Latest news with #DuchyofCornwall
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Devon campaigners call for ‘right to riverbank' after finding Dart has 108 owners
Campaigners in Devon are calling for a right to the riverbank after finding their local river, the Dart, has 108 separate owners, with an eighth of it owned via offshore companies. Locals used site visits, angling maps, Companies House records and Land Registry data to find out who owns the River Dart. The government in its election manifesto last year promised to implement nine new 'river walks' in England to extend public access to the countryside, after it U-turned on a previous policy to enshrine a right to roam in law. No plans have yet been laid out for the river walks, neither where they will be nor how the government proposes to implement them. Ministers would have to work with local landowners to gain permission for the riverbanks to be used by the public, and the research by Devon campaigners shows how difficult this can be. Aristocrats own large swathes of the Dart. The Duchy of Cornwall owns the largest slice of riverbank at 28 miles (45km). The Dart is 47 miles long, so has nearly 100 miles of bank altogether. The next largest owner, the Spitchwick estate, owns 12 miles, and the Duke of Somerset has about 1.25 miles. The research also found that 11.6 miles is owned via offshore companies. Right to roam campaigners have long asked for aristocrats to open up their land for the public to walk across. In 2022, dozens of campaigners descended upon the Duke of Somerset's estate to picnic and play music, ignoring the 'keep out' signs. In Scotland, there is a right to walk across the entirety of the countryside as long as ramblers are respectful and leave no trace behind. Research by British Canoeing has previously found that fewer than 4% of English rivers are open to the public. A patchwork of landowners have rights over tiny lengths of river, which makes it almost impossible to create routes for swimming and boating without land reform, campaigners have said. Lewis Winks, who compiled the River Dart research, said: 'The River Dart is rightly a much-celebrated part of the Devon landscape, yet the rights to the river – and those who own them – largely remain a mystery. The more time I spend with the Dart, the more urgent the question becomes: who gets to decide whether we are able to know and love this river?' He said he embarked on the daunting task of mapping land ownership along the Dart 'to understand who holds power over access here'. He added that 'what quickly became clear was how little transparency exists – even those working closely with the river often don't know who owns the banks'. The Dart rises high on Dartmoor and flows to the sea at Dartmouth. Though it is a significant river in the area, it is relatively short compared with others in the UK. For example, the Severn is 220 miles long, and the Thames is 215 miles long. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Winks said: 'The situation along other, longer rivers is likely to be even more complex. Achieving increased access to rivers based on a permissive approach would present a logistical nightmare. Each stretch would require time-consuming negotiations with dozens – if not hundreds – of large landowners and corporate bodies, many of whom are difficult to identify. 'That's why we're calling for a rights-based approach to river access – similar to the system in Scotland, where the public has the right to responsibly walk, swim, paddle and canoe along most rivers and lochs, with sensible exceptions.' A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said: 'Britain is a proud nation of nature lovers, and this government is committed to turning the tide on its decline after years of neglect. We are progressing plans to designate nine new national river walks, one in each region of England.'
The Independent
20-07-2025
- The Independent
Gardeners quitting King's Highgrove amid demands
Gardeners are leaving their jobs at the King's Highgrove Gardens amid low pay and Charles's demands, according to a report. The King oversees the gardens at his Gloucestershire retreat, which he has transformed and nurtured over the past 45 years, and, according to The Sunday Times, has lost 11 of 12 gardeners since 2022. The newspaper reported that Charles visits the gardens regularly and, after walking the series of interlinked gardens, sends notes to garden staff who are expected to act on his requests before his next visit. According to the report, the King asked that staff move a single ragwort from the perimeter of his swimming pool, and said gardeners' failure to cultivate his delphiniums had caused him great disappointment. The newspaper said staff have complained of poor conditions, including pay as low as minimum wage. It has been reported that Charles knew of staff shortages at Highgrove, and after the invasion of Ukraine wrote a note proposing war refugees could be recruited to help. Near the Cotswolds town of Tetbury, the nine-bedroom house and estate was set to become William's when the King acceded to the throne in September 2022 as it is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. But Charles now rents the house from the Duchy, for a reported £340,000-a-year, and continues to use it as a country residence, where he spends time with the Queen and he rested there after time in hospital for side effects of his cancer treatment earlier this year. The Sunday Times reported that of the 11 gardeners who have left, two were heads of gardens and one had served the King for many years. Another failed his probation after it emerged he had a lack of knowledge about a particular flower, the newspaper said. The King reportedly said of him 'don't put that man in front of me again'. Charles's charity The King's Foundation, which is the custodian of Highgrove Gardens, runs education workshops on site for traditional and endangered crafts such as millinery, embroidery and woodworking. It also oversees public access to Highgrove through its ticketed garden tours, which attract more than 40,000 visitors every year. The Sunday Times reported that in late 2023 one member of staff at Highgrove complained about the gardens' management, saying the team was overwhelmed, under-resourced and struggling to fulfil the King's requests. In turn, The King's Foundation commissioned an external investigation and, according to the report, it found evidence of 'staff shortages' and 'poor' management practices and said that remuneration was an 'issue for recruitment and retention'. It recommended 'management training for all managers', 'mental health support and counselling' and a pay review, the Sunday Times said. Staff at the gardens have received pay rises each year since 2022 totalling between 15% and 19% cumulatively, it is understood. The newspaper also reported that in August 2023, a senior gardener complained that he was 'shouted at' by Constantine Innemee, then the Highgrove director for The King's Foundation. According to the Sunday Times, The King's Foundation requested an investigation and did not uphold the complaint about Mr Innemee. A King's Foundation spokeswoman said: 'At The King's Foundation, we take staff welfare extremely seriously and strive to be an exemplary employer. We are proud to regularly report very high satisfaction rates in our annual staff survey. 'Our staff turnover is well below the national average, as is the number of formal grievances raised. For the gardening team at Highgrove specifically, we regularly review guidance from the Professional Gardeners Guild for pay benchmarking. 'Highgrove has also seen many positive developments since The King's Foundation became the charitable custodian of the gardens. Since 2022, the operating profit has more than doubled, a new education facility teaching traditional heritage skills to hundreds of students has been established, and visitor numbers continue to reach over 40,000 annually.'
BreakingNews.ie
20-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Gardeners quitting King Charles' Highgrove amid demands
Gardeners are leaving their jobs at Highgrove Gardens, owned by Britain's King Charles, amid low pay and Charles' demands, according to a report. Chalres oversees the gardens at his Gloucestershire retreat, which he has transformed and nurtured over the past 45 years, and, according to The Sunday Times, has lost 11 of 12 gardeners since 2022. Advertisement The newspaper reported that Charles visits the gardens regularly and, after walking the series of interlinked gardens, sends notes to garden staff who are expected to act on his requests before his next visit. King Charles with the prime minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape at Highgrove House earlier this month (Ben Birchall/PA) According to the report, Charles asked that staff move a single ragwort from the perimeter of his swimming pool, and said gardeners' failure to cultivate his delphiniums had caused him great disappointment. The newspaper said staff have complained of poor conditions, including pay as low as minimum wage. It has been reported that Charles knew of staff shortages at Highgrove, and after the invasion of Ukraine wrote a note proposing war refugees could be recruited to help. Advertisement Near the Cotswolds town of Tetbury, the nine-bedroom house and estate was set to become William's when Charles acceded to the throne in September 2022 as it is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. But Charles now rents the house from the Duchy, for a reported £340,000-a-year, and continues to use it as a country residence, where he spends time with Queen Camilla and he rested there after time in hospital for side effects of his cancer treatment earlier this year. The Sunday Times reported that of the 11 gardeners who have left, two were heads of gardens and one had served Charles for many years. Another failed his probation after it emerged he had a lack of knowledge about a particular flower, the newspaper said. Advertisement Charles reportedly said of him 'don't put that man in front of me again'. Charles' charity The King's Foundation, which is the custodian of Highgrove Gardens, runs education workshops on site for traditional and endangered crafts such as millinery, embroidery and woodworking. It also oversees public access to Highgrove through its ticketed garden tours, which attract more than 40,000 visitors every year. The Sunday Times reported that in late 2023 one member of staff at Highgrove complained about the gardens' management, saying the team was overwhelmed, under-resourced and struggling to fulfil the Charles' requests. Advertisement Charles at Highgrove with Constantine Innemee, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham (Finnbar Webster/PA) In turn, The King's Foundation commissioned an external investigation and, according to the report, it found evidence of 'staff shortages' and 'poor' management practices and said that remuneration was an 'issue for recruitment and retention'. It recommended 'management training for all managers', 'mental health support and counselling' and a pay review, The Sunday Times said. Staff at the gardens have received pay rises each year since 2022 totalling between 15 per cent and 19 per cent cumulatively, it is understood. The newspaper also reported that in August 2023, a senior gardener complained that he was 'shouted at' by Constantine Innemee, then the Highgrove director for The King's Foundation. Advertisement According to The Sunday Times, The King's Foundation requested an investigation and did not uphold the complaint about Mr Innemee. A King's Foundation spokeswoman said: 'At The King's Foundation, we take staff welfare extremely seriously and strive to be an exemplary employer. We are proud to regularly report very high satisfaction rates in our annual staff survey. 'Our staff turnover is well below the national average, as is the number of formal grievances raised. For the gardening team at Highgrove specifically, we regularly review guidance from the Professional Gardeners Guild for pay benchmarking. 'Highgrove has also seen many positive developments since The King's Foundation became the charitable custodian of the gardens. Since 2022, the operating profit has more than doubled, a new education facility teaching traditional heritage skills to hundreds of students has been established, and visitor numbers continue to reach over 40,000 annually.'
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Yahoo
Gardeners quitting King's Highgrove amid demands
Gardeners are leaving their jobs at the King's Highgrove Gardens amid low pay and Charles's demands, according to a report. The King oversees the gardens at his Gloucestershire retreat, which he has transformed and nurtured over the past 45 years, and, according to The Sunday Times, has lost 11 of 12 gardeners since 2022. The newspaper reported that Charles visits the gardens regularly and, after walking the series of interlinked gardens, sends notes to garden staff who are expected to act on his requests before his next visit. According to the report, the King asked that staff move a single ragwort from the perimeter of his swimming pool, and said gardeners' failure to cultivate his delphiniums had caused him great disappointment. The newspaper said staff have complained of poor conditions, including pay as low as minimum wage. It has been reported that Charles knew of staff shortages at Highgrove, and after the invasion of Ukraine wrote a note proposing war refugees could be recruited to help. Near the Cotswolds town of Tetbury, the nine-bedroom house and estate was set to become William's when the King acceded to the throne in September 2022 as it is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. But Charles now rents the house from the Duchy, for a reported £340,000-a-year, and continues to use it as a country residence, where he spends time with the Queen and he rested there after time in hospital for side effects of his cancer treatment earlier this year. The Sunday Times reported that of the 11 gardeners who have left, two were heads of gardens and one had served the King for many years. Another failed his probation after it emerged he had a lack of knowledge about a particular flower, the newspaper said. The King reportedly said of him 'don't put that man in front of me again'. Charles's charity The King's Foundation, which is the custodian of Highgrove Gardens, runs education workshops on site for traditional and endangered crafts such as millinery, embroidery and woodworking. It also oversees public access to Highgrove through its ticketed garden tours, which attract more than 40,000 visitors every year. The Sunday Times reported that in late 2023 one member of staff at Highgrove complained about the gardens' management, saying the team was overwhelmed, under-resourced and struggling to fulfil the King's requests. In turn, The King's Foundation commissioned an external investigation and, according to the report, it found evidence of 'staff shortages' and 'poor' management practices and said that remuneration was an 'issue for recruitment and retention'. It recommended 'management training for all managers', 'mental health support and counselling' and a pay review, the Sunday Times said. Staff at the gardens have received pay rises each year since 2022 totalling between 15% and 19% cumulatively, it is understood. The newspaper also reported that in August 2023, a senior gardener complained that he was 'shouted at' by Constantine Innemee, then the Highgrove director for The King's Foundation. According to the Sunday Times, The King's Foundation requested an investigation and did not uphold the complaint about Mr Innemee. A King's Foundation spokeswoman said: 'At The King's Foundation, we take staff welfare extremely seriously and strive to be an exemplary employer. We are proud to regularly report very high satisfaction rates in our annual staff survey. 'Our staff turnover is well below the national average, as is the number of formal grievances raised. For the gardening team at Highgrove specifically, we regularly review guidance from the Professional Gardeners Guild for pay benchmarking. 'Highgrove has also seen many positive developments since The King's Foundation became the charitable custodian of the gardens. Since 2022, the operating profit has more than doubled, a new education facility teaching traditional heritage skills to hundreds of students has been established, and visitor numbers continue to reach over 40,000 annually.'
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Prince William's duchy removes abandoned boats
Prince William's estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, has stepped in to remove abandoned boats from a south Devon river. It follows concerns from local residents about pollution and navigational hazards from six boats on the River Avon, near Aveton Gifford. The duchy, which owns the riverbed between Aveton Gifford and Bigbury, said the clean-up operation involved specialist contractors to remove the unseaworthy boats. The vessels were then transported to a recycling and processing facility in Southampton. Local residents had raised alarms about abandoned boats in the estuary, one of which was almost completely submerged at high tide. There were fears that fuel and oil left on board could leak into the water, threatening the delicate estuarine ecosystem. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Matthew Morris, rural director of the Duchy of Cornwall, said: "We are pleased to be able to remove the abandoned vessels from the River Avon. "Our marine estuary environments provide important habitats for a range of species and are enjoyed as a place of recreation by both locals and visitors alike." He said the issue of abandoned vessels was "one that the Duchy of Cornwall is working to address across its marine portfolio alongside its partners". "We are committed to creating a positive impact for people, places, and planet, and protecting our marine environment is key to this," he said. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Duchy steps in over rising tide of abandoned boats 'Remove shipwrecks before they get in food chain' Wreck on display to highlight abandoned boat issue Duchy of Cornwall
