Highgrove
From Free net encyclopedia
Highgrove is the country home of HRH The Prince of Wales, in Gloucestershire. Situated near Tetbury, Highgrove House was purchased in 1980 by the Duchy of Cornwall. The Duchy also manages the estate surrounding the house.
Built in 1796 to 1798 by John Paul Paul (a Huguenot), it belonged to his descendants until 1860. It was restored in 1894 after a fire. The house has four reception rooms, nine main bedrooms, a nursery wing and staff quarters.
The house was redecorated by Dudley Poplak, the interior decorator who also worked on the Prince and Princess of Wales's apartment at Kensington Palace, and the royal couple moved into Highgrove in the autumn of 1981. In 1988 the plain exterior of the house was embellished with new balustrade, pediment, and column of classical pilasters to the Prince of Wales's own design. A new single-storey staff annexe was also added.
A keen gardener, the Prince of Wales has devoted much time to planning and designing the gardens. He has created a wild garden, a formal garden and a walled kitchen garden. He has also planted a large number of trees in the grounds. He placed a bust of a Dr Alan McGlashan, MC in the garden.
The Highgrove Estate consists of parkland fringed by woods surrounding Highgrove House, a number of farm buildings and around 900 acres (3.6 km²) of land farmed by the Duchy of Cornwall- the Home Farm. The beef herd based at Highgrove includes pedigree Aberdeen-Angus females and yearlings, Angus bulls and Angus cross Friesian cows. Sharing the permanent pasture with the beef herd is the flock of Masham and Mule sheep.
In 1985 the decision was taken to introduce chemical-free farming on three blocks of land as part of a general move to what has been called biologically sustainable farming linked to conservation. The step to full organic status on the whole estate was completed in 1996.