Lord of the Games

As The Game Fair celebrates its 60th birthday this year so too does its host, Ragley Hall’s ninth Marquess of Hertford. Here, he looks back at the estate whose fortunes have varied over the years

When Henry Jocelyn Seymour, the ninth Marquess of Hertford, celebrated his 60th birthday on 6 July, the British peer was also marking two other notable 60th anniversaries. Ragley Hall, the Warwickshire stately home he inherited from his father in 1991, will have been open to the public for 60 years this summer, and the estate will be hosting one of his favourite events, The Game Fair, for its own 60th anniversary. For Lord Hertford, the remarkable coincidence has given him time for reflection as much as celebration. Here, he looks back on the history of his family’s estate, explains how it has changed and why it is the perfect place to be hosting the world’s biggest and best countryside festival.

Ragley Hall and its wonderful roses

Q: Ragley Hall will have been open to the public for 60 years this summer. How much has it changed in that time?

A: It was completed in the middle of the 18th century but didn’t open to the public until 1958. It is a Grade I listed property, so the building itself hasn’t changed much at all. If Robert Hooke, who designed the building in 1680, was to come up the drive today he would say, ‘Yes, that’s the house I built’. But you will notice quite a few Brazilian touches. My wife is now a naturalised UK citizen, but she was born in Brazil. She has added a few palm trees and a Brazilian flag, which stand out a bit. However, we have found that plants that grow well in Brazil do not do so well over here.

Q: Who have been your most notable visitors to Ragley Hall over the years?

A: What I have been surprised about is the number of people who visit Ragley. Not so much in disguise, but undeclared. Some people come under the radar just to get a feel for it and we don’t know they are here. Going back, the most frequent royal visitor here was the Prince Regent, later to become King George IV, who is alleged to have had an affair with the wife of the second Marquess.

Henry Seymour, the ninth Marquess of Hertford and his wife Beatriz

the Great Hall

Q: The State Rooms have been gradually restored to their former glory since 1958. What did that involve?

A: A lot of work was needed. There was a huge gap between the death of the sixth Marquess in 1912 and my parents moving in in 1956. The house was unoccupied during that time. The sixth Marquess had virtually bankrupted the Ragley estate. He certainly disincentivised the next one, so the house was managed, or I should say mis-managed, by a bunch of lawyers and accountants. A lot of land was sold off, but the estate was big enough to be able to handle that. Because no one was really living in the house it decayed to such an extent that I believe that when my parents moved in in 1956 only three rooms were habitable. So an extensive renovation had to be carried out which lasted from 1956 up until I inherited a fully restored house in 1990. Prior to my parents coming here it was not envisaged that anybody would ever live in this stately home again.

Q: Generally, how do you strike that balance around the estate between being sensitive to Ragley’s heritage but making it sustainable for the future too?

A: I’m always aware of the history. There has been a fundamental shift in the thinking that a family can occupy a large stately home without it being open to the public. Nowadays, the main focus is on the house being open in one form or another and the family cope with that. Generally, large stately homes like Ragley are reliant on the income they get from visitors who come to various events.

The Game Fair is the UK’s biggest celebration of the countryside with all the sporting activities, fun, food and shopping you could wish for

Q: This will be the fourth time that Ragley Hall has hosted The Game Fair. What is it about The Game Fair that makes it such an institution?

A: It is important for these social events to be held. Working in the countryside nowadays can be a lonely business. The days when there were hundreds of farm workers are long gone. Now, on an average farm you’ve probably only got the farm owner and his family. And the same is probably true for country sports. The Game Fair is an excuse to get out, meet people and celebrate what we do. Community spirit is important, whether it is on a national level or a local level.

Q: It is often seen as a platform for discussion about rural affairs, fieldsport issues and sustainable food. What topics need to be debated this year?

A: Obviously, the big topic at the moment is Brexit and what it will mean. The other ongoing subject is fieldsports and cruelty to animals, whether perceived or real. I think a lot of cruelty to animals is more perceived than real. Therefore, country sports advocates need to put over their case clearly and articulately.

Q: Which field sports do you enjoy?

A: I’m now in a wheelchair, but hunting was my main winter sport. I didn’t shoot very often because I was generally on a horse. We do have a private family shoot on the estate and although neither my father or I shot very much, both my sons do, so it’s part of my life.

Q: A 60th birthday is always special. How do you plan to celebrate?

A: You’ve asked the wrong person, I think the best person to answer that is my wife! ■

The Game Fair at Ragley Hall in 2015

the Red Saloon

The Game Fair at Ragley Hall, 27-29 July. thegamefair.org

Photos: Lorentz Gullachsen