The Crown Estate reviews local management of South Western rural estates

The Crown Estate are delighted to announce the appointment of Smiths Gore as the new managing agents for the Taunton, Dunster and Bryanston rural estates and Knight Frank as agents for the West of Severn estates.

These appointments follow a programme of review of the south western region of the rural portfolio, to ensure that The Crown Estate customers’ needs are fully met in all aspects of their business. The new managing agents will ensure that the efficiency and quality of management and customer service on these estates are maintained and developed.

Smiths Gore will be responsible for managing commercial, residential and farm property on estates totalling 8000 hectares in Somerset at Taunton and Dunster, together with a further 2200 hectare estate at Bryanston, near Blandford Forum in Dorset; the agricultural activity on these estates centres on mixed livestock and arable farming.

Knight Frank will be managing the Clearwell and Hagloe estates in Gloucestershire and Tintern in Monmouth which total 529 hectares of mixed arable, dairy and livestock farms.

Nick Millard of Bruton Knowles will be appointed as a Consultant to The Crown Estate on matters relating to rural asset management and policy development throughout the U.K.

Chris Bourchier, Director of the Rural Estate at The Crown Estate, said “We look forward to working with the new teams as we confront the challenge of unprecedented change in rural business in general and agriculture in particular. The future success of our South Western rural estates will be underpinned by strong working relationships with our tenants and customers which is a priority of the incoming team.”

Smiths Gore and Knight Frank will be responsible for front line estate and customer management, including acting as the day-to-day contact on issues such as repairs, landlord and tenant investments, rents and family succession.

The appointments will take effect in the Spring.