Our Clients

The Penpont Project

Inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards

Images: courtesy of Penpont

Stewardship has been a guiding principle for landed estate owners for generations. This concept encompasses an awareness of, and a responsibility to, the environment, society, the immediate family and future generations. Changes within society, the economy, and perhaps most pressingly the environment – with accelerating climate change – have prompted many of our landed estate and farming clients to review their ownership, business and occupation structures to ensure a more sustainable future for themselves, their communities, and their rural asset bases.

For over a generation we have provided legal and general advice to Gavin and Vina Hogg, and their sons Forrest and Josh, whose family has owned Penpont, a 2,000 acre rural estate in the Brecon Beacons National Park, for 360 years. Thirty years ago, the Hogg family relocated from Bristol to Penpont to embark on its management and restoration. The Estate has six tenant farms and consists of 200 acres of forestry and 1,800 acres of pasture.

Third-generation farmer Gareth Davies and his wife Sally rent two farms from the Estate for suckler beef cattle and upland sheep. The Hoggs approached the couple in 2018 about using the parkland, which is situated within the grounds that they rent, for an environmental scheme. These conversations evolved into the Penpont Project, today thought to be the world’s largest youth-led conservation initiative of its kind. As part of the scheme, the Davies are working hand in hand with the Hogg family, young volunteers from the charity Action for Conservation, The Gaia Foundation, ecologists, and regenerative farmers in a collective effort to halt biodiversity loss and restore the land. “We’re trying to restore biodiversity, ecosystem processes and natural processes to this 400 acre block of land, using old and new practices”, explains Forrest. “We’re looking at restoring wildflower meadows, emerging regenerative agricultural practices and in forestry, transitioning to continuous cover forestry methods." “We have done some future vision mapping with the young people, farmers and foresters, looking 60 years down the line at what we would like to see, sense and feel here at Penpont. Now, we’re at the interesting point of looking at pathways to achieve that vision.”

Both the Hoggs and the Davies acknowledge the commercial pressures at stake and the challenges of effectively redesigning land systems to allow this nature-friendly farming to take place across the land. But they both recognise the urgency for action. “It’s also taken away the polarisation of the debate,” points out Sally. “The landlords, us – the farmers – and the young volunteers all have equal input and importance. They respect the fact that we have to make a living from the land, but we also respect that things have to change. “There is a climate crisis and a biodiversity problem and we want to help address that. Going forward, if there is a good agricultural policy, farmers can be the key to solving these problems instead of being viewed – as they have been in the past – as a problem.” It’s a view shared by the volunteers in the project’s Youth Leadership Group, such as 17-year-old member Deep. “Restoration and farming is mutually inclusive,” he says, adding that he would like to see a more diverse demographic involved in conservation in order to break down the disconnect he sees between urban and rural areas. He says: “Community togetherness should arm us well in the fight against environmental degradation. ”

“As lawyers, we have a major part to play in the design of cross generational ownership entities, and of multi activity business and occupation structures, to safeguard and develop our clients’ rural asset bases, often in partnership with others working within that economy and those communities. The balance between current and future needs, between today and tomorrow, sits squarely and comfortably within our approach, our use of traditional trusts and other legal structures, and in the provision of broad advice to families and institutional owners drawn from our own three centuries of experience and expertise. Having those deep roots enables us to review and reflect on cyclical changes with our clients, whether driven by environment, economics, politics, climate, or other uncertainties, providing a solid base from which to plan for the future. We are delighted to work with estates such as Penpont who are prepared to take the long view in such an active and imaginative fashion.”

- Christopher Page, Partner, Charles Russell Speechlys

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