The Estate Grounds
From Earls and Dukes To Model Farmers
Our rolling farmland
Amid the tranquil Hampshire countryside, you’ll find Ewhurst Park; former home to the Duke of Wellington. This 18th-century estate has been graced by earls, dukes and countesses and is now a tranquil haven to be enjoyed and savoured by all nature worshippers. Lovingly restored and transformed into a mix of wildlife friendly chalk grassland, ancient semi-natural woodland and no-dig organic market gardens, Ewhurst Park seamlessly combines nature recovery with food production. The estate will produce world-class organic food while the surroundings are sure to appeal to those who enjoy nature on the wilder side, as it was intended.
The domesday book
SPANNING OVER 900 ACRES Ewhurst Park has records dating as far back as 1086 in the Domesday Book - Britain’s earliest public record. Just one of the late Earl Godwin’s estates, Ewhurst Park has always had a strong connection with the land, nature and giving back to its community.
Rich in history
From 1086 - 1761, the great James Chichele Plowden inherited the Ewhurst estate and later, sold it to Robert Mackreth who built the new house and stable block. The 1843 tithe map shows an elegant, formal pleasure garden enclosed by walls of stable yards and kitchen gardens. From 1817 to 1943, the Duke of Wellington acquired the land and it was widely documented as a place of natural beauty. Now, we reach the next chapter of the Estate’s soon-to-be history.
wetlands
At the heart of the Estate you'll find the lake fed by natural springs flowing into intricate ponds and leading you into woodland areas. It’s our mission to restore this water system back to full health for both wildlife and people to enjoy.
Undoubtedly, the most exciting aspect of our wetland restoration project is the release of our two beavers, Hazel and Chompy, and their kits born at the park. This little family are the first beavers in Hampshire for over 400 years and they are felling trees, building dams, and modifying the landscape’ creating a mosaic of habitats for a wide variety of native wildlife. These ecosystem engineers are paramount to natural wetland restoration.
We have plans to create viewing platforms and reconstruct bridges, as well as break up drains to allow the water to follow its natural pathway. There will also be opportunities to use the main lake for a series of pursuits such as wild swimming, which has been proven to boost the immune system, and improve sleep as well as mental health.
Mandy Lieu
Mandy Lieu has recently acquired the estate with the goal to restore and lovingly transform the site into a haven for nature alongside organic world-class food production and attracting key figures in organic and no dig farming. Along with dedicating over 350 acres of the park to nature restoration and habitat creation, she’s also planting a forest garden, orchards, and tree nurseries with the aim to inspire.
Growing up in rural Malaysia, the entwined cultural relationship between land and food taught her to respect the process of food production from farm to fork. Mandy is passionate about education and hopes to inspire renewed connections with nature and the land at a time when we are all faced with the realities of the biodiversity and climate crises.
Mandy with Tim May, Kingsclere Estate
Second Edition 1896 Map of Ewhurst Park
The Lake