We invite you to find out more about our work and our ideas for the future of our rural estate.

We would also like to hear from you about what makes the estate so special and how we can work together to ensure it’s fit for the future. Please take some time to speak to The Manydown Rural Estate directors and some members of our project team.

Thank you.

The manor of Manydown at Wootton is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086, although its origins are believed to date back even further.  

For centuries the Estate was largely wooded, providing timber for construction and boatbuilding. Records show that oak was supplied to Winchester Cathedral for the reconstruction of the nave in 1390. Six hundred years later, Manydown oak was used in the rebuilding of York Minster’s South Transept following the fire in 1984. 

1400s - 1800s

In 1449, William Wither - whose family had lived at Manydown as tenants since at least 1402 - purchased the manor, commencing a long and eventful connection between his descendants and Manydown. 

In 1789, the last Mr Wither died without an heir, and the Reverend Lovelace Bigg, a cousin, inherited the estate. Bigg and his two sons changed their surnames to “Bigg-Wither”.  Harris Bigg-Wither - who famously proposed to the author Jane Austen who initially accepted, then rejected the offer - inherited Manydown in 1813, but chose to live in nearby Tangier Park, which was later bought by his son.  

The long association of the manor with the Wither and Bigg-Wither family ended when the estate was purchased in 1871 by Sir Edward Bates. Sir Edward's grand-nephew, Col. S. Arthur Bates, was the last “lord of the manor” at Manydown. In 1962 an auction was held to sell the estate's moveable property, and two years later the manor house was finally pulled down.

1900s - Present

Arthur Bates’ only daughter Anne inherited the Estate in 1958 and her husband Lt Col John Oliver-Bellasis left the Army to manage it, focusing on reinvigorating the traditional mixed farm with cereals, beef and sheep. 

The Estate was later passed to sons Charles and Hugh who oversaw a large-scale refurbishment of tenant properties between 1955 and 1990. A farm shop was opened selling beef, lamb, chicken and pork that had been reared on the Estate. 

In the 1980s, the Estate became a forerunner in conservation projects, researching and identifying the effects of herbicides and insecticides, establishing conservation headlands and beetle banks, and managing miles of hedgerows. 

Since the Oliver-Bellasis brothers relinquished management responsibilities in 2008, the Estate has been run by The Manydown Rural Estates Board of Directors who are committed to continuing the good work of the Oliver-Bellasis family and operating a progressive estate. The farming operation is carried out by EC Drummond on behalf of the estate with Olly Stratford as farm manager.  Estate Foreman James Kelly is on hand to deal with property and general estate maintenance matters. 

Extension of Basingstoke

In the 1960’s the Manydown Estate rejected the first attempted acquisition of part of its land for an urban extension of Basingstoke, before finally agreeing to sell 2,000 acres of farmland and woodland in 1996 to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council to enable the better development of the land to meet the planned growth of the town. For the past 26 years, the estate has leased back that land for farming, but now the development is to commence.

Manydown Garden Communities is being delivered by a public-private partnership and work is now underway in western Basingstoke, on the southern part of the Manydown estate, to provide new homes alongside a 250 acre countryside park.

Today the estate is primarily a farming enterprise with residential and commercial property. There is also a forestry operation covering 350 acres mostly to the north of the Estate, where the work is undertaken by a woodland management company.

The estate provides a gateway to the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and today, the majority of its land is arable farmland, producing cereal crops in rotation. 

Farming operations are contracted to EC Drummond and overseen by the directors of The Manydown Rural Estate. Both are committed to environmentally sustainable farming for the long-term.

Criss-crossing the estate are byways, public rights of way and permissive paths which are maintained by the Estate to provide access to the countryside for fresh air and exercise.

EC Drummond (Agriculture) Ltd is contracted by The Manydown Rural Estate, to provide the skills, equipment and technical knowledge to farm to the highest standards. Olly Stratford is the full-time Farm Manager.

Crops

Up to now, the farming operation has extended across 3,800 acres of arable land, producing in rotation; wheat and barley, rye, oats, oilseed rape and maize. 

The crops are well suited to the shallow, free draining, lime-rich, loamy soil that covers lower layers of chalk and the farm can be expected to produce an annual harvest of:

Output

The estate has recently invested in a large grain store which has increased the capacity of grain that can be dried and stored, improving our contribution to food and energy resilience.

Green Cover Crops

are planted to improve soil structure, capture nutrients, suppress the growth of weeds, reduce pesticide use and protect the soil from erosion caused by wind and water. They will also attract beneficial insects.

(1,500 lambs onto the farm from October through to January)

The estate’s focus is to continually improve farming practices to assist with nature and landscape recovery, in line with the Agriculture Act 2020 and the Environment Act 2021. This regenerative farming approach addresses:

Soil quality – there is an extensive operation to increase soil organic matter across the arable area using reduced tillage, cover crops, companion crops, livestock integration and organic manures in addition to a wide rotation growing multiple crop species. 

Pesticides – we are reducing the use of pesticides and artificial fertilisers across all crops by growing resistant varieties and using techniques such as mechanical hoeing, delayed drilling, capturing nutrients and widening the rotation.

Fertilisers – new techniques are being implemented, using satellite guided equipment with GPS, to apply liquid fertiliser directly to leaves, allowing them to absorb nutrients faster and reducing the impact on soil.

Improving nature and biodiversity

At the same time as optimising our crops, we are undertaking conservation and restoration work to improve the natural environment and increase biodiversity.

Under the Mid Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme, we are: 

• Conserving and restoring wildlife habitats

• Reducing widespread water pollution from agriculture

• Managing flood risk

• Keeping the character of the countryside 

• Preserving historical features in the landscape.

Hedgerow Planting

Since 2017 we have planted 2,150 metres of new hedgerow and we’ll complete another 1,700 metres by the end of 2023. 
That’s the equivalent of 2.4 miles of new hedgerow for birds, mammals, insects and other pollinators. 

As we look to the future, we need to continually adapt for climate change, whilst meeting an ever-increasing requirement for food, improving biodiversity and accommodating the needs of Basingstoke’s growing population. 

As an estate, we continue to invest, and In 2020 we built a new, large grain store to increase our capacity and to ensure harvested crops are kept in the best condition until sold.  

Also in 2021 we planted a vineyard which we anticipate will start producing grapes by 2024. Harvesting and wine production will be managed by an established Hampshire wine producer and we look forward to sampling the first bottles around 2026. Farming from plough to fork (or in this case glass!) is a long process. 

In 2021 we completed an extensive refurbishment of The Barn Nursery School in Wootton St Lawrence, which provides care and education for children aged 2 and-a-half to 5 years old. This involved internal insulation of walls and the installation of a highly efficient heating system to reduce energy costs and emissions, and to provide a more comfortable environment for children and staff. 

Our fields are also home to hives, managed by an independent beekeeper, producing honey for sale at M&S. As well as supporting a good, ethical local business we’re helping the bees do their bit for the environment. 

Woodgarston Farm lies to the north west of Wootton St Lawrence, on the northern side of the A339 (Kingsclere Road, from Basingstoke to Newbury) and about two miles west of the existing boundary of Basingstoke. The village of Upper Wootton is approximately 0.5 miles from the farm.

The most recent tenant, a dairy farmer, retired in 2014. Since then, the majority of the buildings have remained unused. The surrounding land is farmed by EC Drummond and a large frame shed is still used for storing farm equipment.  

The redundant farmyard buildings are no longer fit for purpose so, since 2014, The Manydown Rural Estate has been evaluating potential uses for the buildings.

Scheduled Ancient Monument

Immediately to the north of the site lies a Scheduled Monument, an earthwork measuring almost 40 metres in diameter, believed to be the remains of a medieval motte and bailey castle. 

The history of the monument is well documented, and the earthworks are the only surviving remains of a bailey castle built by baron Hugh de Pont between 1070 and 1080.

All that remains today is a circular bank with an external ditch, although there is evidence of a causeway over the ditch and through the bank on the western side which is likely to be the original entrance to the keep.  There are standing remains of a well within the earthworks, though it’s unlikely the well existed at the same time as the bailey.    

According to an archaeological survey carried out by Wessex Archaeology, the ringwork is a good example of its type, and nationally rare. There are fewer than 60 in England, complete with baileys. 

The proposals for Woodgarston include removing a redundant building closest to the site to enhance the setting, as well as providing interpretation boards alongside the Scheduled Monument to help bring the history of the site to life.

The Woodgarston proposal is to redevelop and convert some of the existing farm buildings to form a characterful farm shop with café, similar to Cobbs@Englefield, near Theale, which has also revived an old farm.

Managing Director Tom Newey is committed to stocking local, seasonal, and British produce in all his outlets, working closely with a large number of local producers to offer customers a wide range of products including freshly baked bread, honey, jams and chutneys, cheeses, eggs, cereals, smoked fish, meat, poultry, juices, biscuits and ice cream.

A Destination

The vision for Cobbs at Woodgarston is more than simply a shop. It will be a destination that can be enjoyed by walkers and cyclists who might stop for coffee and cake or an ice cream and enjoy the fabulous views across the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and learn more about the remains of the old motte. 

The proposals include providing a new safe access road (and closing the existing access to vehicles), and enhancing the existing network of public rights of way to connect with Woodgarston, avoiding main roads. There will also be a new direct route for walkers and cyclists from Basingstoke and its new urban extension. 

There are regular bus services along the Kingsclere Road, and there will also be adequate car parking with a number of vehicle charging points.    

Key Benefits

• Retaining a valued local business by relocating to a much more suitable site. 

• Utilising an existing farmstead to support the rural economy and to secure its long-term future. 

• Generating economic benefits from the retained and expanded employment. 

• Providing leisure and well-being opportunities thanks to neighbouring footpaths.  

• Enhancing the setting of a scheduled ancient monument to make it more relevant and visible. 

• Supporting a prosperous rural economy. 

Key Considerations

• Ensuring the scheme sits appropriately in the local landscape and responds to the AONB.

• Minimising the impact on the highway network whilst taking advantage of existing footpaths and cycleways. .

• Respecting and enhancing the heritage value of the site. 

• Respecting and enhancing the ecological and biodiversity value of the site.

• Recognising the scheme will introduce increased activity into the site from walkers, cyclists and those using buses, as well as cars and delivery vehicles.

A339 junction improvements

The diagram shows a scheme of improvements to the A339 and the junction with the BOAT to include:

• A Ghost Island Right Turn Lane designed to DMRB CD123 (100kph);

• Relocated east and west bound bus stops; and

• A new pedestrian refuge island within the Ghost Island Right Turn Lane.

By Bus

The nearest bus stops to the site are located along the southern boundary on the A339 Kingsclere Road. These are served by the hourly (in each direction) LINK bus route between Basingstoke and Newbury and the service operates Monday to Saturday.

Walking and Cycling

Whilst there are no dedicated walking or cycling facilities provided along the A339 Kingsclere Road inthe form of footways or cycle lanes, consideration will be given to the local Public Right of Way (PRoW) network and access to / from local bus stops.

The Manydown Estate will review the footpath network around the Woodgarston Farm site to identify opportunities to enhance accessibility, with a view to creating a network of walks that can begin and end at the Farm Shop. This would create a highly attractive feature, particularly for families and local residents. 

In essence, the location can act as a hub for well-being, providing opportunities to shop in the Farm Shop, with its high-quality produce, relax in the café, and also use the premises as a base for a walk in the attractive local countryside.

To the east of the site, Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT) 258/9/2 (BOAT9) provides a link between the A339 and to the north. To the south of the A339, BOAT 9 routes south towards Wootton St Lawrence and the planned Manydown development (circa 3,500 dwellings)

Whitedown Farm is a farmyard complex located to the north of Wootton St Lawrence and south of Hook Lane. It is approximately 2 miles to the west of Basingstoke. 

The Manydown Rural Estate is proposing to provide a small rural business hub through the refurbishment of a disused brick stable block and the creation of a new single storey building, in place of two redundant and partly collapsed farm storage buildings.  The offices are designed to provide flexible office space that will appeal to a wide variety of businesses. 

Both the refurbished and the new build elements are designed to complement the rural surroundings, with the use of brick, timber cladding and tiled roofs, in keeping with this style of development.

Sustainability is a central part of the proposals, ensuring that the buildings are built and operate in a way that respects and protects the environment. The scheme will use a ‘Fabric First’ approach, to make the buildings as energy efficient as possible, reducing the need for heating. Other options for power and heat are being considered including the use of heat pumps and photovoltaic panels.

Access will be via the existing farmyard entrance. A total of 16 car parking spaces will be provided, including two disabled bays, with secure cycle storage and motorcycle parking. There is also provision for 6 Electric Vehicle charging points.

The farmhouse will remain a residence with its own private access.

The vegetated boundaries will be retained and enhanced where necessary to provide both privacy for the development and neighbouring residential properties but also to ensure that the biodiversity of the site is maintained and improved.

Economy

Even with a reduced landholding, we need to ensure the estate remains a viable and profitable business. As well as producing food and energy, we want to continue contributing to the local economy through providing employment and commercial properties for rural businesses to thrive.

We are committed to continuing the important role undertaken by the estate for many hundreds of years, but we also know that we need to adapt to the future needs of our communities. That’s why we want to take this opportunity to ask you to consider what you, your family, your business and your community will need in the future.