Current Management of the Estate
Extending to almost 2,000 acres, the Chilton Estate now comprises approximately 1,450 acres of arable land (including set aside, headlands and conservation areas), 250 acres of grassland, and more than 250 acres of woodland. There are also water meadows along the Kennet and more than 5,000 yards of riverbank for fishing.
The estate is run by Sarah Scrope, who lives with her family at Chilton Lodge. As a Deputy Lieutenant and a former High Sheriff of the Royal County of Berkshire, Sarah is involved with a number of local and national charities.
Her aim is to sustain a traditional rural estate, whilst keeping Chilton Lodge as the family home. The strategic objective is to hand this entity on in good shape to the next generation, should they wish to take it on. To these ends, there is an ongoing and evolving programme of diversification and investment in residential and commercial properties and in the estate’s infrastructure; the repair and maintenance of a number of historic structures; a strategic long term move towards lower input arable farming; support for livestock grazing; and an active programme of river, woodland and wildlife management.
All of these interrelated elements are intended to create an environment that is truly economic; that looks forward to new opportunities whilst respecting the past; that encourages conservation and good husbandry techniques; and which is an enjoyable and pleasing environment in which to live and work for the owning family, their employees, local residents and tenants alike. The aspiration is ‘Excellence without Extravagance.’ As well as having created more than 60 new permanent workplaces since 2004, the Estate provides direct employment for seven full-time and four part-time employees.
The Estate supplies water to some forty residential properties as well as meeting the needs of the farming operations and commercial tenants. A new borehole was drilled in 2007 with state of the art U/V purification, pumping and storage facilities. A continuing programme of mains renewal has largely been completed.
The estate is run by Sarah Scrope, who lives with her family at Chilton Lodge. As a Deputy Lieutenant and a former High Sheriff of the Royal County of Berkshire, Sarah is involved with a number of local and national charities.
Her aim is to sustain a traditional rural estate, whilst keeping Chilton Lodge as the family home. The strategic objective is to hand this entity on in good shape to the next generation, should they wish to take it on. To these ends, there is an ongoing and evolving programme of diversification and investment in residential and commercial properties and in the estate’s infrastructure; the repair and maintenance of a number of historic structures; a strategic long term move towards lower input arable farming; support for livestock grazing; and an active programme of river, woodland and wildlife management.
All of these interrelated elements are intended to create an environment that is truly economic; that looks forward to new opportunities whilst respecting the past; that encourages conservation and good husbandry techniques; and which is an enjoyable and pleasing environment in which to live and work for the owning family, their employees, local residents and tenants alike. The aspiration is ‘Excellence without Extravagance.’ As well as having created more than 60 new permanent workplaces since 2004, the Estate provides direct employment for seven full-time and four part-time employees.
The Estate supplies water to some forty residential properties as well as meeting the needs of the farming operations and commercial tenants. A new borehole was drilled in 2007 with state of the art U/V purification, pumping and storage facilities. A continuing programme of mains renewal has largely been completed.
Sarah Scrope DL,
High Sheriff of The Royal County of Berkshire, 2017