says Imogen Davenport of the Dorset Wildlife Trust

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he UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and among those with the lowest amount of wildlife remaining, compared to pre-industrial times. The UK has now signed up to the international commitment to protect 30 per cent of land and seas for nature by 2030.

In Dorset, more than 400 land and freshwater species are now thought to be extinct, including the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly, the shrill carder bee and the chough. There are a further 2,500 species which are threatened, rare, scarce or protected – this includes half the bee species and 45 per cent of our butterflies.

The reasons behind the decline include residential and commercial development, pollution, persecution and climate change, but this has been happening over generations.

Post-second world war policy favoured food production over wildlife, and there has been a loss of nature-rich habitats in favour of monoculture grassland and arable crops. Heathlands, woodlands, hedges and flower-rich grasslands have been lost and rivers narrowed.

Some sites have become protected, and grants made available for environmental management, but the extent of past damage means radical action is needed to recover our dwindling wildlife.

There are 15 priority marine habitats in Dorset including rocky reefs with sponges and sea fans seagrass beds and the subtidal and intertidal muds of our harbours. There has been a crash in the health of the marine environment with declines in the commercial catches and sizes. Bottom trawling has structurally damaged rocky reefs, but this is now restricted or prohibited, and these areas are beginning to recover.

It is estimated that nature is thriving or recovering on only 6.4 per cent of Dorset’s land but, encouragingly, 22 per cent of the county does have some known wildlife value.

If policy enables landowners to extend the approach to a further 8 per cent we could hit that 30 per cent target by 2030.

The good news is that recovery is possible with extensive care. We must allow space for water in river corridors, reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides, and allow areas to recover naturally.

Radical action is needed to recover our dwindling wildlife

Join Dorset Wildlife Trust and make a difference to nature Dorset Wildlife Trust, founded in 1961, is one of 46 wildlife trusts working across the UK. With the invaluable support of volunteers, members and corporate supporters they manage more than 40 nature reserves for wildlife and people in Dorset. They also work with other organisations and landowners to protect and connect wildlife sites across the county and inspire local communities and young people to care for wildlife where they live. To join, please visit dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/become-member.

Imogen Davenport idavenport@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

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Return of

the Native

Sam Haskell tells us about the possible reintroduction of storks to North Dorset

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always associate storks with the delivery of babies or as an aid to making fluffy cakes, but it seems that we may be seeing them in the flesh, or feather, as they are being reintroduced to a farm in North Dorset.

There is significant evidence to show that White Storks were once a breeding bird of Britain, with an archaeological record stretching back 360,000 years.

Whilst it is unclear why this spectacular and sociable bird failed to survive in Britain, it is likely that a combination of habitat loss, over-hunting and targeted persecution all contributed to their decline. A contributory factor may be that it was persecuted in the English Civil War for being associated with rebellion. The White Stork is a migratory bird species, and there have been many sightings in the UK over recent years, but conservationists identified that the

species would need a helping hand to re-establish a breeding population in Britain.

The Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT) bought Bere Marsh Farm at Shillingstone through Symonds & Sampson in 2020. This 92-acre farm was home to farmer and conservationist Angela Hughes who was a pioneer in the preservation of our wildlife.

Stretching along the meandering River Stour it is now the charity’s flagship wildlife friendly farm and they will be constructing four nesting towers for the White Stork to attract some of these beautiful birds to breed on the farm.

White Storks often live near people, building their large shaggy nests on roofs and church towers. In Europe, where they are considered a sign of good luck, they are so beloved that people erect cartwheels on their roofs to attract them. Their nests provide opportunities for colonies of other birds such as tree sparrows and house sparrows.

Storks fly far and wide to feed. Omnivores and opportunists, they seek out small mammals, earthworms, snails, crickets, and other large insects in water-meadows, grasslands, and arable fields. We hope that the White Stork reintroduction will provide inspiration for restoring wetlands and river catchments in Dorset.

It is a bold project but one to watch and if you would like to become a member of CRT please look them up at thecrt.co.uk

storks were persecuted in the English Civil War for being associated with rebellion

Sam Haskell BSc Hons MRICS FAAV Rural Surveyor 01258 472244 shaskell@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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The Towers and the Glory

Our guide to the region’s magnificent cathedrals Salisbury

The recordbreaker

Wells

Beauty in the eye of the beholder

By Jack Edwards

By Kirsty Simpson

Salisbury Cathedral is an iconic part of the landscape with the tallest spire in the UK. It also has the largest cloister and biggest Cathedral Close in Britain at 80 acres. It has a clock – one of the oldest working examples in the world – and one of only four original copies of Magna Carta.

This distinctive Gothic masterpiece is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. It has been called “unquestionably one of the most beautiful and most poetic of English cathedrals”.

Fun fact The windows contain one of the most substantial collections of medieval stained glass in England.

Fun fact Sophie Ryder’s sculpture, The Kiss, was installed in the grounds in 2016, but it had to be removed because people kept bumping into it while texting!

Immortalised in art It’s said that John Constable thought Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows was his best work.

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Immortalised in art JMW Turner made several studies of Wells Cathedral when he visited it in 1795. More recently, the cathedral was used in an episode of Dr Who.

Exeter

Look up and behold

Truro

Dreaming spires

By Ella Wittridge

By Graham Barton

Completed in 1400, Exeter Cathedral includes an early set of misericords (carvings under the folding seats), an astronomical clock and the longest medieval stone vaulted ceiling in the world.

One of only three cathedrals in the UK to feature three spires.

Fun fact The Father Willis pipe organ is widely regarded as one of the finest instruments in the country.

Fun fact A 14 century door is thought to have the oldest existing cat flap.

The cat’s owner was paid a penny a week for it to keep down the rats and mice. th

Sherborne Abbey Winchester

A Saxon cathedral

By Shula Harvey

Cracking the code

By Theresa Wootton One of the largest in northern Europe at more than 53,000 sq ft, and the longest – brides face quite a trek when they walk up the aisle.

Fun fact Much of the stained glass was lost when Oliver Cromwell’s Roundheads smashed the enormous Great East Window.

Immortalised in art Winchester Cathedral became a film set for The Da Vinci Code, with the north transept used as the Vatican.

We feel extremely privileged to enjoy such a stunning view from our office window and enjoy a spectacular outlook towards the historic Sherborne Abbey.

St Aldhelm built his cathedral to the west of the current building, and the present-day west wall is on the site of the original building.

Fun fact Inside you will find several chapels, numerous graves and tombs to historical figures, and bones rumoured to be that of King Arthur’s elder brothers.

Immortalised in art The abbey appears in the 2015 film Far From The Madding Crowd starring Carey Mulligan.

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A Tail of Two Horses Want the fun of owning a racehorse without the huge expense?

You may be onto a winner if you join a syndicate says Neville Thorner

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otally independently, myself and George Rogers – my colleague in the Yeovil commercial department – have acquired shares in different racehorses.

The ever-spiralling costs of owning and training a racehorse (of any calibre) has seen a great rise in the popularity of syndicates, whereby groups of people own a horse and share the costs and, of course, any prize money.

George and I have both been fortunate enough to be involved with a pair of very good horses, both of which had already won a significant number of races and occupied different sectors of the steeplechasing spectrum.

My very small share is in a horse called Stage Star, managed for the shareholders by a racing club known as the Owners

Group. They have astutely stabled him at the Paul Nicholls’ yard in Ditcheat near Shepton Mallet, as Paul has been the champion national hunt trainer for many seasons.

At the beginning of 2023 Stage Star turned seven years of age, as 1 January is the official birthday of all racehorses. By then, he had won five races including a valuable grade I novices’ hurdle at Newbury.

George owns a much larger share of his horse, Famous Clermont, which is trained near Beaminster by Chris Barber – the latest in a long line of trainers with direct links to the Paul Nicholls’ yard (which is also owned by the Barber family). Mainly initially running in the point-to-point circuit, Famous Clermont had recently moved into the realms of the hunter chaser and had already won seven races.

My throat, voice and emotions took many days to recover!

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Stage Star won handsomely at Cheltenham in early February 2023, and we’d hoped that would stand him in good stead for the Cheltenham Festival. A week or so later, Famous Clermont recorded his best win to date with a fine victory in the terrifically named Walrus Open Hunters’ Chase at Haydock Park.

Both horses could not be in better shape going into the two major national hunt festivals of the year where, of course, the opposition would be the best with many strong opponents coming over from Ireland.

Stage Star ran in the opening event of the third day of the festival, a race over two and a half miles. An Irish favourite, considered by many as one of the best prospects and most likely winners of the week, was also in the line-up.

Starting at the front and leading all the way, Stage Star was never headed and scored a fantastic win at the biggest meeting of the year in national hunt racing. The thrill of watching him power up a notoriously steep hill and cheering him to a terrific victory was an incredibly special moment (particularly as I had backed him at 11-1!). My throat, voice and emotions took many days to recover!

On the final day of the meeting, Famous Clermont was running in the race after the Gold Cup – the amateurs’ Gold Cup, if you will. The notorious final hill is particularly tough for these relatively inexperienced horses and riders, not least as this particular race is over three miles and two furlongs.

As always, Famous Clermont ran well, with his ever-improving jumping, and he cleared the last fence in second place, only to find the steep hill ‘a bridge too far’ and finished sixth. It was agreed he would be much more suited to the equivalent race at Aintree, but that is run over the famous Grand National fences!

And so on to Aintree which is a month later (we could hardly wait). As luck would have it, both horses were due to race on the first day, so George and I travelled up the M5 with equal amounts of hope and expectation.

Stage Star ran in the opening race and, again, there were two good Irish runners. This time, Stage Star started as favourite but perhaps this was a curse as he was well beaten by the final fence.

Many people will be familiar with the Grand National course and the world-famous fences. However, until you see the size of the obstacles such as the Chair and Becher’s Brook, you cannot really appreciate the bravery of the horses and riders, particularly as these are point-to-point/hunter chasers with amateur riders as their jockeys.

However, the good news for Famous Clermont was that this race was over his favourite distance of two and a half miles. He remained prominent throughout the race and bolted up a clear winner. Indeed, not even the most optimistic of owners, such as George, could believe quite how easily he went on to win this high-quality race.

For me this victory more than made up for Stage Star’s defeat, particularly as George was able to smuggle me into the winners’ enclosure to see them collect their prize. The Foxhunters’ trophy is one of the oldest and most prestigious prizes in steeplechasing, and to see this group of young owners collecting such a valuable prize was as unbelievable as cheering Stage Star to victory at Cheltenham. Again, my throat took days to recover but at least it got better quicker than George’s headache!

So there you go – ‘fairy horse tails’ do come true! As a big fan of national hunt racing for as long as I can remember, I would never have believed that I could be part of two such fantastic days that would bring me so much immediate pleasure and so many lasting memories.

Neville Thorner MRICS Commercial & Valuation Surveyor 01935 382904 nthorner@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Do you know your LNR from your SSSI?

Nature conservation sites are given a ‘designation’ to protect and identify them. George Whittaker decodes the terminology

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erms such as ‘biodiversity’, ‘ecological networks’ and ‘nature recovery’ pop up regularly in the farming press and are becoming more relevant to all as Biodiversity Net Gain and the Sustainable Farming Incentive gain traction. It’s a brave new world we must all learn to navigate, but first a little background.

Since the end of the Second World War, biodiversity in the UK has faced significant challenges. Urbanisation and habitat destruction, among other factors, have led to a decline in many species. As a result, conservation efforts, including legal protections, have been implemented to mitigate and reverse these losses.

Since the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act (NPAC Act) of 1949, areas of the country have become ‘designated’ with the intention of preserving precious habitats and species.

Farmers and land managers must work within increasingly tight parameters to comply with the various restrictions.

Environmental designations are multi-layered, but can be split into three categories:

as such in the 1950s under the legislation, mostly in poor-quality agricultural upland. In England, more than a quarter of our landscape is designated in this way with around 15 per cent as as National Landscapes and 10 per cent as National Parks.

Non-statutory designations

Often governed and administrated by local authorities, these are ‘defined’ rather than ‘designated’ although most do have management and planning implications. A Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) is a site of substantive local nature conservation value; Heritage Coasts were established to conserve the best stretches of undeveloped coast and are defined by agreement between the relevant maritime local authorities and Natural England. Local Nature Reserves (LNR) are areas protected by a local authority due to its special natural interest as well as educational and community value.

Farmers must work within tight parameters to comply with the various restrictions

International designations

Reserved for sites considered to be of the highest conservation value. Special Protection Areas (SPA) are protected under the EU Birds Directive to safeguard rare, vulnerable and migratory birds; Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) are protected under the EU Habitats Directive to safeguard sites and species considered to be under serious threat; and Ramsar Sites are wetland sites of international importance. Parts of Poole Harbour in Dorset are designated as all three of the above, as well as multiple UK designations.

UK designations

These include Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; National Landscapes (previously AONB’s) which tend to be larger areas protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act); and National Parks, being the most protected as dictated by the NPAC 1949. The first 10 British National Parks were designated

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Looking ahead

In January 2018, the government published its 25-Year Environment Plan setting out a summary of environmental targets to hit by 2042. The government still has a number of national targets set, including halting the decline in species richness by 2030 and a commitment in the Environmental Improvement Plan to establish another 25 National Nature Reserves by 2027, as well as protecting a total of 30 per cent of land for nature by 2030.

It feels to me as if an increasing proportion of our island is becoming designated for environmental gain. Questions remain: is this a good thing; what about food security; what about the cost? And all against a backdrop of increasing pressure to build more houses and push forward economically. Maybe Biodiversity Net Gain is the answer? Or maybe not…

George Whittaker AssocRICS FAAV MBIAC CEnv Senior Rural Surveyor 01305 236578 gwhittaker@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Nitrogen Targets Morgan Clement on the environmental challenges facing farmers in the Poole Harbour catchment

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oole Harbour is designated as a Special Protection Area, Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a Ramsar Site. It is, or at least it should be, one of this country’s most protected habitats.

However due to an increase in nutrients entering the harbour from the rivers which run into it, over the last 50 years it has suffered from a deterioration in water quality. In turn, this has adversely affected the wildlife which inhabits it.

The amount of nitrogen entering the harbour has more than doubled, from around 1,000 tonnes per year in the 1960s to around 2,300 tonnes per year now. As a result, the Environment Agency has reported that the harbour’s mudflats have become covered in green algae, which has smothered sea grass and saltmarsh, impacting wetland birds and other marine wildlife.

As a result, the relevant government bodies have introduced the Poole Harbour Consent Order Technical Recommendations (PHCOTR) group, which sets new interim nitrogen targets for the catchment.

PHCOTR states that nitrogen loads which reach the harbour from rivers should be reduced to 1,500 tonnes per year, close to the level of the 1960s. The challenge should not be underestimated.

PHCOTR identifies the following points as minimum standards that famers need to address to better manage their nitrate leaching. Landowners/occupiers should:

 Bring down average loss to no more than 18.1kg of nitrogen per hectare per annum.

 Deliver this target by 2030, following a glide path.  Ensure compliance with existing regulation and/or are

implementing an agreed plan to become compliant within EA agreed timeframes. To demonstrate this, farmers must complete the nutrient and soil compliance tool annually  Calculate and report average nitrogen loss annually as part of nutrient planning (adjust nutrient plan and measures to meet targets)  Complete annual whole-farm nutrient balance for implemented and proposed nutrient plans, ensuring targets are met and/or if part of agreed scheme, nutrients are traded to achieve the glide path  Report the above information annually to EA for landowners outside any agreed scheme or report to independent third party for farmers in an EA-approved scheme.

Symonds & Sampson’s experts have attended training sessions in order to complete the newly released Nitrate Leaching Tool (NLT), and have assisted many farmers within the river catchment areas to complete and return the relevant forms to ensure that the new compliance regulations are being adhered to.

The Environment Agency has suggested that farmers who are leaching less than the targeted 18.1kg/N ha/year, will have the opportunity to trade their ‘credits’ to farmers who are struggling to meet their requirements. There is very little, if any, information on the trading of these credits yet, but please do keep in touch with us so that we can keep you up to date when we are informed further.

Morgan Clement BSc (Hons) MRICS Rural Surveyor 01202 882103 mclement@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Poacher

turned

Gamekeeper Camilla White shares her first-hand experience of the compliance requirements for a rural business

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s a rural surveyor-turned-compliance officer – some might say poacher turned gamekeeper – the amount of paperwork associated with a farming business shouldn’t surprise me. After all, I’ve been filling in forms for subsidies, planning, and environmental stewardship for years. However, since becoming more involved in our family farm in Castle Cary, I have realised just how much compliance is involved in running a business like ours.

At the centre of the way we farm is the welfare of our animals and the soil. Our land extends to approximately 150 acres, which we manage both regeneratively and organically. We plant deep-rooted plants like chicory, sainfoin and yarrow to prevent loss of soil through erosion and run-off. We have native cows, including Angus, Hereford, and British Friesian, which we have crossbred to ensure hybrid vigour. All these breeds have evolved to finish on grass. This takes longer, as we don’t feed wholegrains to the cattle. Hence our name: The Slow Farming Company.

By using a mixture of grasses, herbs and some root crops, we provide our livestock with many different nutrients. The more diverse the mixture, the more unique root and leaf forms there are to supply the different minerals, and the greater the nutritional benefit to those consuming the end products.

Alongside our cattle we have Tamworth x Saddleback pigs, fed on our organic pastures supplemented with whey from Westcombe, one of our neighbouring artisan cheesemakers, and bran from Landrace Bakery in Bath.

We also have approximately 300 laying hens of mixed breeds, to produce different coloured eggs. The chickens follow the cattle around the farm, scratching the ground – which further spreads the manure – and eating any grubs and larvae, ensuring we don’t need to use anthelmintics.

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We are proud of the way we rear our livestock and of the way we, as a family, are managing our farm; not least so that our children (the sixth generation to live here) have something to inherit. However, we recognise that our customers don’t necessarily want to take our word for it.

Understandably they need proof that we’re doing what we say we are. That’s why we are certified Animal Welfare Approved, Grassfed and NonGMO by A Greener World, and certified Pasture for Life by the Pasture Fed Livestock Association.

This involves a not insignificant amount of paperwork, along with regular inspections.

We’re coming out of organic certification because we feel it’s too paperwork-driven and the practical purpose of farming in such a way has been lost. However, we are currently working towards regenerative certification under A Greener World, which includes our 10-year plan for whole-farm sustainability focused on regenerative agriculture.

Our beef, pork and eggs are mainly sold via our website (www.slowfarming.co.uk). Our eggs are also available in some local shops, and we do outside catering events. We plan to open a farm shop on site, and hope to expand our events calendar for 2024.

We are hugely lucky to have the fourth generation of our family – my father-in-law – still out there, farming every day. During evenings and weekends, he is joined by my project manager husband; and my lawyer brother-in-law and his wife recently returned to the farm. We all bring skills and experience not necessarily seen in every farming family, but my goodness the paperwork still challenges us sometimes!

I not only have renewed understanding of the work our farming clients have to do, managing all this alongside the actual practical work in the fields, but it has also helped with the compliance work I do for the firm. Not least because it has highlighted the requirement to make sure everything is done properly without making the paperwork so burdensome that there isn’t time for the important business of helping our clients.

Since becoming more involved in our family farm, I have realised how much compliance is involved

Bright Future for Frome

We talk to Bradley Towell about his ‘big plans’ for the livestock market

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rome Market has seen some positive changes in recent months, including the appointment of former Symonds & Sampson star, Bradley Towell, as auctioneer and managing director. After studying agriculture and land management at the Royal Agricultural University, Bradley spent four years working for our Sherborne office where he trained as a rural chartered surveyor. As part of his role with us, Bradley auctioned store cattle on a weekly basis in Frome Market.

After achieving his professional qualifications, Bradley took a sabbatical and visited Australia where he travelled the country, working on livestock farms and visiting several auction centres. That’s when he realised that livestock auctions were his real passion, so he returned to the UK to develop his career as an auctioneer.

This took him to work for McCartneys, a firm of auctioneers in the Midlands and Welsh borders, where he worked as a full-time auctioneer specialising in selling prime and store cattle in Ludlow and Worcester. This boosted Bradley’s knowledge and experience in the livestock sector, and allowed him to develop a valuable network of contacts. While at McCartneys, Bradley was responsible for running Worcester Livestock Market where he expanded both the store and prime cattle sections, and the throughput of the market in general.

In February 2023, he became the managing director of Frome Livestock Auctioneers Ltd where he is responsible for all practical and financial aspects of the company. As part of his role, Bradley sells the prime cattle and cull cows on Wednesdays, and joins Symonds & Sampson’s Lester Williams and Trevor Rowland to sell the store cattle on Fridays.

Bradley says: ‘‘It is great to be back at Frome Market and I am very much enjoying my role and responsibilities here. It is

a fantastic opportunity and I am embracing the challenge of running a bigger market, it’s like coming home. ‘‘Livestock markets face big challenges in the immediate future,” Bradley continues, “so it’s important to move with the times, adapt to change and ensure we are using the best practices to maintain and expand our existing client base.

“We have big plans, including significant investment in cattle handling and weighing equipment. This will improve efficiency, accuracy, welfare and safety – all of which are key to the future success of our business.

“Livestock markets remain the most competitive and transparent way to sell livestock. They act as multifunctional business hubs for the agricultural community as a place to trade, network and socialise,’’ he concludes.

On behalf of Symonds & Sampson’s, Will Wallis adds: “It’s great to have Bradley back and we have already seen some significant changes since he rejoined the team last year.

The friendly and community atmosphere at Frome is really positive, and it’s great to see some old faces reappear after Covid. The directors and shareholders are committed to driving the market forward and improving the service it offers to the farming industry.”

Livestock markets remain the most competitive and transparent way to sell livestock

Bradley Towell Managing Director & Auctioneer at Frome Livestock Auctioneers LTD 07496 263916

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The Farmland Market As market leaders in our region, we have our finger on the farmland pulse. Andrew Tuffin, Head of Farm Agency, has your essential roundup

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ur Devizes and Tiverton offices continue to go from strength to strength, and 2023 saw them offer several farms and blocks of land across Wiltshire and Devon to add to our traditional strongholds in Dorset and Somerset – thereby increasing our regional and national presence

Supply

Demand

In 2013, I wrote my first roundup of the farmland market for this publication. Since then, 2023 has been the only year to have seen a marked increase in supply.

Farmers Weekly advertised a total of 90,000 acres in 2023 to the end of December – an increase of 15 per cent on 2022.

It’s an upward trend that’s been reflected across our region.

However, supply still remains below the averages seen in the 1990s and 2000s.

Retirement is currently the main reason for sale, with children either pursuing careers outside of agriculture, siblings not being able to buy out other non-farming siblings due to high capital values, or no successors.

Probate sales are surprisingly uncommon, with assets already transferred or gifted. And, at the time of writing, sales due to debt are even less common.

Although not contributing a significant acreage, sales of barns with Class Q consent with a few acres are allowing farmers to reinvest sale proceeds into farming, or contribute towards retirement funds. The same can be said for land on the edge of settlements being promoted and sold for development.

Demand in 2023 was a tale of two halves or, more accurately, two-thirds and one-third. The first eight months saw demand unabated on previous years, despite rising interest rates.

However, following August harvest and holidays, buyers did not make the traditional return in September. Just like the housing market a few months before, we are witnessing a correction in the market. Buyers beware, though – we do not envisage a significant drop in values.

Who’s buying?

Commercial farmers continue to make up the largest section of buyer type, at approximately 40 per cent. Historically, though, this figure has been around 60 per cent. Higher interest rates, milk prices down from 50ppl in autumn 2022 to 37ppl, grain prices down from £320/t at their peak in 2022 to £180/t, reducing BPS payments and higher tax bills in 2023 following a year of higher profits in 2022 have all contributed to the desire and ability of farmers to compete against a myriad of other buyers. Combine this with several non-farming buyers still requiring land to be managed and, unsurprisingly, many farmers now prefer to rent. That said, the land rental market is hugely under-supplied, rather like the general housing market, and rents are relatively high compared to earning capacity.

Farmers and landowners with proceeds from land sold for development are continuing to compete very strongly, particularly for larger blocks of land, and especially where the residential element is low. They normally have three years to rollover capital gains into qualifying assets, so expect these buyers to be around in 2024 and 2025. Reports of some national housebuilders scaling down the build-out of new sites may have a knock-on effect, but not for a few years.

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The Farm Agency Team

Jack Curnick-James Wiltshire

Ross Willmington Devon

Residential and lifestyle buyers make up approximately 20 per cent of buyers. The race-for-space turbocharged by Covid-19 continues, with many small farms and bare blocks of land under 20 acres being snapped up by these buyers. Investors, both private and institutional, are consistently in the market for blocks of bare land, large and small. Every year there are new property funds seeking to diversify their portfolio by acquiring farmland.

Environmental buyers are talked and written about frequently at present. They range from multinational companies wishing to use natural capital to offset their own carbon emissions; developers acquiring Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units off site; and private investors seeking to rewild or plant trees to create carbon credits. However, land being specifically purchased for these reasons has not yet materialised. It is more likely these environmental reasons are wrapped up in a purchase by the buyer types listed above with an eye on the future. This is not necessarily the case for large estates available in other parts of the world where scale and value for money is more readily achievable.

Values It is truly staggering to see how far land values have come in the last 50 years. We conduct many historical valuations for clients and have a bank of sales data going back decades. In the early 1970s land was under £500/acre; in 1982, which is the earliest date for CGT valuations, land was around £1,500/acre; it dipped in the early 1990s to £1,300/acre, rose steadily by 2003 to £2,500/acre and then took off, climbing each year to an average of £9,000/acre at its peak in 2016.

In the last seven years values have fluctuated slightly and, in 2023, the average value stood at approximately £9,500 per

Andrew Tuffin Head of Farm Agency

Lucy Carnell Somerset

Will Wallis Dorset

acre. We have excluded smaller blocks under 10 acres from this figure as they distort the sum – in our experience, blocks of between five and 10 acres typically achieve £15,000 to £20,000 per acre.

We continue to witness large variations, driven mainly by location, followed by topography, quality, access, services and potential. In 2023 we saw large blocks fetch £6,000 to £16,000 per acre. Values not only vary from county to county, but sometimes parish to parish, depending on neighbours, local interest and the factors above.

Outlook As this is a general election year, sellers and buyers could wait for clarity, therefore the amount of land available may fall back in 2024. This could well align with slightly reduced appetite and affordability; therefore, we envisage values remaining stable.

However, the UK population is still growing, therefore demand for food is increasing. Add in an uptick in requirement for energy crops for the burgeoning number of biodigesters, along with solar parks, carbon credits, BNG and lifestyle choices, and it’s clear many will still be keen to own a part of our beautiful, green and pleasant land.

Andrew Tuffin Partner and Head of Farm Agency 01258 472244 atuffin@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Tuffin’s Top 10 Head of Farm Agency, Andrew Tuffin is an unrivalled expert in the business of buying and selling farms. Here he picks his highlights from Symonds & Sampson’s 2023 sales:

Best Farm

Best House

Preston Farm, Tarrant Ruston, Blandford

Cherry Orchard Farm, Shaftesbury

Greenest Sale

Most Buildings

Publow, Pensford, Bristol

Bearley Farm, Tintinhull, Yeovil

952 acre commercial arable farm. The largest farm sold in S&S history. Tremendous regional and national competition and sold to a farmer from the home counties.

112 acres of undulating grassland only 5 miles from Bristol city centre. Sold for planting trees and conservation uses.

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A handsome 8 bedroom period country house extending to over 8,000 sq.ft. Set in 108 acres. Purchased by a London buyer.

551 acre dairy farm boasting an extensive range of mainly steel frame farm buildings covering 69,000 sq.ft. Also 2 farmhouses, one incorporating 4 flats.

Best View

Best Equestrian

Hill Farm, Sidbury, Devon

Osmond Farm, Holnest, Sherborne

52 acre residential/equestrian farm close to the coast with stunning views over the unspoilt Roncombe Valley.

Sold to local buyers.

Farmhouse, annexe, brick courtyard with 14 stables, barns, arena and 38 acres pasture including parkland. 6 viewings and sale agreed within 1 week.

Furthest West

Furthest East

Queens Nympton, South Molton

Pyecombe, Brighton, Sussex

Most potential

Wiltshire Way

Newton Peverell Farm, Sturminster Marshall

4 farms in mid Wiltshire

107 acres of arable and pasture land. Sold by Auction in October in 4 lots averaging over £9,500 per acre.

A former dairy farm with over 27,000 sq.ft of brick and steel farm buildings with huge potential plus former paired cottages and 91 acres.

10 acres of bluebell woodland in the South Downs National Park. Sold by tender for over £11,000 per acre.

Our Devizes and Salisbury offices increasing their market share. Two farms (125 ac & 30 ac) sold off market and farms at Seend (120 ac) and Potterne (116 ac) currently available.

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#established1858

RESIDENTIAL AND LETTINGS Focused and enthusiastic, our Residential and Lettings teams have the dedication and drive to find you the best buyer or tenant.

Alert to market trends, considerate of requirements, and loyal to the last, they instinctively know how to respond to your needs.

Rest assured; they always go the extra mile.

The Town that Charles Built Peter Grout Smith on how Poundbury has become a place fit for a King

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ing Charles III and Queen Camilla visited Poundbury in June 2023 for the first time since acceding the throne. The former Duke and Duchess of Cornwall viewed a new bronze relief of Their Majesties, to mark the completion of Queen Mother Square. The reliefs, by artist Ian Rank-Broadley, sit above a Portland stone plaque that records the architects and businesses that worked with the Duchy of Cornwall to establish Queen Mother Square.

Amid fine weather, Their Majesties also opened The Duke of Edinburgh Garden which forms part of Pavilion Green, before viewing a bust of The King’s late father, The Duke of Edinburgh, which is situated within the garden, one of the many fine green and public spaces which enhance the scheme.

The local Durnovaria Silver Band played as Their Majesties arrived at The Royal Pavilion to meet those involved in the Royal Pavilion development.

His Majesty has a special association with Poundbury. Built on Duchy of Cornwall land just outside Dorchester with The King’s involvement, it was designed according to the principles of architecture and urban planning laid out in his book, A Vision of Britain.

Poundbury is currently home to 4,600 people with a mix of private and affordable housing. It also provides employment for more than 2,500 people working in more than 250 shops, cafés, offices and factories.

As Poundbury nears its final phases, appreciation and demand continues

to grow for homes within this groundbreaking development.

The King’s vision of quality architecture set upon broad, tree-lined avenues is beginning to mature and a sense of community has been established.

The Duchy estate now passes to Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales and we look forward to meeting them in due course.

His Majesty has a special association with Poundbury

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Peter Grout-Smith MNAEA Residential Sales Manager 01305 251154 pgs@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Price it Right Selling a property? Head of Agency Jon Summers explains how to set your asking price right first time

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elling a property can be a complex and daunting process, and one of the most crucial aspects is determining the right guide price.

A well-calibrated guide price can attract potential buyers, generate interest and ultimately lead to a successful sale. However, setting the wrong guide price can have serious consequences, including overvaluation, the need for price reductions and even falling victim to agents who mislead on value to win business.

It’s quite the minefield, so let’s take it back to basics.

The guide price serves as a starting point for potential buyers and offers them an initial indication of the property’s value. It’s a delicate balance between attracting interest and ensuring you receive a fair price for your property.

A well-considered guide price can create a sense of urgency among buyers and spark competitive bidding, ultimately driving up the final sale price.

One of the most common pitfalls when selling a property is overvaluing. While it might be tempting to list your property at an inflated price in the hope of achieving a greater profit, this strategy can backfire. Overvaluing your property can deter potential buyers who see the asking price as unreasonable, leading to a lack of interest and an extended time on the market.

Setting an unrealistic guide price often leads to the need for price reductions. When a property sits on the market for an extended period without attracting offers, sellers may feel compelled to lower the price. Unfortunately, this can result in a perception that something is wrong with the property, leading buyers to negotiate even further, potentially driving the final sale price well below what could have been achieved with an accurate initial guide price.

It’s essential to exercise caution when selecting an agent to help you sell. While most professionals operate with integrity

and honesty, there have been instances where some agents overvalue properties just to secure the business. Once they have secured the listing, they may then work to convince the seller to lower the price, claiming that it’s necessary to attract buyers. This can leave the seller feeling manipulated and frustrated, with their property’s value potentially diminished.

To navigate these challenges, it’s crucial to work with a trusted, regulated and qualified property professional.

An experienced estate agent or valuer can provide an accurate assessment of your property’s value based on current market conditions, comparable sales and other relevant factors.

A reputable professional will guide you towards a fair guide price that balances your financial goals with market realities, reducing the risk of overvaluation and the need for price reductions.

By working with a trusted and experienced property professional, you can ensure that your guide price accurately reflects your property’s value and positions you for a successful sale.

It’s a delicate balance between attracting interest and ensuring you receive a fair price for your property

Jon Summers MNAVA MNAEA Partner, Head of Agency 01305 251154 jsummers@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Moving Home and How to Survive

Be well-prepared at every stage with this step-by-step guide,

by Adam Taylor

T

Rest assured, we will be working to keep the sale on track. We’ll liaise with your solicitor and, if you’re using them, your estate agent and mortgage adviser.

Once you have agreed a completion date, arrange your removals and send the 10 per cent deposit to your solicitor.

Great news, but now the work starts and you will need to choose carefully who will share your journey.

You may need to arrange buildings insurance – depending on the terms of the contract.

Who is your solicitor? Moving is expensive but scrimping a few hundred pounds on a cheap online solicitor can often be a false economy. Choose someone local, if possible, and ask for our suggestions. There are many very good firms of solicitors but the best conveyancers, because they are so good, can become overworked. We will know who’s hot and who’s not.

View the property again. Hopefully you will be on good terms with the vendor, and you can meet to find out the location of the stopcocks, how the boiler works, what days the bins are collected, and so on. You may also get recommendations for doctors, shops, walks… and which neighbours are friendly!

Put your conveyancer in funds to buy searches. This should be done as soon as possible as some councils can be slow in delivering the paperwork.

Send the remaining monies to your solicitor who will also draw down any mortgage monies. Make sure you send the monies in good time – as early as possible. You don’t want yours to be stuck while removal lorries stand idle awaiting release of the keys.

here’s no way to sugar-coat it, moving home is stressful. But on the basis that forewarned is forearmed, we have put together a checklist of what to expect and how best to navigate the process.

Your offer is accepted

Make sure your mortgage offer has been confirmed. Using a broker can sometimes be sensible as they will move the sale process along and we can talk to them while we monitor how the sale is progressing.

Do you need a structural survey? It is often prudent to do so, especially with an older property, but your mortgage company may insist on a HomeBuyer Report.

You exchange contracts It sounds easy, but it rarely is – even if you’re a cash buyer purchasing an empty house.

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You have reached completion

Notify everyone of your new address, especially banks, electricity and water companies (all meters should be read on moving day).

You can almost relax – just make a note of which box contains the corkscrew!

Adam Taylor Residential Sales Manager 01305 261008 ataylor@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Thirsty for Success Stuart Philipps reflects on the history of the former Brewery and the transformation of this historic and prominent site.

O

ur firm has been present in the county town for over one hundred years. More recently, we have expanded our operation to include offices at Queen Mother Square and Burraton Square in Poundbury. We are now delighted to announce the opening of our newest office at Brewery Square on Weymouth Avenue.

Nestled in the heart of Dorchester, the history of Brewery Square and Eldridge Pope Brewery resonates through time, bridging the legacy of brewing with a modern transformation into a vibrant hub of commerce, culture, and leisure. This journey of evolution from a historic brewery to a bustling contemporary destination unveils a captivating story of revitalisation and renewal.

The story begins with Eldridge Pope Brewery, founded in 1881 by Charles and William Eldridge, alongside Henry and Alfred Pope. Renowned for producing fine ales and becoming an integral part of Dorchester’s identity, the brewery thrived for over a century, crafting a practice deeply rooted in the town’s tradition. The iconic Eldridge Pope Brewery symbolised not only the craftsmanship of brewing but also served as a significant employer and cultural cornerstone for the community.

However, as industrial dynamics shifted, the brewery eventually closed its doors in 1999, leaving behind a historic landmark and a void in the town’s landscape. Yet, the vision to rejuvenate this significant site emerged.

Enter Brewery Square, a visionary redevelopment project that breathed new life into the historic Eldridge Pope Brewery grounds and the town. This ambitious initiative sought to honour the area’s rich history while embracing the demands of modern living. Gradually, the site was transformed into a dynamic mixeduse destination, seamlessly blending the old with the new.

Today, Brewery Square is a bustling hub offering a diverse array of shops, boutiques, eateries, and leisure facilities. Its carefully curated selection of retailers, artisan cafes, and restaurants caters to diverse tastes, creating a vibrant social scene. Visitors can explore a variety of shopping options, dine at renowned restaurants, or unwind in the leisure spaces.

In essence, the journey from the historic Eldridge Pope Brewery to the contemporary marvel of Brewery Square represents the harmonious blend of preserving heritage with progressive urban development. It stands not just as a shopping and dining precinct but as a living testament to the rich history and promising future of Dorchester, one of which Symonds & Sampson are very excited to be part of.

the site was transformed into a dynamic mixed-use destination

Stuart Philipps MNAEA Residential Sales Partner 01305 261008 sphilipps@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Sailing Through the Shipping Forecast Moderate becoming good’: Anabel Merriman recounts her passage to Madeira

L

ast summer my husband, Peter, and I embarked on an ocean passage through five shipping forecast regions – Portland, Plymouth, FitzRoy, Biscay and Trafalgar – to our final destination of Madeira, a distance of some 1,400 nautical miles. It was a 10-day passage, sailing continuously, so we have proudly earned our membership of the Ocean Cruising Club, which requires 1,000 nm.

We left Portland the morning after the start of the RORC Fastnet Race – which some boats had abandoned due to severe weather conditions. However, a new dawn and a new day meant we had a great family sendoff chasing us to Portland Bill, ensuring we had actually gone!

A lovely even sail followed across Lyme Bay, where we were accompanied by dolphins at sunset. A brief stop in Dartmouth to see more family, then next stop – Madeira!

We were joined by friends at various points along the way, and we settled into a watch system between the three of us: two hours on watch, two hours on deck to assist if needed, then two hours of golden sleep down below, before starting again.

Our boat has all the bells and whistles to enable offshore sailing in comfort such as a water maker, generator, solar panels, two fridges plus one on deck, freezer, electric winches, autohelm, in-mast furling mainsail and self-furling headsail, along with a cruising chute and code zero sail for light wind conditions, and satellite broadband.

Our aim was to avoid the orca whales, which have been biting rudders on yachts along the coast north of Gibraltar, causing huge damage and sinking some vessels. We headed out to sea hoping to avoid them, but came closer to shore than we wanted due to the weather which was still blowing a hooley from Iceland.

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We saw a humpback whale, dolphins, flying fish and sea birds.

We crossed the Bay of Biscay, notorious for its challenging weather, which took five days in Force 5 upwind. But soon enough the wind direction changed and the weather warmed up as we headed south.

They call it ‘blue water sailing’ and I can see why – once you get out into the ocean away from UK waters, the sea is a beautiful shade of royal blue and very clear.

The night sky was amazing, completely black with moonlit nights so bright it was hard to see the stars. As we travelled further south, the nights grew longer.

After days of seeing ocean and only a few ships, suddenly there it was – Porto Santo, one of the islands of Madeira. It’s a tiny place, peppered with volcanic peaks. Once we’d found our land legs (aided by the bar at the marina) we explored the island and its long beach with sand the colour of Jersey double cream.

A visit to the Christopher Columbus museum brought sharply to mind how much harder it was for them in 1478. We set off for Madeira and had a short and very satisfying sail, reaching 9.8 knots on the way.

A great experience and lots of fun – overall we were struck by the beauty of the ocean and its environment.

Our aim was to avoid the orca whales, which have been biting rudders and sinking some vessels

Anabel Merriman MNAEA Assistant Sales Manager 01258 473766 amerriman@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Attention

All Shipping The shipping forecast is loved by listeners – even if they’re tucked up in bed rather than sailing the high seas, writes Andrew Carless

It reinforces a sense of being islanders with a proud seafaring past

Can you name them all?

There are 31 regions listed in the shipping forecast. Starting at Viking (we’ll give you that one ), can you work clockwise and name them all? Answers below.

Answers: Viking; North Utsire; South Utsire; Forties; Cromarty; Forth; Tyne; Dogger; Fisher; German Bight; Humber; Thames; Dover; Wight; Portland; Plymouth; Biscay; Trafalgar; FitzRoy; Sole; Lundy; Fastnet; Irish Sea; Shannon; Rockall; Malin; Hebrides; Bailey; Fair Isle; Faeroes; and Southeast Iceland.

I

grew up sailing in Poole Harbour and tuning into the shipping forecast on Radio 4 longwave was part of family life for as long as I can remember. However, it was still a surprise, on my first offshore venture with a schoolfriend’s father, to see him demand complete silence while he religiously marked his chart every evening. Not that it did much good – we still lost our dinghy in a sneaky Force 6 off Start Point and arrived off Guernsey in dangerously thick fog.

Much has changed since that time 45 years ago, with many detailed meteorological tools now available to the yachtsmen, fishermen, mariners and walkers who frequent our wonderful coastline, but the forecast remains hugely popular.

It is both a vestige of tradition and a practical aid. Its lyrical, rhythmic clockwise tour of Britain is curiously appealing – even to those listeners who have no intention of venturing further than the pub. It sounds like a poem with the measured delivery required to allow it to be heard mid-storm, but with an occasional quiet threat such as “there are warnings of gales”, “very rough” or “wintry showers” that help us imagine what conditions will shortly be like for anyone genuinely at sea. Though I do not intentionally listen to it now, it still gives a frisson when I accidentally catch it driving home in the early hours.

My interest was more recently caught by Harry Thompson’s wonderful novel This Thing of Darkness, which describes the troubled life of Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy. He had been Darwin’s captain on HMS Beagle and later became head of the forerunner of the Met Office. He was already working to improve marine weather data when, in 1859, the steam clipper Royal Charter was disastrously lost off Anglesey.

In 1861 he started to produce formal “forecasts” for shipping that were published in The Times and telegraphed to principal ports, where they were not popular with fishing fleet owners when their boats were storm-bound. The sea area Finisterre was renamed FitzRoy in 2002 in his honour.

The forecast has come a long way since the early version, first broadcast on Radio 4 in 1924 (though suspended during

the Second World War). It starts with the formal: “And now the shipping forecast issued by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency” followed by the general synopsis giving the position, pressure and track of pressure such as: “low, Rockall, 987, deepening rapidly expected Bailey 964 by 0700 tomorrow”.

Wind direction is given first, then Beaufort strength followed by precipitation, if any, and lastly visibility. An example may be: “Humber. Southeast veering southwest 4, occasionally 5 later.

Thundery showers. Moderate, occasionally poor”.

The forecast is broadcast at 00.48, 05.20, 12.00, and 17.54 and is on longwave because its signal can be received clearly at sea regardless of conditions, though the two in the middle of the night also creep on to FM to bookmark the day.

The 00.48 broadcast is preceded by Ronald Binge’s famous arrangement of Sailing By and concludes with the national anthem. The BBC plans to close the longwave platform, heralding the end of interruptions to Test Match Special when cricket pundits halt their commentary to hand over to warnings for seafarers at 17:54! But the shipping forecast will continue to be broadcast on other channels, including Radio 4 FM and BBC Sounds.

I cannot put it any better than Zeb Soanes, a regular shipping forecast reader, who says: “To the non-nautical, it is a nightly litany of the sea. It reinforces a sense of being islanders with a proud seafaring past. Whilst the listener is safely tucked-up in their bed, they can imagine small fishing-boats bobbing about at Plymouth or 170ft waves crashing against Rockall.”

Andrew Carless MAAT MNAEA Partner, Head of Accounts 01305 236560 acarless@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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The tale of Loved by children but vilified by the BBC, Enid Blyton was a complex character, as Angela Gillibrand reports

W

henever I imagine Enid Blyton, I think of someone a little like Joyce Grenfell – all jolly hockey sticks, jam and toast around the open fire, and lashings of ginger beer as she pens her stories about Noddy and Big Ears; but the reality is quite different.

Her books were international bestsellers, selling over six hundred million copies in 90 languages, despite criticism that the stories were unchallenging. Some libraries and schools banned the works, and the BBC refused to broadcast her stories because of their perceived lack of literary merit.

Undaunted, Blyton let the public decide, and the books continued to top the bestsellers’ list until her death in 1968.

Her private life was quite risqué. She married Major Alexander Pollock in 1924, in a registry office with no family invited.

They married just after his divorce from his first wife but, by the mid 1930s, possibly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from his experiences in the First World War, he became an alcoholic and started a romantic relationship with his secretary, Ida Crowe.

Enid Blyton, according to Crowe’s memoir, also had a series of affairs, one a lesbian relationship, but the most lasting was with a London surgeon, Kenneth Waters. Pollock discovered the affair

and threatened to expose her adultery, which would not have helped her image as a children’s author, so they agreed terms for a divorce.

Blyton and Waters were married in 1943 and bought Manor Farm in Dorset, but she was already displaying signs of dementia and I feel sure unconnected was her penchant for playing tennis naked – nude tennis as it was known. One wonders what the village folk thought!

Many of her books have been updated to reflect modern politically progressive attitudes towards race, violence amongst children and punishments meted out by adults. Teddy bears and goblins have replaced golliwogs, children are scolded not spanked, and there are no names like Dick and Fanny!

It is an odd feeling, finding the classics of your childhood are not as you remember. Whether you agree with the changes is, of course, personal but rather than buy a new edition I will scour the second-hand bookshops for an original.

Many of her books have been updated to reflect modern politically progressive attitudes

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Angela Gillibrand MNAEA Rural Sales Manager 01297 33122 agillibrand@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Giles Wreford-Brown uncovers a tale or two in the Dorset village once home to Enid Blyton

Mystery and Murder

R

ummaging around in the attic at home, I came across a series of Famous Five books. They were clearly a popular read as the pages were well thumbed. Written by Enid Blyton between 1942 and 1963, they recount the adventures of George, Julian, Anne, Dick and their dog Timmy as they find treasure and catch criminals lurking in the countryside. Reading the books again brought back memories of more innocent times and stories before bedtime.

One story is very local to us because Enid Blyton lived for some time in the Dorset village of Stourton Caundle when she bought Manor Farm in 1956.

Five on Finniston Farm, written in 1960, is based on Stourton Caundle and sees the five spend their summer holidays at the farm where they hear about a secret passage from Finniston Castle to the old chapel and cellars where Royal treasure may be hidden.

Enid Blyton wrote: “My readers may like to know that the Finniston Farm in this story is a real farm in Dorset, owned by my family – though I have, of course, changed its name in the book. The old chapel, now a storehouse for corn, is still there, with, as always, a cat and its kittens on the sacks!

“The great old door taken from the Norman castle is still at the farm, used as a magnificent kitchen-door. The old, old tiles on the barns still glow with their centuries-old growth of bright lichen, and the quaint old oven is still in the bedroom wall, complete with its iron tray and embers for the warming-pan!

“But (as yet!) I haven’t found the secret entrance to the old dungeons or cellars of the long-ago burnt-down castle to which the chapel belonged. The Famous Five have been cleverer than I am!”

For anyone unfamiliar with Stourton Caundle, it is a small village about five miles from Sherborne. It was called Stourton Haddon when the Haddon family founded the Manor in 1202.

The hub of the Manor was the castle, set in a field on the northern side of Caundle Brook at the rear of Manor Farm.

One of the castle’s more famous visitors was the legendary Dick Whittington, a Lord Mayor of London and the real-life inspiration for the famous rags-to-riches tale. He married Alice, daughter of the Lord of the Manor, Sir Ivo FitzWaryn, by whose will the castle’s chapel was founded in the 1440s.

The castle’s most notorious resident was Charles, Lord Stourton who had a long-running disagreement with a man named Hartgill. On 12 January 1557, Lord Charles invited Hartgill and his son to the castle. In a grisly plot, he’d arranged for the pair to be knocked out with clubs by his servants, who then cut their throats and buried them in the cellar. When these cruel murders came to light, Lord Charles was sent to the Tower of London.

After his conviction, he was taken to Salisbury Market Square where he was hanged, along with four of his servants.

Today, all that remains of the castle is the old chapel building, although it’s no longer used as such. As for Enid Blyton’s Manor Farm, it is now home to Oliver and Sue Simon who have lived here since the 1960s. The couple have created the most wonderful gardens, which they open to the public every summer through the National Gardens Scheme. Well worth a visit.

Enid Blyton bought Manor Farm in 1956

Giles Wreford-Brown BA(hons) MNAVA MNAEA Partner 01258 473766 gwb@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Bathing Beauties David West dips his toe into the history of sea bathing in Weymouth

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isit Weymouth at any time of year and in all weathers, and you will see people enjoying the waters and swimming from all points on the beach.

Weymouth has a rich history of sea bathing, and it was given an extra boost in the 18th century when eminent physician Dr Crane advocated saltwater as a great cure for many ailments. What better place to enjoy the briny benefits than Weymouth?

The town received a further fillip when George III chose the resort to help him recuperate from porphyria, and his Royal visits allowed Weymouth to prosper. The King was also instrumental in popularising bathing machines – essentially, mobile changing rooms that were pulled into the water – and by 1815 it was estimated there were around 40 for hire in Weymouth.

The fashion for bathing machines continued into the Victorian era, allowing men and women to change into their bathing suits and enter the water with their modesty intact.

But not everyone approved of the arrangement, as seen in this letter to a local newspaper at the time:

I have tried it, and now wish to relate my sad experience thereof. You may judge of my horror when stepping from my machine to find myself surrounded by great fat men, with nothing on but their whiskers!

In the name of all public decorum should this be allowed?

We laugh at the manner and custom of foreigners, but would such a thing be allowed for one moment on the Continent?

Not only should no gentlemen’s bathing machines be permitted to be within 400 yards of those allotted to the ladies, instead of being less than 20, as they now are, but in my humble opinion the mermaids of the opposite sex should not deport themselves at all anywhere in the vicinity of the Esplanade after seven o’clock a.m.

SIR – Would you allow me, through the friendly medium of your columns, to expose a grievance which I, a lone lorn female, and other members of my sex, suffer daily in this place! I will first state that I had been recommended to try sea bathing at Weymouth for the benefit of my health.

Should the authorities decline to take any steps in what I now consider to be a flagrant breach of public decency, I must appeal to the gentlemen themselves and their own sense of delicacy, and so live in hopes of seeing them “clothed and in their right mind.” I am, Sir, yours hopefully, AN OUTRAGED SPINSTER Come down to Weymouth and enjoy the sheltered bay, but keep your clothes on otherwise there will be more letters to the Editor!

David West Sales Manager 01305 251154 dwest@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Rope Tricks Steve Allen gets to grips with Bridport’s ropemaking legacy

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efore I started work in Bridport, I sauntered around the Museum in South Street to get a feel for the local history. That’s when I discovered the importance of ropemaking to the town. My interest was piqued, and when Symonds & Sampson sponsored the Bridport Hat Festival and I saw people sporting hats made entirely of rope, I wanted to know more.

Talking to local people taught me about the rope-related architecture in the town, such as the buildings that still display the pulley systems. I came across the distinctive ‘walks’ (long, straight and narrow lanes used for spinning twine and rope), and discovered the historic buildings around the harbour at West Bay. These evocative examples of Bridport’s ropemaking legacy led me to imagine what it was like to live in the town when the industry was in its heyday.

Location, as every estate agent will tell you, is everything.

Bridport’s close proximity to the coast and the fertile, welldrained soil and relatively mild climate for the growing of the raw fibre such as hemp and flax gave the town an advantage in ropemaking, as did its position on the eastwest route along the south coast.

The Bridport nets and ropes were well known for their endurance and strength, and the town soon became synonymous with the materials. But Bridport’s reputation truly took off when Edward Gundry established a business in the town in the 1800s.

The ropes were so superior that Bridport Gundry became the main supplier to the Royal Navy, thereby ensuring employment for many people and giving a sense of pride to the area. At one time, 1,800 people out of a population of 3,100 worked in the industry, with a further 7,000 employed in the surrounding countryside.

As well as maritime uses, Gundry’s materials were in demand in other sectors including agriculture, construction and transport. The company also supplied the nets at Wimbledon and, more macabrely, the hangman’s noose.

Look around the town today and the evidence of the industry is clear to see. Large 19th century warehouses and textile mills jostle with market town buildings as seen along Gundry Lane off South Street. The outline of gardens with open spaces for the spinning walks was seen for many years, a tradition given up in other parts of the UK, and some include buildings known as a ‘turn store’ or ‘turn house’ at one end.

Once factory methods were introduced, the architecture of the town changed and today you can see North Mills, Priory Mills, Court Mills, Pymore Mills and the housing in the town categorised into outworkers’ cottages, factory workers’ cottages, and the grander houses once occupied by the managers and owners.

Come to Bridport and see for yourselves. Take a walk around the town, visit the museum and get a feel for its long history. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

With thanks to English Heritage and Bridport Museum

The ropes were so superior that Bridport Gundry became the main supplier to the British Navy

Steve Allen MNAEA Residential Sales Partner 01308 422092 sallen@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Drive Time In the 1970s it was all about go-faster stripes. Today, car makers are racing to offer keyless start, assisted parking, and eye-popping infotainment, as Andy Wakinshaw reports

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any readers will share my childhood memories of motoring. Parents polishing the chrome on the vinyl roofed family saloon every Sunday morning. Then, as this was the era before Sunday trading, being taken for a ‘run’ complete with tartan rug, Thermos flask and nodding dog on the parcel shelf. We’d probably end up feeling car sick as we drove around collecting enough petrol stamps to get some ‘crystal’ glasses from Esso.

Back in the day, motoring, like life, followed different rules.

The windows were wound by hand; you needed to ‘double declutch’ to change gear; and drivers learnt to do a hill start – no automatic brakes in those days.

Owners could service the car themselves – a look under the bonnet identified all parts of the basic engine, and a pair of stockings might be found in the glove compartment just in case the fan belt needed replacing.

As the years rolled by, cars interiors became more sophisticated. A radio or eight-track played the latest tunes and, with the electric windows wound down and our elbow resting out, we thought we were in an American movie! Meanwhile, safety belts were just being introduced with the TV commercial telling us to “clunk-click, every trip”.

Anti-lock brakes weren’t particularly newsworthy – until you needed them. And no one ever started a conversation with “have I told you about my catalytic converters?”, but drivers could always impress their friends by getting a personalised windscreen shade. If you could add your partner’s name alongside your own, your street cred soared.

Boasting about how fast your car could go was commonplace, but my first car struggled to go over 60mph with a following wind.

My present car has so many items as standard that I take it all for granted. Google Assistant finds music and radio stations, and

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also makes calls and reads out my text messages, all through a high-end audio system.

It is safety first and I have air bags and inflatable curtains just in case I am in a collision, and with a 360-degree camera, I can reverse with confidence. If I overtake without indicating, the steering wheel accuses me of drifting; and my seat has a huge range of functions to make sure my journey is as comfortable as possible. The air control prevents 95 per cent of hazardous PM2.5 particles entering the cabin – I try not to think about the harmful five per cent!

It seems likely that cars in the future will be all-electric, or powered by hydrogen (although this seems to be a work in progress), and we await the first self-drive models – a lot of work is required here.

The tyres may connect wirelessly to the vehicle and share road conditions, temperatures and recover energy.

And while cars may eventually be prohibited in city centres, in rural areas there are few alternatives.

Whatever lies ahead, I will just be pleased to have a safe and comfortable drive. Although I do like a heated steering wheel.. and I don’t want to feel car sick!

If I overtake without indicating, the steering wheel accuses me of drifting

Andy Wakinshaw MNAEA Partner 01935 814488 awakinshaw@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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otoring emories:

What was on the roads 60 years ago? Matthew Edmunds reports on the year his father was born

Porsche 911

The seminal car, still produced today. A 1964 Porsche 911 – one of 232 built that year – was sold for a record price in 2011. The Florida auction house brought down the gavel at $205,000 (about £162,000).

Aston Martin DB5 Vantage

Austin Mini

Renault 4

If it was good enough for James Bond… although not all models came with bulletproof glass and an ejector seat.

Rover P6 2000

Ford Lotus Cortina

Ferrari 250 GTO

Volkswagen Beetle The inaugural winner of the European Car of the Year award. Favoured by the police on motorway patrol.

Built to race in touring car events and for rally driving.

They wanted a small, highpowered sports saloon that could compete on the track, the peak being Jim Clark winning the British Saloon Car Championship in 1964.

One of the most valuable cars in the world – purchasers had to ask Enzo Ferrari for his permission to buy one!

The car that defined the swinging 60s.

Both fashion icon and functional transport, the front-wheel drive Mini was a masterpiece of packaging, styling and driver entertainment.

More than eight million Renault 4s were produced over three decades. Some people even said it was comfortable.

The 60s saw the car’s heyday as it became a mainstay of surfer culture.

The Beetle broadened its appeal over the years and its iconic status remains today.

British Motor Corporation MGB

This very quickly became the world’s best-selling sports car, despite being based on the floorplan of a Morris J4 van. Today, it’s the most popular classic car in the UK with more than 20,000 known to survive in the UK alone.

Audax Hillman Super Minx

Not very exciting but reliable and well built.

Popular amongst families and there was even a convertible version. It wasn’t a great seller!

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A Selection of Sales

Holy City, Devon

Guide £250,000

Hawkchurch, Devon

Guide £665,000

Moonfleet, Dorset

Guide £1,500,000

Trent, Dorset

Guide £280,000

Coombe Bissett, Wiltshire

Guide £1,400,000

Bridport, Dorset

Guide £1,300,000

Quintessential Grade II Listed cottage set in a countryside setting with views. In all 0.67 acre (0.27 ha),

A 17th century cottage with holiday accommodation set in grounds abutting the Fleet Lagoon.

A large detached property dating back to the 1920s with a separate annexe all set within a generous-sized plot of 4.6 ha.

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A superb character cottage in a semi-rural location with attractive gardens and outbuilding.

A Grade I Listed detached property, occupying a beautiful spot in the centre of a tranquil Dorset village.

Originally two cottages built in circa 1879, now an impressive five-bedroom house.

We put Buyers and Sellers together

Hinton St Mary, Dorset

Guide £835,000

Bridport, Dorset

Weymouth, Dorset

Guide £650,000

Child Okeford, Dorset

Guide £1,100,000

Bridport, Dorset

Guide £795,000

Longburton, Dorset

Guide £700,000

An intriguing Grade II Listed village house with a captivating walled garden.

An impressive, exclusive development of 6 new homes with stunning views over Weymouth Bay.

Detached former Symondsbury Estate cottage with barn set in 2.53 acres.

Guide £700,000

Classic 3/4-bedroom Grade II Listed Georgian townhouse just a few metres of the town centre.

Enjoying a highly desirable position with south and west facing garden and views along the Stour valley.

An attractive family home with high-spec modern finishes as well as characterful touches running throughout.

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We put Buyers and Sellers together

Dorchester, Dorset

Guide £1,300,000

Poundbury, Dorset

Guide £950,000

Charmouth, Dorset

Guide £900,000

Blandford, Dorset

Guide £850,000

Osmington, Dorset

Guide £825,000

Shutespring, Somerset

Guide £775,000

Country house with holiday cottages in a spectacular rural elevated setting, in about 2.5 acres.

Delightful detached four-bedroom house with views to Portland across Lyme Bay.

Individual family home in the heart of this picturesque village close to the Jurassic coast.

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Elegant 5-bedroom villa with double garage and views onto Pavilion Green.

18th century Grade II listed townhouse with a host of original features and walled rear garden.

Versatile chalet-style residence in glorious grounds of 1.12 acres (0.45 hectares).

A Selection of Sales

Whitelackington, Somerset

Guide £350,000

Puckington, Somerset

Guide £400,000

Weymouth

Guide £685,000

Crewkerne, Somerset

Guide £675,000

Set in grounds of just over half an acre, a charming former school house.

A modern architecturally designed home situated at the end of a private gated drive with views towards Radipole Nature Reserve.

We had a seamless service from Symonds & Sampson. The agents were knowledgeable, and helpful and responded to any queries very promptly. Can’t fault them and would recommend them for any property transactions. – Ms P

A charming well-appointed hamstone-built cottage with extensive garden and outbuilding.

A character cottage with an exceptional garden located in a quiet village.

A very friendly and professional team who all know the local area very well. Always very prompt at responding and dealing with queries, and you have the sense they all want the best outcome for their clients. – Ms M

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New Homes A selection of varying styles/sizes of high specification and quality New Homes throughout the stunning countryside, villages and towns across our region.

Successfully selling development land across the area – If you are considering disposing of your development site, or believe your land, barns and buildings to have development potential, we welcome hearing from you in providing our wealth of experience from initial advice through to the planning application approval.

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Blazing Saddles Calton Stockley on why two wheels are better than four

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atching television in the 1970s, my schoolmates were mostly into football programmes such as The Big Match. I, for some reason, was drawn more to motorsport and was glued to World of Sport, Grandstand and coverage of the Grand Prix and British Saloon Car Championships.

Mainly thanks to friends taking summer jobs on the local farms and using the farm bikes to perform stunts and jumps across the fields, by the age of 14 I was hooked by the world of motorbikes.

I soon subscribed to the weekly publication Motorcycle News, dreaming of the day when, at the age of 16, I would be on the road. My parents disapproved, but relented and bought me my first Suzuki TS50ER. Stunt performers including Eddie Kidd, ‘Evel’ Knievel and his son, Robbie, inspired my love of bikes. I even got to meet one of my heroes – my school brought in the motorcycle legend Dave Taylor who, following a successful stunt career, had started a road safety training school.

Despite my passion for motorcycles, I have only owned four, mainly due to being sensible and resigning myself to four wheels while bringing up a family. My latest bike, and the only one still in my ownership, is a Yamaha XT.

Dave Taylor MBE The 70s ‘Wheelie King’ and display riding star rose to even great prominence as a leading campaigner for motorcycle safety, making frequent appearances on TV shows such as Blue Peter. Most famously of all, however, he attempted to wheelie an entire circuit of the Isle of Man TT Mountain course on a Yamaha XT500. The history books are undecided as to whether he was successful (some say he did it, others say he failed), but the feat was achieved by 12-times World Trials champion Dougie Lampkin in 2016 when he was filmed completing the 37.7 mile course on one wheel.

in Las Vegas. He failed, and the crash left him with a crushed pelvis and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist and both ankles, and concussion. Thankfully, he recovered and went on to perform other stunts, including jumping over some 50 cars at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1973.

Robbie Knievel Robbie was born into the business, performing with his father at a Madison Square Garden event at the age of eight.

He would go on to set 20 world records and complete hundreds of ambitious and dangerous jumps, some of them paying tribute to his father’s daredevilry.

In one of his most famous stunts, Knievel successfully jumped the fountains at Caesars Palace, 22 years after his father had failed in his attempt. While Evel used the Harley-Davidson XR-750 motorcycle, Robbie relied on the Honda CR500 motocross bike.

Eddie Kidd Edward Kidd started his career at the age of 14 and holds world records for jumping over cars and buses. He has worked as a stunt double in many films, notably for Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights, Roger Moore and Michael Caine in Bullseye! and Pierce Brosnan in GoldenEye. One of his most famous motorcycle stunts was in the 1979 film Hanover Street starring Harrison Ford. Doubling for Ford on a motorbike, he jumped a 120ft railway cutting at 90mph in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. He also doubled for Val Kilmer in Top Secret!

Evel Knievel Robert Craig Knievel, known professionally as Evel Knievel, was an American stunt performer and entertainer. Throughout his career, he attempted more than 75 rampto-ramp motorcycle jumps. He was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.

One of Knievel’s most famous stunts was an attempt to jump the fountains at Caesars Palace Hotel

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Calton Stockley MNAEA Land and New Homes Manager 01305 251154 cstockley@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Leader of

the Pack James Mckay reports on Pack Monday, Sherborne’s annual street fair

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radition has it that Old Michaelmas Day, which falls on 11 October, marks the start of autumn. In Sherborne, it also starts the countdown to one of our best-loved events – the Pack Monday Fair.

Held on the Monday following Michaelmas, it sees the town’s genteel streets transformed. They throng with traders selling everything from street food, clothes (especially nylon jackets with motifs of wolves), jewellery, and artisan hand-crafted goodies.

People arrive by the busload to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and, as evening draws in, the bright lights of the fun fair attract young and old.

Pack Monday Fair can be traced back to the 15th century, and the most popular story has its origins in the completion of Sherborne Abbey when the workmen ‘packed up’ their tools and celebrated.

In 1859, the Old Shirburnian Society made a vivid description of the town on fair day: “Cheap Street is crowded with country people; the Parade is set up with stalls selling firecrackers, gingerbread and walnuts; Half Moon Street is full of fairground attractions, including ‘The Fat Woman from Yorkshire’, ‘The Pig with Two Heads’ and ‘The Smallest Man in the World’, with swings and stalls and a ‘Quack’ selling pills and powders with which he claims to have cured many people in the town of various diseases; and at Greenhill there is the horse fair, though it is doubtful whether any of the horses ‘would so far tickle the fancy of a Lincolnshire breeder as to induce him even to ask the price’.”

Further back still, a 1792 diary entry from a Sherborne schoolboy, Richard Bellamy, reveals: “In the evening about 7 o’clock I went to the Swan and saw Sieur Richards the Showman perform all sorts of conjuration – a great number of people attended this grand exhibition, a large number of

gentlemen and ladies, and all Mr Cutler’s schoolboys [John Cutler was Headmaster of Sherborne School from 1790 to 1823].

“This Richards performed all sorts of conjuration with the Cards, Cups and Balls and other different things which he did quite clever; he also imitated different kinds of birds. And at the same place we saw a little double-jointed woman, being about 3 feet tall and remarkably strong, this was an American woman. This exhibition lasted about two hours in the whole, and we saw all of it for 6d each, which was very well worth the money.”

It was certainly a big day for the farming community, as Symonds & Sampson’s own catalogue from 15 October 1917 confirms: “2,000 off going Dorset Down Horn and crossbred ewes, wether and chilver lambs, 160 heifers and cows with calves and 150 Shire and well-bred cart sucklers.”

The horses were one of the most important sections and most were used for working the fields. A page is devoted to the pedigree of the sires in service, and many were prizewinners.

Another of Pack Monday’s traditions is Teddy Roe’s Band, who process through the town blowing horns and banging drums to commemorate the workmen marching and making a noise with their tools. Teddy Roe was the foreman of the abbey workers.

If you are passing through the town on that momentous Monday, do embrace the noise and bustle – especially after sunset. Many offices close on Fair day but we stay open even if the food vendor outside plays loud reggae all day. We just love the vibe!

With thanks to https://oldshirburnian.org.uk/

People arrive by the busload to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere

James Mckay Sales Manager 01935 814488 jmckay@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Well and Good Will Tremlett explores the legend of St Augustine’s Well at Cerne Abbas

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visit to Cerne Abbas in Dorset is rarely complete without a look at the Giant, a wander through the delightful streets, and a call into one (or all) of the three pubs in the village. A walk into the graveyard, however, is a rare treat. There you will find St Augustine’s Well and a chance to indulge in the legend, truth and superstitions of this most ancient and sacred spot.

Superstitions As with all holy places, there are many superstitions attached to the well:  If you go down to the well at dawn on Easter Day, you will see reflected in the water the faces of those who will die that year.  Drinking the waters was said to be a cure for infertility, and helpful for those who wish to become pregnant. As the water is full of iron, this is a perfectly logical supposition.  If you pick a laurel leaf, dip it into the water and press it to your eyes, it will cure them of soreness.  It was held to be of benefit to dip a newborn baby in the waters as the sun’s rays first touched them. This could well be part of a total immersion Christian baptism, or even part of a pagan ritual pre-dating Christianity.  The well is also known as a wishing well. Girls were recommended to go there and pray to St Catherine for a husband, turning round three times as they did so. On the hill directly above the well there once stood a chapel dedicated to St Catherine, and down at the well you can see a Catherine wheel carved on the left-hand upright stone flanking the wall.

Whatever you believe, it is worth the stroll. I know I felt a great sense of peace and tranquillity while standing next to the well.

Spooky or what?

Girls were recommended to go there and pray for Legend a husband, turning Legend has it that, while visiting Dorset, St Augustine met some shepherds grazing their round three times as flock and asked them whether they would prefer they did so beer or water to drink.

The temperate shepherds opted for water, so St Augustine is said to have struck the ground with his staff, crying “Cerno el” as the water gushed out.

The words were, supposedly, a variation on Cernel, the old name of the village, and meant “I perceive God”.

Truth It is thought this legend was invented by the Benedictine monks of Cerne Abbey to serve as an attraction for pilgrims. Closer to the truth, probably, is the story of St Edwold, a member of the Mercian royal family, who had a ‘vision’ telling him to visit a silver well.

He went wandering through the countryside on his quest and, when he came to Cerne, gave some silver coins to a shepherd in return for bread and water. The shepherd then showed him a well where he could drink, and St Edwold recognised it as the well of his vision. He built a small hermitage by the spring and lived there until his death in 871.

In 1620 Thomas Gerard wrote in his Survey of Dorsetshire that the well was “heretofore covered with a chapel to St Augustine”.

But the chapel was probably swept away, along with a huge quarry of cut stone and rubble, as Cerne Abbey was demolished following its dissolution during the reign of Henry VIII.

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William Tremlett Sales Manager 01258 473766 wtremlett@symondsandsampson.co.uk

The Lure of Ley Lines Ismay Byrne traces the invisible, mystical pathways believed to criss-cross England

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he picturesque counties that make up the South West boast more than just stunning coastlines and rolling countryside. Beneath the idyllic exterior lies a web of mystique and intrigue in the form of ley lines.

These invisible threads are believed by some to connect significant landmarks, imbuing the landscape with an ancient energy that has captivated the curious for centuries.

While their existence and purpose remain debated, proponents argue that these lines are not mere coincidences, but channels of energy or paths of spiritual significance.

The concept of ley lines gained prominence in the 20th century, attributed to figures such as Alfred Watkins, who first coined the term “ley lines” in the 1920s. Dorset’s rich history and diverse geography provide fertile ground for the exploration of ley lines. The county is home to a wealth of prehistoric sites, including the famous Cerne Abbas Giant, an enormous chalk figure etched into a hillside. Some enthusiasts believe ley lines may have connected these ancient landmarks, serving as pathways for ceremonial or spiritual purposes.

The Cerne Abbas Giant, for instance, aligns with several other ancient sites, creating a web of possible ley lines. Maiden Castle near Dorchester, the church at Holwell, and Knowlton church (a ruined medieval church situated within prehistoric earthworks in Wimborne), are among the sites connected to the Giant.

While these connections remain speculative, they evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity about the hidden relationships that might have shaped Dorset’s landscape.

Despite the scepticism surrounding ley lines, the West Country continues to attract those who are drawn to their mystical allure. Spiritual seekers, history buffs and modern-day pagans are among those who explore the region’s ley line theories and their implications. The intriguing idea of ley lines as conduits of energy or sacred paths resonates deeply with those seeking connections between the tangible world and the unseen forces that may shape it.

Some residents and enthusiasts have taken it upon themselves to map out potential ley line alignments, creating a new layer of exploration for both locals and visitors. This activity not only adds to the folklore of the area but also fosters a sense of community around the shared fascination with ancient mysteries.

West Country ley lines remain a captivating puzzle. Whether as conduits of energy, remnants of ancient ceremonial routes or simply the result of geological and historical coincidences, ley lines have etched themselves into the landscape’s narrative.

As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the past, ley lines stand as a testament to the enduring allure of the unknown, offering a unique lens through which to view the region’s history and its captivating, enigmatic energy.

Proponents argue that these lines are channels of energy or paths of spiritual significance

Ismay Byrne BA (Hons) MARLA Assistant Lettings Manager 01305 571276 ibyrne@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Get ready for an alfresco upgrade with these ideas from Jeremy Smith

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ontemporary sculpture, classical statuette, or characterful gnome – no matter what your taste or budget, outdoor ornamentation can complement your garden’s planting scheme in summer and provide a focal point in winter.

In my job, I see a lot of gardens. The best laid out tend to position their larger garden ornaments or sculptures at the end of a pathway or in the centre of a courtyard to draw the eye.

Decorative pieces can also be used creatively to add interest to an otherwise dull area. But wherever you place yours, it’s important to consider the view from all sides.

One common mistake is to place a large solid structure in a small garden – it can be overpowering, and a piece that you can see through may work better.

Not a fan of sculpture? Large decorative pots can work well, particularly to add interest in winter. If possible, try to position them so they can also be seen and enjoyed from inside your home. And you may like to consider illuminating your pots with soft lighting to accentuate them in the darker evenings.

Once you’ve settled on where your ornaments will sit, it’s time to think about the planting. Species that bring both colour and texture are often a good choice as they can be used to enhance and juxtapose against the harder structures.

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Adding these decorative touches to your garden can be great fun. And whether you like a classical backdrop, something more modern, or pieces that are humorous and ironic, there’s something out there for you.

Jeremy Smith MNAEA Residential Sales Partner, Head of Residential Sales 01935 423526 jsmith@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Athena – a limited edition bronze – simongudgeon.com

Garden Décor

Rental Market Review 2020 to 2023

Insightful analysis of the private rental sector from our Head of Lettings, Rachael James

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have been in the lettings industry for 35 years, and the last three years have been totally unique.

We launch a property to market and, within half an hour, the phones are ringing off the hook and internet viewing requests are up to 20 by the end of the day.

We’ve found that applicants have been offering over the marketing price to secure a home. But it is not all about the highest price; choosing the most suitable tenant for the client, the community and the property is also a key consideration for us.

It’s not just the pandemic that’s been driving demand in our region. Many landlords have been concerned about the impending Renters Reform Bill and the announcement of the abolishment of the ‘no fault’ eviction notice. Add in a strong sales market and the Airbnb boom, and it’s easy to see why rental stocks have diminished.

In 2022, Symonds & Sampson saw 89 lettings properties go to our sales department. It is reassuring that, in 2023, this has slowed with only 26 landlords wanting to sell.

Most landlords now remain optimistic about their investments

and intend to maintain their current property portfolios. Some are now considering expanding their investments. The Renters Reform Bill has been explained in more detail and landlords now realise that the only reason they are unable to give their tenants notice is if they just don’t like them!

Capital investment in their properties has, on average, increased by 20 per cent and rents have increased, again on average by a whopping 34 per cent since 2020.

This also means that rent yields have increased from 3.9 per cent to 4.5 per cent.

As a result, annual rent increases are now essential for longterm tenancies, to ensure the rent charged keeps pace with market rates. Many landlords remain nervous about putting up rents for good tenants and, with the cost of living increasing so significantly, can often feel guilty. Symonds & Sampson’s approach is ‘little and often’ which is a far easier pill to swallow for the tenant than a huge hike in the rent after no increase for years. They are able to budget without too much of an impact on the way they live.

Rental price increases are slowing, but the market remains busy with people having to rely on the private rental sector for their home. The lack of social housing and high interest rates remain the key factors for the demand. The prediction for 2024 is that the market will stabilise.

Rent yields have increased from 3.9% to 4.5%

Rachael James MARLA Partner, Head of Lettings 01258 474265 rjames@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Lettings Jargon Busted Understand the landlord lingo with this handy guide to the most frequently used terms. By Karen Mitchell

Buy to let

FICO

Where a buyer purchases a property specifically to let out; the buyer would then become a landlord.

The Financial Intermediaries and Claims Office is a department of the Inland Revenue responsible for tax for overseas landlords. All overseas landlords must apply to receive income without tax deducted by completing an NRL1. The letting agent will then be given a FICO number.

CO2

ARLA The Association of Residential Letting Agents, the UK’s foremost professional body for letting agents.

Arrears A tenant would be in rent arrears if part or all the rent is not paid within three days of the rent due date.

Carbon monoxide: all rental properties with gas, oil and solid fuel should have a CO2 detector near the boiler or fire.

EICR An Electrical Installation Condition Report is mandatory for all rental properties. It must be completed by a qualified electrician every five years.

Fixed term The agreed minimum fixed term for a tenancy between landlord and tenant.

EPC

AST Assured Shorthold Tenancy: most tenancies would be an AST unless a business or not a main home.

Furniture and furnishings regulations All soft furniture included with a rental property must have a label confirming it complies with safety standards.

Bond Another name for a tenancy/security deposit. The tenant pays this, and it is returned at the end of the tenancy if there are no rent arrears and no damage to the property. The amount is capped at five weeks’ rent.

Break clause This can be inserted into a tenancy agreement to allow a landlord or tenant to end the tenancy before the fixed term, subject to certain terms.

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Energy Performance Certificate: all rental properties must have one at least every 10 years and achieve a rating of E or above.

Fair wear and tear Damage that occurs with normal household usage of a property.

Grounds for possession A landlord may refer to certain grounds for eviction if they wish to apply for possession of their property through the courts.

Guarantor A person who will cover the rent should the tenant be unable to do so.

Holding deposit

Section 8

Paid by a potential tenant to secure a property while references are being checked. A holding deposit is equivalent to one week’s rent.

A notice that can be issued to the tenant for possession if certain terms of the tenancy have not been adhered to.

Section 21

Housing Act tenancy A tenancy that complies with the Housing Acts of 1988 and 1996.

PAT test

Inventory and Schedule of Condition

Portable Appliance Testing: a safety check for all portable electrical appliances, not built in.

A detailed report produced at the start of each tenancy, listing the contents and condition of the property.

Jointly and severally If a tenancy has multiple tenants living in the property, each one is jointly and individually liable for paying the rent and adhering to the conditions of the tenancy.

A notice a landlord or agent can serve a tenant to get possession of a property without giving a reason. At the time of writing, this notice is still available but may soon be abolished and replaced with a notice which must have a reason.

Periodic tenancy A tenancy that has continued beyond the fixed term stated in the agreement.

Permitted occupier A person on the tenancy agreement bound by all the terms of the tenancy other than paying the rent.

Stakeholder A third party or agent responsible for holding a tenant’s deposit.

Landlord Gas Safety Record All gas appliances and flues need to undergo an annual gas safety check – which should always be carried out by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer. Once this has been done, the landlord will be given a Landlord Gas Safety Record with details of all the checks that were carried out

Sublet When a tenant lets part of the property to someone else.

TDS Tenancy Deposit Scheme: all deposits received for an assured shorthold tenancy must be protected in a scheme.

Public liability insurance We check that all our contractors working on rental properties have insurance in place.

Referencing company A company used to confirm a prospective tenant’s references, in most cases a credit check, employment confirmation and current landlord reference.

Utilities The services provided by companies to a property such as gas, electric and water.

Multiple occupation Properties with more than one tenant rented on an individual basis. In most cases a Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence would be required.

Notice period The period which the landlord or tenant must serve on each other to terminate a tenancy.

Parties Everyone related to the tenancy agreement – landlord, tenant and guarantor, if applicable.

Vacant possession A property where the tenant has vacated, and the tenancy has ended.

Renewals At the end of a fixed term tenancy the agent will negotiate between landlord and tenant to arrange for the tenancy to continue on a periodic basis or renew for a fixed term.

Karen Mitchell MARLA Lettings Manager 01935 382903 kmitchell@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Blowin’ in

the Wind

Graham’s unique designs become art in the sky Levi Musselwhite on the enduring appeal of weathervanes

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riving from Blandford to Poole, I always look out for a cottage in Charlton Marshall and its everchanging weathervane. There will be sporting themes, gardening, sailing boats, birds or aircraft, all made by Graham Smith of Dorset Weathervanes.

Graham has more than 38 years’ experience and works closely with his customers to create unique designs which become ‘art in the sky’ and has sent them all over the world.

Like many successful businesses it all started by chance.

He was making a present for his wife, but family and friends also liked the idea of their own exclusive piece and the work started to snowball. To date he has produced more than 14,000 weathervanes.

I always assumed weathervanes were British and part of our obsession with the climate, but they date back to ancient times and may originate from China. They are designed to

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indicate wind direction, aiding in weather prediction and navigation. Although their practical use has waned with modern technology, weathervanes remain popular for their aesthetic appeal and historical significance.

Weathervanes played a crucial role in providing early weather forecasts. Farmers, sailors and townspeople relied on them to gauge wind patterns and anticipate changes in weather conditions. The weathervane’s practical significance is evident in its widespread presence on churches, house roofs and barns.

Although they are no longer used to predict weather they make a great present, and Graham can make a piece to provide the crowning glory to any home.

Give him a call on (01258) 453374 or take a look at his website: weathervanes-direct.co.uk Levi Musselwhite MARLA Lettings Manager 01258 474265 lmusselwhite@symondsandsampson.co.uk

A Local Boy Done Good A trip to London inspired Rachael James to discover more about one of Wiltshire’s most famous sons

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was meeting a client at The London Office but had a few hours to kill, so I took the opportunity to visit St Paul’s Cathedral as I wanted to see the crypt and Horatio Nelson’s tomb. It is located under the centre of the dome, and the chamber is magnificent.

It was a modest stone plaque, however, that also drew my attention – a memorial to the architect Sir Christopher Wren – with the Latin inscription (I was grateful for my guidebook) which reads: “If you seek a monument – look around you.” St Paul’s is quite a monument, and it inspired me to research this great man.

It was a dangerous time to show allegiance to the King – the English Civil War was soon to tear the country apart – but, lucky enough to be too young for battle, Wren junior was able to complete his studies.

In 1661 he became Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, Oxford. By 1666, his interests had turned to architecture and, in the spring of that year, he made his first design for a dome for St Paul’s. It was accepted in principle in late August. One week later, the Great Fire of London destroyed two-thirds of the city, so his plans were put on hold.

In 1669, Wren was appointed the King’s Surveyor of Works. It was clear that St Paul’s Cathedral, along with several churches, would need to be completely rebuilt – paid for by a new tax on coal. And while all this was under way, Wren also stood for Parliament. He was elected MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis in 1701 – clearly an exceptional man.

Looking around St Paul’s, and later viewing it from across the Thames at Tate Modern, it is one of the most iconic buildings in the city.

Wren was asked to design something that was “handsome and noble to all the ends of it and to the reputation of the city and the nation”.

The importance of the building is perhaps summed up by the national events that have taken place there: state funerals for Nelson and Wellington, jubilee services for Queen Victoria, George V, Elizabeth II, and the wedding of Charles and Diana.

Sir Christopher Wren died at the age of 90, leaving behind a great architectural legacy. For a local Wiltshire boy, he did alright!

I was delighted to learn that Christopher Wren was born in East Knoyle

I was delighted to learn that Christopher Wren was a local boy: born in East Knoyle, Wiltshire, in 1632. His father was the rector of the village and later became Dean of Windsor.

Rector Wren left a unique and lasting legacy to East Knoyle by designing beautiful alabaster murals for the church – they still illuminate the chancel today.

Rachael James MARLA Partner, Head of Lettings 01258 474265 rjames@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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A Selection of Lettings

Winfrith Newburgh, Dorchester

Poundbury

Ilminster

Yeovil

Nr Stalbridge

Poole

Three bedroom barn conversion with garden, garage and parking, situated in sought after village..

A lovely three-bedroom mews terraced cottage set in the popular village of Barrington.

Beautifully converted barn with four generous bedrooms and a large kitchen/living space overlooking the Blackmore Vale.

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One bedroom ground floor apartment with parking space, located within walking distance of Queen Mother Square.

Individual four-bedroom barn conversion on the edge of Yeovil with beautiful country views.

A modern four bedroom town house spread over four floors, recently refurbished with immaculate presentation, close to Poole Quay.

We put Landlords and Tenants together

Winterborne Zelston

Fontmell Magna

Milton On Stour, Gillingham

Milborne St Andrew

Shillingstone, Blandford

Lyme Regis

Substantial four storey modern family home standing in attractive gardens with views over the surrounding countryside.

Immaculate five bedroom property set in the heart of the village with good sized gardens backing onto farmland.

Substantial four bedroom Victorian farmhouse with many original character features set in generously sized gardens within a conservation area close to the River Stour.

Charming end of terraced three-bedroom modern thatched cottage offering a beautiful sunroom, well fitted kitchen and large garden.

Pretty two-bedroom cob and brick cottage adjoining a former water mill with large lawned gardens.

A unique recently built six bedroom property with spectacular sea views across the famous Jurassic Coastline.

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The Best Time

to Downsize

Tempted to find somewhere more manageable, that’s closer to amenities and within cooee of the kids? David Price has the advice you need

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client I have known for many years asked me to visit her just after her husband’s funeral. My job was to value the house and contents for probate purposes, but also to discuss her future at the property.

They had been at the house for 45 years and seen their family grow up. They had a mountain of memories – births, birthdays, engagements, weddings and anniversaries, followed by grandchildren’s christenings and the wheel turns again. It was going to be an emotional sale but the house, while being a good size with six bedrooms, would need some maintenance and the three-acre gardens and grounds would be expensive to maintain now that the widow had to buy in help.

This is familiar ground to me. Whenever there is a death the surviving spouse, in a rush of energy, wants to make immediate plans to move to something smaller and more manageable. My advice, however, is to wait and see how you feel after a period of mourning. Losing a partner is one thing, but then losing all homely familiarity is something else and it can be like a double bereavement.

There is then the family to consider. The children will have special memories of their formative years and will need a period to mentally prepare for losing their family home, even if they have not lived there for many years.

Even if husband and wife are still together, downsizing can be an upheaval. I often meet people who want to move closer to the grandchildren but, when there are siblings, which ones do they move closest to? Cue weeping and wailing from the child who has always felt left out, and Christmases are never the same again.

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I am often asked if there is a good time to move to a smaller, more manageable property and I always suggest it should be while you are young enough to establish yourself in the community, enjoy the property, and craft the garden to your taste.

Some people, having enjoyed their earlier years with a big garden, find a move to something with a ‘postage stamp’ quite liberating. The house does not have to be too small and can be filled with family on high days but also locked up and left when a cruise beckons.

Negotiating with children and breaking the news that the family home will be going can be delicate, but it is sometimes better to discuss when everyone is compos mentis rather than the children having the heartbreaking conversation while clutching a power of attorney.

The surviving spouse, in a rush of energy, wants to make plans to move to something smaller

David Price MNAEA Sales Manager 01258 452670 dprice@symondsandsampson.co.uk

A Churchwarden’s Lament

Ross Willmington offers a prayer for the future of the rural church

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great deal of my spare time is taken up with various voluntary roles. Having now served 15 seasons as an MFH (master of foxhounds) and approaching eight years as churchwarden of my village church, St Winifred’s in Branscombe, I am not sure which position is more demanding; both bring great joy, fun, friendship and, to a lesser degree, some stress and that constant fear that you have forgotten something!

Nearly every village has a parish church, most are stunning buildings that have stood for many hundreds of years. These buildings are architecturally very significant, listed Grade I or II, and have been at the centre of village life forever. I am rather biased, but St Winifred’s is one of the oldest and finest churches in Devon with many interesting and rare features; if you are visiting the village, it is well worth a look.

However, the lack of ‘bums on seats’ for regular services and the heavy financial burden of maintaining these often-vast historic buildings means that the future of the rural church is now under threat. Our Rector, like others throughout the country, now ministers and cares for six parishes and works extremely hard juggling a bulging diary and a massive workload.

The church festivals such as Easter, Harvest and Christmas, bring larger numbers of worshippers and, of course, everybody wants their village church there for important life events such baptisms, weddings and funerals. These events are the lifeblood of any rural church and truly bring villagers together.

Sadly, there are few of my generation attending church regularly. I have constant concerns that if people don’t soon realise the challenges facing the (generally) older villagers who sit on their local PCCs (parochial church councils) and run their parish churches, that within our lifetime there will be no village church in which to celebrate weddings and christenings or mourn loved ones. The village church is not just a building, it is the community that worships inside – it is fellowship, companionship and the ever so important pastoral care that the vicar and church provide in each of its parishes.

We live in a busy world with 24-hour news, seemingly increasingly stressful workplaces, and mobile phones that never let us relax properly. Anxiety and mental health problems affect growing numbers of our younger generations. For me, my hour or so at church each Sunday – singing hymns in the choir, listening to Bible readings and the vicar’s weekly sermon – is a chance to step back from the realities of modern life, to have some ‘head space’, and I always leave church feeling brighter and ready for the week ahead.

I pray that our village churches have a future. These most special of places deserve our care so that the next generation can enjoy them, to gather and celebrate, to mourn or just take some time to reset and refresh their minds. Amen.

The village church is not just a building, it is the community that worships inside

Ross Willmington DipAgFM MRAC Partner 01297 33122 rwillmington@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Do Gundogs Make Good Pets?

Yes, says Lucy Nolan… with the correct training for the dog and owner

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undogs were originally bred to work in the field to either find and flush live game or retrieve game that had been shot. The gundog category is split into groups – retrievers, spaniels, pointers and setters, and hunt point retrievers (HPRs).

Over the years, gundog breeds, together with the introduction of gundog crossbreeds, have become increasingly popular as pets. It is no surprise that the labrador retriever, English cocker spaniel, golden retriever and cockapoo rank among the most popular breeds in the UK. Gundog breeds are highly intelligent, full of energy and are born with natural working abilities. However, this does raise the question: are they suitable as domestic pets?

The answer is yes, but they also require the right level of training to keep them stimulated and happy in a home environment.

I share my home with two working cocker spaniels, Bella and Penelope. They are very much pets in that they enjoy walks in the countryside and visits to the pub, and they accompany us on our holidays. During the shooting season, you will also find them working alongside me in the beating line at our local shoot. They are what we refer to as a “pet gundog”.

With the correct training of both the owner and dog, gundog breeds do make brilliant pets. The key to success above anything else is ensuring the relationship between human and dog is harmonious and always kept in balance.

Gundogs breeds often have powerful characters and the owner needs to learn to harness the natural intrinsic behaviour of the dog to achieve the best possible outcome for their companion. This is where pet gundog training comes in.

Rather than fighting against the natural instincts of the dog, tried and tested pet gundog training allows you to work with them. As an accredited pet gundog instructor, I educate owners and equip them with the knowledge of how best to motivate their dog and achieve success, regardless of whether the dog is to remain a faithful pet, is entering competitions or if the dog is going to work on a shoot.

While ensuring we make the training fun for both handler and dog, we focus on building new core skills such as heel work, recall, hunting, retrieving, steadiness, and whistle conditioning. As a result, you will have a trained dog that is happy, obedient and a pleasure to be around. There are so many benefits to pet gundog training, and the most rewarding is the bond that develops between owner and dog.

The key to success is ensuring the relationship between human and dog is kept in balance

Lucy Nolan MARLA Lettings Partner 01305 571276 lnolan@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Deadly Cargo Weymouth was on the frontline of one of history’s deadliest pandemics, writes Jan Merriott

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he Black Death that swept through Europe from 1347 to 1351 entered through the then major port of Weymouth. This devastated the English population and with no one left to do the work this heralded the beginning of the end of a form of bonded slavery, serfdom. Out of abject misery and death we got social mobility!

Most historians now think the Black Death was a highly infectious disease known as bubonic plague and the first recorded outbreak was in central Asia in the early part of the 1300s. From there, the disease seems to have travelled along the trade route known as the Silk Road, reaching Kaffa in the Crimea on the Black Sea in 1343.

In the summer of 1348 a ship arrived at Weymouth port but the crew were unaware that, along with their goods, the ship was carrying a deadly cargo: the Black Death. Within a few days, hundreds of men, women and children would be infected.

Within a few months, around one-third of the population of England would be dead.

Its arrival was documented in the Greyfriars’ Chronicle: “In this year 1348 in Melcombe, in the county of Dorset, a little before the feast of St John the Baptist, two ships, one of them from Bristol came alongside. One of the sailors had brought with him from Gascony the seeds of the terrible pestilence and through him the men of that town of Melcombe were the first in England to be infected.”

Weymouth may have suffered the first casualties but not the last, as it is estimated that 40 to 60 per cent of the English population died. It is believed there were six million people in England – mainly in the countryside as the city of London was much smaller with only 70,000 inhabitants. It devasted the rural community and the plague, carried by fleas from rats, would kill a person within a few days.

With a shortage of labour, especially on farms, workers were able to demand higher wages, but Edward III set pay at preplague levels and this contributed to the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381 which has shaped the social history of the country.

All these years later, children still sing the rhyme Ring-a-ring o’ Roses or Ring Around the Rosie – the “rosie” being the rash that appeared on the skin of those infected, the stench of which then needed concealing with a “pocket full of posies”.

Did we learn from this terrible plague? In the 15th century, laws were introduced so people and goods from infected places were quarantined, there were bans on public gatherings, and enforced household quarantining. Sounds familiar…

One of the sailors had brought with him from Gascony the seeds of the terrible pestilence

Jan Merriott BSc. MRICS Commercial Manager 01305 261008 jmerriott@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Are you ready for your market

rent review?

Making rent adjustments during the lease term can be fraught with difficulty. Ryan Holmes shares his advice for landlords and tenants

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ent reviews are part and parcel of commercial property leases. Usually, rent review clauses are agreed as part of the initial lease negotiations with an incoming tenant, and are scheduled to take place at regular intervals during the term of the lease.

For the most part, once a rent review is instigated it means an increase in rent is due. As a result, a market rent review is a potential point of contention between a landlord and tenant, where the opinion of the appropriate market rent is often disputed between the two parties.

This can negatively affect the landlord/ tenant relationship by eroding goodwill and introducing an element of mistrust. In such cases, it is prudent for each party to each engage the services of an experienced surveyor to negotiate the review on their behalf.

A surveyor who is active in the local market will have access to relevant market evidence and should also be aware of local factors likely to influence the rent for that particular commercial property, thereby eliminating potential points of conflict and taking the emotion out of the negotiations.

Although in some sectors, such as the retail and office markets, market rents have come down or remained static for a number of years in the UK, in some sectors, such as industrial property, rates have been rising.

No tenant wants to pay a higher rent and I have found that, in most cases, landlords are sympathetic to the challenges tenants face, particularly during difficult or uncertain economic times. But it’s important to remember that the increasing cost of finance, energy and staff mean landlords also have their own set of challenges.

Examples of sympathetic landlords abound, through the relatively recent credit crunch in 2008 and more recently during the Covid-19 pandemic, where a significant proportion of commercial landlords entered into reduced rental arrangements with their tenants to help see them through difficult circumstances. Sadly, these instances tend to go unreported.

During the review process, the key questions most prudent landlords consider are whether their tenants represent value for money and are sufficiently prepared for the financial change post-review. If either of these principles is compromised simply for the sake of a rent increase, it tends to follow that the relationship between landlord and tenant deteriorates, the tenant’s business is compromised or, in extreme cases, both.

I don’t know many landlords who do well out of their commercial property investments when their tenants are suffering hardship, and a short-term increase in rent may have a detrimental effect on the longterm viability of the business.

We are seeing a developing trend where lease terms are negotiated for the rent to be index-linked, either by reference to the change in Retail Price Index (RPI) or Consumer Price Index (CPI). The rent is still reviewed in line with inflation at intervals – usually annually, every three years, or every five years, depending on the length of the lease – and the basis of the review is set in the terms of the lease.

This type of review is not usually contentious and is often a simple way for both landlord and tenant to prepare well in advance of a review date. The reviewed rent is calculated using independent data provided by the Office for National Statistics and provides a sensible basis on which to review the rent while avoiding the potential for conflict between the parties.

At Symonds & Sampson we have a team of experienced surveyors who are able to provide advice to help both landlords and tenants understand the rent review process and protect their respective business interests.

It is prudent for each party to each engage an experienced surveyor to negotiate on their behalf

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Ryan Holmes DipSurvPract AssocRICS MARLA Commercial Partner 01305 261008 rholmes@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Commercial Highlights 2023

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hen we were asked to put together a collection of our commercial department’s 2023 highlights for publication in Country Matters 2024, it got us thinking… when we were much younger the highlights of the year were invariably made up of the biggest deals, biggest properties or the biggest fees earned on a job. As the years pass, however, we have come to realise that these are not always the most memorable. In our maturity we now find that transactions that have a positive impact on the community, those that help individuals realise their full potential, deals that actually improve the fabric of an area or simply memorable moments that exemplify the human condition are much better remembered.

Jan Merriott recalls one of his most memorable moments in years gone by, “Tripping over whilst straddling an electric fence on a valuation early in my career was pretty unforgettable. My hair stood up for about a week after!” He also recalls innocently asking an aesthetics lady to describe the procedure involved for her “colonic irrigation clinic” before it was a “thing”. Apparently, his shocked facial expression was a dead ringer for one of her patients during the actual procedure, according to his very funny (and brave) client.

Ryan Holmes recollects a significant moment in his career, when a few years ago he was tasked with carrying out a valuation of a property that was clearly being used as an unauthorised filming location for explicit “off market” productions. The set wasn’t in use at the time, but the collection of unconventional movie props at the property gave the game away. He was accompanied by a younger apprentice surveyor who quit the industry shortly afterwards, not to become a film star we would add!

Dorset Business Park, Winterborne Kingston

The letting of 3 blocks of buildings at Dorset Business Park in February 2023 totalling approximately 64,500 sq ft of storage and distribution warehousing

The Botany Bay Inne, Winterborne Zelston The letting of a wellknown public house at Winterborne Zelston, near Blandford Forum in December 2023.

Modbury Farm Shop, Burton Bradstock

The letting of a successful farm shop at Burton Bradstock, following the retirement of the previous owners, completed in June 2023.

Glenmore Business Park, Yeovil

The letting of two units at the recently constructed Glenmore Business Park in Yeovil, Somerset

Sales: Parkway Farm Business Park, Poundbury

The sale of an incomeproducing commercial property investment at Poundbury, Dorchester in December 2023.

Cheap Street, Sherborne

The sale of a prominent property in Sherborne, with over 12 metres of retail frontage, agreed in December 2023

Monument View, Chelston Business Park, Wellington

The sale of a modern light industrial business unit on the well-established Chelston Business Park in Wellington, agreed in May 2023.

Sunrise Business Park, Blandford

The sale of a modern business unit on the popular Sunrise Business Park in Blandford, agreed in August 2023.

Lorna Wyatt, a rising star in the commercial property management world, qualified as an Associate member of the RICS in the summer of 2023, adding to her impressive range of skills and qualifications as a management surveyor.

In commercial agency terms, 2023 was unfortunately a year blighted with rising interest rates and a tough commercial market, but we still witnessed some encouraging activity and we were lucky enough to be involved in a wide range of commercial transactions across five counties in the south west.

Further highlights included an off-market transaction, where we acted as agents in the disposal of the former Porter Dodson offices in High West Street, Dorchester in a deal that strengthens its position as a residential location, repurposing these beautiful Georgian properties. A recent letting for Bob Mogridge (RM Mogridge Contracting Ltd) to Van Demons in Henstridge Marsh was also a highlight. We sold the site to Bob many years ago, he redeveloped it for his use and after many successful years of trading from the location Bob called us back to finish the job, so that he can retire. This transaction was so much more satisfying than letting another office block to another IT company…. even if the fee is smaller!

Here is a collection of some of the more memorable deals we were involved in through 2023, with an emphasis on the wide range of commercial property transactions and the different areas our commercial offices cover.

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Set in Stone

Above the village on Batcombe Hill in Dorset stands a small stone pillar with a big story, as Caroline Childs Chaffey reports

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ut your hand upon that stone hand, and swear that you will never tempt me – by your charms or ways.”

So says Alec d’Urberville to Tess when they reach a stone pillar called the crossin-hand and, if it had not been already, her fate was sealed.

Tess of the d’Urbervilles is one of Thomas Hardy’s best known novels. It tells the sad story of a beautiful dairy maid who meets the aristocratic Alec. He claims the pillar is a “holy cross” but turn a few pages and a shepherd suggests to Tess: “Tis a thing of ill-omen, Miss. It was put up in wuld times by the relations of a malefactor who was tortured there by nailing his hand to a post and afterwards hung. The bones lie underneath. They say he sold his soul to the devil, and that he walks at times.”

This all leads to more tragedy and… well, I won’t spoil the ending.

The story takes the reader on a trip around Dorset and the wider West Country: Marnhull, the Blackmore Vale, River Frome, Bere Regis, Pentridge, Beaminster, Doles Ash Farm at Plush, and finally Bournemouth and Stonehenge.

All are worth a trip, but the cross-inhand, a grade II listed single stone within an enclosure, may be more difficult to find. It is on the Holywell to Minterne Magna road just west of High Stoy (if you like exact locations, it’s 50° 49′ 57″ N, 2° 31′ 25″ W). The views alone are worth the trip. On a clear day, you can see the Mendips, Quantocks and as far as Exmoor.

Legend has it that the shape of a hand was carved on the stone, but ancientmonuments.uk has another explanation. The website says that wayside crosses are one of several types of Christian cross erected during the medieval period, mostly from the 9th to 15th centuries AD. In addition to serving the function of reiterating and reinforcing the Christian faith among those who passed the cross, and of reassuring the traveller, wayside crosses often fulfilled a role as waymarkers, especially in difficult and otherwise unmarked terrain.

Whatever you believe, it may be unwise to swear an oath with your hands pressed on the top. You just never know!

The views alone are worth the trip. On a clear day you can see the Mendips, Quantocks and Exmoor

Caroline Childs-Chaffey MNAEA Sales Manager 01308 863100 ccc@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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The Devil Wears

Grab your gilet, Jane Moir has the tips you need for the perfect country-set look

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Schöffel gilet is presently as de rigueur to a student at the Royal Agricultural or Harper Adams University as a tweed jacket was to a land agent.

The unofficial country uniform has enjoyed many guises over the years. The Guernsey jumper, Barbour jacket and Hunter wellies were all a staple in the wardrobe or, more likely, the back of the car in the 1980s. They still are, although you can except today’s cry of: “I’ll just get my Barbour and wellies” to mean an expensive pair of Le Chameau on the feet.

Fashions change and it is Schöffel’s time to be in the limelight. When we decided to offer branded gilets to the agricultural team at Symonds & Sampson, we had a muted response: “What make are you thinking about?” People would not put any old gilet on their backs – it had to be a certain brand. So why does it have to be a Schöffel?

The Schöffel company is not new.

It was founded in 1804 in Bavaria, but really came to the attention of British customers

when they teamed up with Bradshaw Taylor in the 1990s.

Their range of shooting coats and country clothing incorporates the combined expertise of Asprey’s of New Bond Street, Farlows of Pall Mall, and James Purdey & Son of Mount Street, so there is an immediate upmarket feel to their name.

There is more than snob value to the wellworn gilet, and wearers refer to the softness of the fleece and cut of the material. It has also hit the time when layering is all the rage.

Conversations at a cold, wet and windy point to point often include enquiries about how many layers we are wearing and, of course, someone could be Schöffeled up to the eyeballs.

Will this popularity last or is it a phase? Readers of a certain vintage will remember the 1980s when Laura Ashley’s silk taffeta gowns ruled the dance floor at every ball. Her collection also included the more casual flower-patterned skirts and pie-crust collar blouses which may still be found at the back of a drawer. Get them out, girls, because they are back!

A Brora catalogue landed on my door mat and it seems flowery prints and Lady Di collars are back in fashion. I bet it will look fantastic under a Schöffel gilet!

There is more than snob value to the well-worn gilet

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#established1858

AUCTIONS Energetic and bold, our tenacious, ‘terrierlike’ Auctioneers know how to work a room of potential buyers. Barking enthusiastically, hunting for the highest bidder, they ensure a bespoke, transparent, and professional service for all their customers.

Versatile, adept, and excelling in all types of auction sales, they are eager to be involved in whatever’s going, going, on!

Property Auction

Highlights from 2023 Most Legal Pack Downloads

Most distant lots

Wesper Farmhouse, Sturminster Newton 76 interested parties, 66 pack downloads (1,320 individual documents) The guide price was £325,000 and it sold for £452,000,

Highest sale price

Furthest bidder We sold 130 acres in 4 lots at Catsgore near Somerton including 14 acres of cricket bat willows. The combined sale price was £1,546,000.

Highest price for bricks and mortar

A telephone bidder took part in our March auction and bid for a property from 11,449 miles away (Auckland, New Zealand),

Best renovation project

Birchwood Road Parkstone for Salisbury Diocese. A house and building plot £1,000,000.

Lowest sale price

A substantial Edwardian property in Merriefield Drive in Broadstone required considerable work.

Sold prior to auction for £835,000 (guide £750,000),

Most unusual land lot A site for two garages in Redruth, Cornwall sold for £10,000,

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A two bedroom bungalow near Praa Sands in Penzance, Cornwall and; Handless Cottage near Lydbury North Shropshire a derelict cottage with lovely views.

Just under 300 miles distant from one another,

Brownsea Road in Sandbanks a small area of scrubland with Tree Preservation Orders.

Guide £90,000 sold £120,000,

Best commercial lot

Most historic and remote Mollies ice cream kiosk, on the front at Lyme Regis sold 106% above guide.

Most interest from London Dairy House, Trent on behalf of The Ernest Cook Trust sold 44% above guide.

Most London bidders

1 Lower Sturthill Cottage, Burton Bradstock - an offgrid cottage with land formerly used in films.

115 people viewed and the sale price was 80% above guide.

Most registered bidders 43 registered to bid for a former Scout Hut in Colehill, Wimborne which we sold for The National Trust. It sold for 240% above the guide.

Best building plot A commercial unit on the ground floor, planning for three flats and a hidden townhouse in Cheap Street Sherborne. The London buyers lost out to a local family.

Biggest auction

A plot in Holwell near Sherborne with outline consent for one dwelling –sold for 53% above guide.

Best view In July we offered 33 lots across Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, and Shropshire.

We also held our largest December auction – 31 lots and raising over £6 million for our clients.

Most interesting wreck

2 Whitenothe Cottages, an off-grid coastguard cottage near Ringstead Bay and close to Old Daggers Gate Road.

Amazing coastal views and accessed via either the South West Coast Path or a 4x4.

Most beautiful house The Chantry in Trent, near Sherborne - next to the parish church and Grade I listed.

Marlborough House Westbury Wiltshire – A Grade II Listed Queen Anne property in the town centre.

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The West Country

in London If you know where to look, the capital has some very familiar place names, writes Kirsty Simpson

Devonshire Row and Devonshire Square Named after the Cavendish family, Dukes of Devonshire, who owned a house near here in the 1600s. The Cavendish family estates are actually centred around Derbyshire (most famously Chatsworth House), but the first Earl may have chosen the Devonshire name because the land he was associated with was already attached to other peerages.

House prices: A leasehold flat sold for £725,000 in August 2023.

Salisbury Court near Fleet Street

Home of the Bishops of Salisbury, prior to the Reformation.

House prices: An apartment sold in July 2023 for £940,000.

Somerset House

Cornwall Terrace Built in the Greco-Roman style, the grade I listed terrace of mansions overlooks Regent’s Park.

House prices: At the time of writing, a six-bedroom leasehold (142 years remaining) terrace is on the market for £25m – and has been since February 2022.

On the Strand at the corner of Aldwych and Drury Lane is a Georgian quadrangle built on the site of a Tudor palace originally owned by the 1st Duke of Somerset, Edward Seymour, brother of Jane Seymour third wife of Henry VIII. Seymour was in the process of building a palatial residence when he died in 1552. The building was eventually remodelled in the early 1800s and is now promoted as the home of cultural innovators.

House prices: A flat near Drury Lane sold for £1.5m in May 2023.

Kirsty Simpson Senior Residential Sales Manager 01460 200790 ksimpson@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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2024 Auctions Auction

Thursday 22 February 2024 at 2:00pm Digby Hall, Sherborne

Auction

Thursday 20 June 2024 at 2:00pm Digby Hall, Sherborne

Auction

Thursday 7 November 2024 at 2:00pm Digby Hall, Sherborne

Auction

Thursday 21 March 2024 at 2:00pm Digby Hall, Sherborne

Auction

Thursday 25 July 2024 at 2:00pm The Memorial Hall, Sherborne

Auction

Wednesday 11 December 2024 at 2:00pm Digby Hall, Sherborne

Auction

Thursday 18 April 2024 at 2:00pm Digby Hall, Sherborne

Auction

Thursday 19 September 2024 at 2:00pm The Memorial Hall, Sherborne

Auction

Thursday 16 May 2024 at 2:00pm The Guildhall, Axminster

Auction

Thursday 3 October 2024 at 2:00pm The Guildhall, Axminster

Entries Welcomed Mark Lewis – Senior Partner and Auctioneer 01258 473766 Meredith Holmes – Head of Auctions 01202 843190 Graham Barton – Auctioneer Devon and Cornwall 01297 33122

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Piercing

the Stone Graham Barton enjoys a detour of discovery in St Ives

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was in Cornwall recently, securing an auction instruction, and had some spare time so I visited the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden in St Ives.

One of the few women artists to achieve international prominence, she worked in the Trewyn studios from 1949 until her death in 1975. It is well worth a look.

Barbara Hepworth came to live in Cornwall with her husband and their young family at the outbreak of war in 1939. As a contemporary of Henry Moore and Richard Bedford, she became a leading figure in the ‘new movement’ associated with ‘direct carving’, and moved towards abstraction and the piercing of the block which became such a hallmark.

Hepworth was especially active within, and on behalf of, the modernist artistic community in St Ives during its period of post-war international prominence. Her experience of the Cornish landscape was acknowledged in her choice of titles

for her pieces – Galliard, Porthmeor, Trevalgan and Bryher.

With her long-standing friend, the potter Bernard Leach, she was awarded the Freedom of St Ives in 1968 as an acknowledgement of her importance to the town. Tragically, just seven years later she was killed in a terrible fire at her studio-home; she was 72.

If you are in the vicinity, a visit to the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden is a must.

The garden was laid out by Hepworth with help from a friend, and many of the sculptures are in the positions in which the artist herself placed them. I am glad I took the detour and hope you do too.

Many of the sculptures are in the positions in which the artist herself placed them

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Graham Barton MRICS Auctioneer and Surveyor 01297 33122 gbarton@symondsandsampson.co.uk

Are you a Prudent Buyer?

Auctions present exciting opportunities but there are pitfalls for the unwary, warns Meredith Holmes

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here are several benefits to purchasing a property at auction – speed, transparency, certainty and the potential to pick up a project at a good price.

Auction lots can offer you great renovation or development projects and the opportunity to buy something special and, often, unique.

While offering many advantages for the proficient purchaser, the auction process for an inexperienced bidder can be confusing, daunting… and sometimes dangerous.

The fast pace of the auction process means it is crucial for bidders to carry out their due diligence and arrange their finances in plenty of time.

On auction day, on the fall of the hammer, contracts are exchanged, and the purchase becomes legally binding. Completion usually takes place 20 business days later and, if a buyer fails to complete, they will likely lose their 10 per cent deposit and will be liable for any losses incurred by the seller.

If a prospective buyer requires a mortgage, they must move quickly to ensure their unconditional mortgage offer is obtained prior to the auction.

As well as arranging funding in advance, it is imperative to instruct a solicitor to inspect the legal documents.

A legal pack contains paperwork relating to the property including searches, title documents and pre-contract information together with the special conditions of sale and details of any additional fees. Each pack is made available at least three weeks prior to the auction to allow ample time for any pre-contract enquiries to be raised.

It is important to download the auction catalogue and the sales particulars and to check the agent’s notes for material information or details of any title defects affecting the property.

The auctioneer will make an announcement reiterating any defects or issues prior to the lot being offered, but a prudent buyer will already be aware.

The catalogue contains auction notes and the auction terms and conditions which must be read carefully. You will be required to agree to the auction terms and conditions when registering to bid. The auction notes refer to the special conditions of sale and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ common auction conditions.

As well as conducting background research, it is advisable for a prospective purchaser to arrange at least one physical viewing of the property before auction day and, if required, a survey.

If you are an auction novice, it is sensible to attend a sale before taking part. The bidding is fast-paced and can be overwhelming as a first-timer. Be careful not to get carried away, and always have a maximum bid in mind.

If you are not confident bidding in the room, you can register to bid online, by phone or by proxy whereby a member of staff will bid on your behalf up to a preagreed maximum.

A prudent buyer will follow the above steps to ensure they are purchasing in full knowledge of the property and with a good understanding of the obligations and expectations should they be successful. Remember, if you attend an auction having not done your research, you bid at your peril! Once the hammer falls, there is no going back.

If you are not confident bidding in the room, you can register to bid online, by phone or by proxy

Meredith Holmes MNAEA ANAVA Head of Auctions 01202 843190 mholmes@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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A Short and

Curly Tale Need an entertaining read over a cup of tea?

Settle in for an almost true story.

B

obby Sowden’s address was ‘The Farm’ – not Manor Farm, Home Farm, just The Farm. He lived with his spinster sister in spartan conditions in the middle of a beautiful Somerset village. His near derelict house was juxtaposed between manicured lawns and roses–around–door cottages and many people who did not bother to get to know him mistook him for the village idiot, but he was far from this. Eccentric maybe but certainly not an idiot.

Although Bobby had been approached many times to sell for development, he, his sister, and their pigs remained – and this was the sticking, or stinking, point with the village. The smell of pigs can be strong, especially if the wind is in the wrong direction, but at The Farm it wasn’t so much the pigs, but the pig dung! Kept on straw in stone barns around the yard, they were mucked out regularly. But the dung heap in winter got larger until the clay based fields were dry enough to withstand a tractor tyre or, more accurately, until Bobby could be bothered to stir up the village by filling his dung cart and driving down the street to his land.

Bobby was well read and articulate, although to look at him you wouldn’t think he had a penny to his name. Always the same jacket and trousers and what I once took to be a flowery tie until I realised that it was covered in last night’s supper, with a shirt to match.

Bobby was not malicious, but if people in the village annoyed him, he would become forgetful. He would forget it was antisocial to spread dung on Sundays or he would accidentally leave his gate open so that a few pigs would wander into a neighbour’s garden, and that is when the solicitor’s letters started.

Bobby saw me in the Market and told me his tale of woe. I had heard all about it soon after he ignored the first of the legal letters, or probably even before that, as he was a major talking point in the Market. Our local feed merchant, often a good source of information, once told me the local Council insisted on Bobby installing a bathroom before they would pay a grant to mend the roof. A bathroom was duly fitted and, when the feed merchant arrived with his bags of pig nuts, Bobby insisted on showing off his ‘modern’ sanitation by flushing and re-flushing the lavatory. After the prolonged demonstration, he wanted the sacks of feed emptied into the bath! More convenient than the shed, apparently.

Bobby wanted to fight the neighbours but a lifetime of working on the farm had worn out his bones and there was now no alternative and the pigs were going. We agreed to auction them on the farm and drew up a catalogue of the herd – which ones were in pig – how close to farrowing – how many piglets in the litter. Getting the information was impossible. Bobby was far too emotional to talk about the sale and, as he was not on the phone, it meant several trips to the farm.

For all Bobby’s unorthodox appearance, his pigs were extremely healthy

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When I say he was not on the phone, this was not strictly true. A public phone box was immediately outside Bobby’s kitchen window. The system was to ring the number of the phone box and Bobby or his sister would, hopefully, hear the bell and they would come out of the house around the gate into the street and pick up the receiver.

Needless to say, you had to let the phone ring for a long time and invariably a passerby would answer and then hunt for one of them – usually quite easily as Bobby’s sister never seemed to leave The Farm. It might sound quaint, but it was incredibly frustrating.

In the end the catalogue was done and sale day arrived.

Usually, a great effort is made to tidy up when a sale is held, but the farm was presented in its working clothes, every pitchfork out of place and, of course, the inevitable dung heap!

The crowd of people attending on the day was enormous. Many appeared out of curiosity as Bobby’s legend was well known, but most people arrived to buy. For all Bobby’s unorthodox appearance, his pigs were extremely healthy and whenever he sold them at Market they flourished when taken to their new home, having already picked up immunity to every modern disease.

As the village clock struck 11, I turned to my client and asked him if he was ready. He went over to his tractor, put some axle grease on his hands, ran them through his grey hair and with resignation wandered, head bowed, to the sale ring. I felt like the executioner as I rang the bell to call the buyers.

We had a system of gates which we moved from each loose box so that a race was formed to get the pigs into the ring. They were turned around and then exited through a gate into a spare building. Moving pigs is not the easiest task and boards had to

be used which meant there was inevitably delays as each lot come snorting and squealing into the ring.

Halfway through the sale, however, there was an unbearably long wait. A sow was missing. I was beginning to lose the buyers’ attention. I barked at the drovers, asking them to find the missing pig, Lucy. “Can’t find her anywhere, Paul,” came the reply. I told them to send the next sow into the ring and get someone to look for her whilst I went on selling.

The afternoon wore on and every few lots I would ask the whereabouts of the missing pig.

The drovers were empty handed. I sold the last lot and asked the few buyers remaining to join the search for the missing pig, and about twenty of us started to look in the farm buildings.

Bobby’s sister then came out of the house. “What’s goin’ orn?

Thick sale finished then?” she asked. “Well almost Miss Sowden, I said, “But we can’t find Lucy. We’ve looked everywhere but she’s just vanished.” Miss Sowden chuckled “Lucy b’aint vanished, Mr Radcliffe. She’s been ‘ere all daze she had, but it ain’t no good lookin’ in them sheds.” She chuckled again. “She be stretched out in ‘ere in front of the fire in front room, snorin’ her ‘ead orf!”

We wandered in and sure enough there she was as content as a baby, oblivious to everything.

“With all your hollerin’ out there, I reckon this is the quietest place for ‘er.” We had to agree and I looked at Bobby his bright eyes glistening with what could have been tears. I suggested

A sow was missing. I was beginning to lose the buyers’ attention

selling her where she was. Bobby looked on like a proud parent.

“Seems a shame to move her Mr Radcliffe, when she be so peaceful.” I nodded and we quietly assembled the buyers in the front room and I whispered the bidding, selling her, in the end, for the top price of the day.

“Reckon I’ll pick her up in the morning,” said the buyer, “If she’s woken up by then.” Bobby smiled, tickled Lucy’s head and then went into the bathroom to get her some food.

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Rostrum Rituals From motivational mantras to chocolate chip flapjacks, our gavel masters reveal their auction-day secrets

Lester Williams Pre-auction prep

I have always believed in the maxim: “Know what you are selling, and make sure you have the right buyer for the right lot”.

It can take some research and a lot of telephone calls, but it is always worth it.

Auction-day ritual

A bar of chocolate and a quick coffee to sharpen the senses and provide a burst of energy to start the auction with a bang.

Favourite gavel

A present from my first boss, Dai Powell, who presented it to me upon his retirement 30 years ago. I only use it for special occasions as it is more of a property gavel than the large, tree branch-type I use for the cattle auction ring.

Most memorable lot

Welsh sheepdogs at Shepton Mallett Showground which made a fortune some 28 years ago.

Mark Lewis Pre-auction prep

Since the age of 21 my auction-eve prep has involved repeating a mantra before I go to sleep, which I learnt from Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. On the morning of the auction, I rehearse the sale for the third and final time, but cannot leave the office until someone has wished me “good luck”.

Auction-day ritual

I find setting up the sale room with the team very calming and it gets me into the zone. Getting prepared for a sale is all about the right mindset – it’s a combination of being relaxed while also having a razor-sharp focus. I always walk out a minute before the start time, take a deep breath, and then go to the rostrum.

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Favourite gavel

I have had various ‘favourites’ but haven’t used the one for live and deadstock for 20 years. I have two property auction gavels; one belonged to my father, and I use this for the agricultural land lots. About 25 years ago, a farming client gave me a smooth gavel fashioned from a piece of yew and I use that for all other lots. Both are very tactile.

Memorable moment

After every property auction my father would critique the sale and point out all the parts of the auction that I could improve. It was quite bruising! After one auction, however, he came up and told me my education was complete and I have never forgotten the look of pride in his eyes as he shook my hand.

Graham Barton Favourite gavel

During the 1980s the Society of Valuers and Auctioneers, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors held annual auction competitions where members were invited to pit their rostrum skills against one another. They were held in Nottingham, Birmingham, Southampton and London, and attracted entries from all over the UK. My own apprenticeship in auctioneering included selling in the pannier market in my hometown of Axminster for Messrs R and C Snell, the forerunner to Symonds & Sampson. A pannier market, from the French for basket, was a sale of produce: eggs, vegetables and fruit.

It was a forum where you had to learn quickly: speed, a thick skin and a quick wit stood me in good stead in the auction competition. My style was very different to the other, more property-related auctioneers, so I regularly brought home the silverware.

I was invited one year to London’s Cadogan Street for the presentation. I was given the Leslie Chalk Memorial Trophy, together with an ivory gavel. I refused the gavel on ethical grounds, and a wooden replacement from a sustainable source was sent to me a few weeks later. I estimate that it has come down on more than half a billion pounds’ worth of auction lots.

Will Wallis Favourite gavel

While livestock auctioneering, I would use my herding stick.

It can make a far more audible ‘bang’ in a noisy market environment than a standard gavel. It’s also multi-use and harder to lose when walking up and down busy pig pens.

If all else fails and the stick is forgotten, a slap of some buyers’ cards into my palm will do the trick.

Outside of the livestock market, usually at a charity auction of promises, I will use a gavel my late grandfather turned himself, using cherry timber from a tree in the garden at Spire Hill farm where we lived many years ago, which inspires many fond memories of him.

Most memorable lot

During my training days selling at a poultry sale in Devon, along with all the usual bantams and pullets was a rather colourful parrot!

Greg Ridout Pre-auction prep

Knowing your buyers and the kit on offer, and matching that person to each lot is essential.

Ninety-five per cent of the work is done before the bell rings.

The night before involves lots of cables to charge phones, battery packs, iPads, voice boxes, Bluetooth headpiece, etc!

Auction-day ritual

I always fuel up with a hearty breakfast as I am never sure when I will finish. A roll and freshly baked cakes or biscuits (my current favourite is the chocolate chip flapjack) from the wonderful ‘Canteen Claire’.

Favourite gavel

I’m more of a stick man. Typically, they don’t last that long and end up breaking when they get hit against old tyres, or lumps of metal when the testosterone is flowing! My most recent stick is from a client who gifted it to me when I spotted it by her front door.

Memorable moment

We had a gavel at the time with a metal tip. I was getting quite excited and swinging it around when the end flew off. Fortunately, no one was injured but I did have to buy someone a new pair of designer glasses.

Lester Williams 07778 646031 lwilliams@symondsandsampson.co.uk Mark Lewis 07970 684786 mlewis@symondsandsampson.co.uk Graham Barton 07395 046382 gbarton@symondsandsampson.co.uk Will Wallis 07833 453482 wwallis@symondsandsampson.co.uk Greg Ridout 07817 517467 gridout@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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AND FINALLY...

Our pack is made up of many different characters each with our strengths and specialisms, working as a team for our clients.

Our common ground? Intelligence, stamina, and a can-do attitude.

With personality and professionalism, we will work beside you as your trusted partner.

In today’s market, we are a breed apart.

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Honiton Show Show Date 2024 1 August

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Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show Show Date 2024 14–15 August

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Melplash Show Show Date 2024 22 August

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Dorset County Show Show Dates 2024 7–8 September

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Young People & Dogs Welcome

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Velocity 2 is the fastest zipline in the world.

Suspended horizontally, riders travel head-first 1.5km across the quarry, and can reach speeds in excess of 100mph. You travel reasonably close to the ground initially, as you gather speed. Then, about five seconds in, you are propelled over the edge of the cliff and out across the quarry.

It was a superb experience and the views are incredible. We were able to see for miles around and look down into the lake and the quarry. Snowdon itself would be tackled the next morning…

The weather conditions weren’t exactly in our favour but we decided to take the Miners’ Track – a steep and rocky route to the summit of Snowdon. One of my friends had walked the mountain before and this came highly recommended.

Daredevils This Way

From ziplining to mountain climbing, Snowdonia is a magnet for thrill-seekers, as Daniel Magee reports

I

am the stereotypical middle child in my family – one of life’s risk-takers. Growing up, it was always me wanting to go on the highest slides or the scariest rides. I can’t say I have kept quite the same level of bravery but recently myself and a few friends decided to head to Snowdon to take on not just the mountain, but also the zipline across Penrhyn Quarry.

On the day of our adventure, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. The sun was shining and visibility was excellent. We started by going across the smaller zipline – a slower, shorter ride across the quarry – before boarding a truck bound for the top of the mountain and the main event.

I’ll be honest, I have never seen the appeal of long-distance hiking so was fairly nonplussed at the thought of a whole day walking. I took part in the Mighty Hike for Macmillan cancer support in 2019 which was 26 miles from Weymouth to Corfe Castle and to this day it is one of my worst experiences – lovely company, rewarding at the end, but tiring and painful.

Snowdon was nowhere near as brutal although, essentially, it is just an uphill walk for hours. The views were incredible until the mist descended, after which there was no view whatsoever and we weren’t able to see more than about 15ft.

Luckily as we got to the summit which, as you’d expect, was significantly colder, the mist lifted on one side so we were able to enjoy some of the views on offer. We sat at the top and had some food before heading back down the Pyg Track which seemed like an easier route, until we got to the last section which was a pretty steep descent.

We hadn’t rushed and took our time ambling about, but completed the whole journey in just under five hours. We rewarded ourselves with a pub lunch in a nearby town before heading back to our Airbnb, which had a most welcome hot tub!

You are propelled over the edge of the cliff and out across the quarry

Daniel Magee MNAEA Sales Manager 01308 422092 dmagee@symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Was 1974 the Best Year for Film Releases?

James Shapland thinks so… see if you agree

W

hen I glance down the list of films from 1974, I wonder whether there has ever been such a good year to go to the cinema. There were several critically acclaimed and influential movies on the list. Here are a few of my favourites:

The Godfather Part II

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this film is often considered one of the greatest sequels in cinema history. It won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Best line

Michael Corleone: “My father taught me many things here – he taught me in this room.

He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”

Chinatown

And Then There Were None

The Man with the Golden Gun

Best line

Francisco Scaramanga: “Now, come, come, Mr Bond.

You disappoint me. You get as much fulfilment out of killing as I do.”

One of the better Agatha Christie adaptions with a stellar cast – Richard Attenborough, Oliver Reed and even the French crooner, Charles Aznavour.

Emily Brent: “Very stupid to kill the only servant in the house. Now we don’t even know where to find the marmalade.”

Ida Sessions: “Are you alone?”

Jake Gittes: “Isn’t everybody?”

Blazing Saddles

Directed by Mel Brooks, this comedy western is known for its irreverent humour and has become a cult classic.

Best line

Hedley Lamarr: “I want you to round up every vicious criminal and gunslinger in the west. I want rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, and Methodists.”

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Directed by Tobe Hooper, this horror film had a significant impact on the genre and is often cited as one of the most influential horror movies of all time.

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Murder on the Orient Express

One of 31 films from the stable with, of course, Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques et al.

Best line

Reverend Flasher: “William, don’t you think it’s time you came to church again?”

William: “What do you mean, Rector? Don’t you remember? I was there last Sunday. I took the collection.”

Reverend Flasher: “I know. Next Sunday I want you to bring it back.”

Death Wish

One of Michael Winner and Charles Bronson’s best films and the first in the series.

Best line

Paul Kersey: “You’ve got a prime figure. You really have, you know.”

Joanna Kersey: “That’s a euphemism for fat.”

The Great Gatsby

Written by Francis Ford Coppola with stand-out performances from Robert Redford and Mia Farrow.

Best line

Best line

Old man: “I just can’t take no pleasure in killing. There’s just some things you gotta do.

Don’t mean you have to like it.”

Best line

Carry on Dick

Directed by Roman Polanski and starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, this neonoir film is widely regarded as a classic in the genre.

Best line

Every great year has a Bond film and this one had Roger Moore, Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland.

Jay Gatsby: “I knew it was a great mistake for a man like me to fall in love.”

Best line

Another Agatha Christie and a holiday favourite, with a wonderful cast including Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, Ingrid Bergman, John Gielgud and Anthony Perkins.

Mrs Hubbard: “Eyes linger any longer I’ll have to charge rent.”

The Odessa File

A nail-biting thriller with Jon Voight and a score by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Best line

Peter Miller: [in disgust, to Roschmann] “You are not even worth a bullet!”

The Towering Inferno

Another holiday favourite with an amazing cast – Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway and even Fred Astaire and OJ Simpson.

Best line

Chief O’Hallorhan: “We’ll go down by rope.

We’re gonna rappel down to 65, get on top of that elevator, use it as an exit.”

Young fireman: “I can’t make it. I’ll fall. I know I’ll fall.”

Chief O’Hallorhan: “Okay. Then you better go first. That way when you fall, you won’t take any of us with you.”

Caroline Childs Chaffey turns back the clock to her student days

A line in George Orwell’s 1984 sums up how I felt 40 years ago: “Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.” It was certainly an extraordinary year. The IRA’s Brighton bombing nearly killed our Prime Minister. The Aids virus frightened us all. Ethiopia was starving, and the miners began the longest and most bitter strike in industrial history.

Aged 19, the world appeared to be a harsh place even if you were at art college and had a pink mohican.

I was doing my foundation year in Bournemouth and had accidently found myself in ‘party central’. It was a great place to escape at night, with the Academy in Boscombe being one of the biggest clubs outside of London. Here, Radio 1 DJs did regular sets and you could lose yourself in great pop music from the likes of Wham! and Duran Duran.

My crowd preferred a cellar club under a pub where Boy George and Marilyn were doing their sets. Crazy clothes and ridiculous hair were the go-to look. A paisley silk dressing gown was my favourite party attire – no puffball skirt for me!

1984

and All That

Sunday afternoons were cinema time. It was cheap, warm and dark, which helped with recovery from the night before.

One afternoon I watched a film with friends which was to lead us on a fabulous journey. That film was Purple Rain, and it resonated with us so strongly that, for the next few years, Prince and his music became the soundtrack to our lives.

We went to our first Prince concert in the November of 1984 and he was extraordinary. He could play every instrument on the stage and, despite being 5ft 3in tall, seemed immense; no fakery, no lip-syncing, all just brilliant and real. Many other concerts followed and we were invited to the after-show parties, so I’ve seen Prince on tiny stages just jamming. And, yes, I was still in my dressing gown and pink hair – loving every minute.

A paisley silk dressing gown was my favourite party attire

To finish the year, the song Do They Know it’s Christmas had a profound effect on us in a completely different way. We watched in horror at the plight of people facing famine in Ethiopia, but Bob Geldof’s energy, and frustration, was inspiring.

It gave us hope that the young could help to change things but, as George Orwell wrote: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”

Caroline Childs-Chaffey MNAEA Sales Manager 01308 863100 ccc@symondsandsampson.co.uk 117

Our Charity Fundraising

2023 T he charities Symonds & Sampson elected to support in 2023 were chosen for poignant reasons.

Sadly, we lost two much-loved members of the Symonds & Sampson family in 2022, and the charities were nominated by family and staff in their memory.

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), is an awardwinning national charity providing local support to the farming community across England and Wales. Established in 1860, they have been offering guidance, financial support and practical care to farming people of all ages for generations.

YFW (Yeovil Free Wheel) Blood Bikes, a group of emergency volunteer bikers operating out of Yeovil, Wincanton, and Dorchester Hospitals and carrying blood, platelets, blood and tissue samples, medication, breast milk, documents, CT scans, and equipment to hospitals, hospices, and nursing homes as well as private addresses across much of Somerset and all of Dorset, saving the NHS well over £200,000 each year while easing patients’ suffering and helping to save lives.

Our charity events included:  The popular annual coffee and cake morning in the Poundbury office is incredibly well supported by the local community, enjoying a wonderful selection of homemade bakes. Local businesses contributed generously to a raffle, and the morning raised well over £1,000.

118

 We are incredibly proud of our colleagues from our Devizes and Sailsbury office who took part in the Devizes Half Marathon in April, braving the harsh weather to train during testing conditions!  Our second Charity Clay Shoot saw teams from local firms compete with two Symonds & Sampson teams on a baking hot day at the Spitfire Shoot near Stockbridge. The Spitfire instructors provided excellent sport for all – ensuring that whether experienced shots or complete novices, all enjoyed a thoroughly enjoyable day.

 Our Beaminster office hosted its annual summer party in the beautiful gardens of Peter Brook’s home, where guests were treated to a delicious spread.

 Partner Will Wallis, was delighted to conduct the auction of promises at the RABI Dorset dinner at Moreton in October.

 At our whole firm Summer Soiree, staff were keen to enter a cash prize competition, two lucky winners won a prize, and the remaining money was donated to charity.

 We were delighted to provide directional signs for the YFW Bloodbikes popular road ride in August, where hundreds of motorcyclists follow a route through Dorset and Somerset.

 Our Axminster, Blandford, Ilminster & Sherborne offices organised festive fundraising charity events during December.

We are grateful to the representatives from both RABI and YFW Bloodbikes, who have given up their time to attend a number of our charity events. The total raised for the year is still being tallied, we look forward to making a substantial contribution to the chosen charities. Thank you to our staff, clients and colleagues who joined forces to ensure that our fundraising has been both successful and thoroughly enjoyable. Our fundraising platform remains open to donations at https://www.givewheel.com/company/symonds-sampson/ Peter Grout-Smith MNAEA Residential Sales Manager 01305 251154 pgs@symondsandsampson.co.uk

119

Symonds & Sampson Quiz We live and work in a beautiful part of the country, but how much do you know…?

q This band shares the

name of a Somerset town and won the Mercury Prize for Album of the Year in 1995.

But what are they called?

w What is the biggest carnival on the Somerset circuit?

e Somerset

has two gorges – Cheddar Gorge and one other. Can you name it?

r What year was the first Glastonbury Festival? y Which battle, fought on 6 July 1685, took place near Bridgwater, and was the last battle of the Monmouth Rebellion?

u What did William

Herschel observe on 13 March 1781 from the garden of his home at New King Street in Bath?

o Can you name the iron age hill fort 1.6 miles south west of Dorchester?

120

t Name the 175ft-

high triangular obelisk located on a point of the Blackdown Hills.

i A former world record holder at 1.5 million Scoville Heat Units, what is the Dorset Naga?

a Name

Dorset’s only professional football club.

121 Answers

 Portishead  Bridgwater  Ebbor Gorge  1970  The Wellington Monument  The Battle of Sedgemoor  Uranus (he discovered the planet)  A chili pepper. The Scoville scale is named after its creator, an American pharmacist whose method is based on the concentration of capsaicinoids.

 Maiden Castle  AFC Bournemouth  Hovis advert. It was directed by Ridley Scott, bestknown for directing blockbuster films including Alien and Blade Runner.

 Fossils. Anning became known around the world for a number of important finds and also inspired the tongue twister, “She sells seashells by the seashore”  John le Carré  Isle of Portland  Trowbridge  Lacock  Avebury Stone Circles  Salisbury Cathedral  c: Moonrakers. The story goes that smugglers hid contraband brandy in a Wiltshire village pond. Trying to retrieve the barrels at night using long rakes, they were caught by excise officials. They explained themselves by pointing to the moon’s reflection and saying they were trying to rake in a round of cheese  Gloucestershire to the north; Oxfordshire and Berkshire to the east; Hampshire to the south-east; Dorset to the south; and Somerset to the west.

inherited a nickname that originates from local folklore concerning unusual activities at a village pond. What is this moniker? a) Cheeseheads; b) Muckrakers; c) Moonrakers; d) Turnip bashers

1( People born in Wiltshire have

is the oldest working clock in the world?

1* Where

known, circular monument in Wiltshire, but what is it called?

1& There is a second, lesser

centre and county town of Wiltshire?

1% Where is the administrative

2) The county of Wiltshire is bordered by six other counties, what are they?

picturesque village in Wiltshire has been used as the backdrop for many films, is also known for its abbey and is the birth place of photography?

1^ Which

and St Paul’s Cathedral are all made of stone quarried from which part of Dorset?

g The Cenotaph

f Which famous author was born David Cornwell in 1931, in Poole?

d Victorian pioneer Mary Anning was famous for her shop in Lyme Regis, what did she sell? iconic 1973 advert was shot on Gold Hill, Shaftesbury?

s Which

Grand Parade

122

DEVIZES

Wiltshire SALISBURY

FROME MARKET

Somerset STURMINSTER NEWTON

YEOVIL ILMINSTER

SHERBORNE

TIVERTON

Devon

BEAMINSTER AXMINSTER

Dorset

BRIDPORT POUNDBURY

Ham

BLANDFORD

DORCHESTER

WIMBORNE

AXMINSTER 01297 33122

DORCHESTER 01305 261008

STURMINSTER NEWTON 01258 473766

BEAMINSTER 01308 863100

ILMINSTER 01460 200790

TIVERTON 01884 218911

BLANDFORD 01258 452670

LONDON 0207 839 0888

WIMBORNE 01202 843190

BRIDPORT 01308 422092

POUNDBURY 01305 251154

YEOVIL 01935 423526

BURRATON 01305 236237

SALISBURY 01722 334323

FROME MARKET 01373 831140

DEVIZES 01380 710535

SHERBORNE 01935 814488

Editors: Mark Lewis, Meredith Holmes Proof Readers: Marilyn Wright, Mandy Rankin and Richard Miller Artwork: Shaun Hodge Show & Sales Photography: Rob Nolan, rpnphotographydorset Printed by: Remous Print Ltd., Barton View Bus Park, Sheeplands Lane, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4FW tel: 01963 250920 www.remous.com

The contents of this publication are intended as guidance and general interest. It does not constitute legal advice and can be no substitute for considered advice on specific problems. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information printed in this publication, Symonds & Sampson LLP cannot accept liability for errors and omissions. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Symonds & Sampson LLP.