Statement on the future of Turnastone Court Farm

After careful reflection, the CRT's Trustees have made the decision to take Turnastone Court Farm off the market.  

Twenty years ago, we stepped in to save Turnastone, and the thought of undoing that work, of walking away from everything we had built there, was genuinely heartbreaking. Today, we are relieved and proud to say that it isn't going to happen.  

Every member of our small team is celebrating this news. And we hope everyone who loves Turnastone will celebrate with us. 

Since the announcement to sell earlier this year, we have received heartfelt letters from CRT Friends and from the local Herefordshire community – people who love Turnastone and who wanted us to know it. We read every one of them. We listened, we debated, and ultimately, we found ourselves revisiting a decision that had been made for perfectly valid reasons. 

Changing course is never straightforward, and in some ways, reversing a tough decision is harder than making it in the first place. But the Trustees believe that the willingness to listen –and to act on what you hear – is what good governance looks like. When it became clearer than ever that the case for keeping Turnastone was stronger than the case for letting it go, the trustees did not shy away from that conclusion, however uncomfortable it was to reach. 

We want to be honest with everyone because the pressures that led to this difficult moment have not disappeared. The charity sector is hurting. Six million fewer people are giving than a decade ago, not just less money, but fewer people. We will still need to find ways to sustain and invest in all our farms, and to keep making the case for nature-friendly farming across the country. That work continues in increasingly difficult economic circumstances. 

While the current sale is being withdrawn in full, we do need to revisit how we strengthen our financial position. The land at Turnastone is not, and will not be, under consideration; but the conversation will include several of the farm buildings, Turnastone Lodge and Rose Cottage. 

Turnastone Court Farm is not simply a piece of land. Its fields have been farmed continuously since 1130, its water meadows unploughed for over 400 years. The ancient system of channels and sluices pioneered by Rowland Vaughan in the late 1500s still runs through the farm today, one of the earliest water management systems ever recorded in England and still recognised as historically significant.  

Our conservation effort over the past 20 years remains an important factor in our bond with this farm. Common spotted orchids and yellow rattle bloom in the meadows each spring. Skylarks, linnets and yellowhammers work the hedgerows alongside water voles and otters in the river.  

Susan Lake, chair of the Board of Trustees, said: “We made our original decision to sell the farm with very heavy hearts and the conversations we have had since, both externally and within the charity, have led us to rethink the plan for Turnastone. We are confident that we have now made the right decision, even though we still have many challenges ahead. 

“We also welcome partnerships with those who share our vision for the farm's future and look forward to working with those who have already expressed an interest in supporting our work.”