BlythHall

Blyth Hall is a Grade I Listed 17th Century Queen Anne country manor house located between Coleshill and Shustoke in Warwickshire.

Following an extensive refurbishment programme, the Hall is now a country guesthouse that opened for hire in June 2023. Sleeping 30, the stunning Hall comprises 13 bedrooms, including a three-room bridal suite, three reception rooms, a grand dining room and kitchens.

Bursting with character, charm and rich family heritage, the Hall boasts open fires, and extensive riverside lawns, parkland, and gardens for the guests to enjoy.

Find out more: www.blyth-hall.co.uk

Property makers

Owing to the Estate’s objective to grow through sustainable diversification, it offers many commercial development opportunities, which are undertaken either by the Estate Offices or through partnerships, to fit alongside its other property lettings.

The Estate has seen a great deal of change over the years. Recent commercial projects include the development of the former Baddesley Colliery to a car storage depot, a pub and hotel development, and the production of renewable energy from the Estate’s woodlands used to heat the Estate Office and the Hall. The Estate also lets out land to accommodate three key energy generation schemes, all situated just a few metres from each other, including:

• Anaerobic digester – run by Biogen, the plant uses supermarket waste to generate methane, which is used to generate renewable heat and power.

• Biomass energy – located on the site of the old coal mine waste heap, producing electricity from biomass waste.

• Solar farm – a solar field spanning 14 acres.

Together, these three renewable energy generation sites can produce upwards of 17.5 MW of energy, enough to power around 15,000 homes.

Of the Estate’s diversification strategies, estate manager Roderick Duggleby says:

Natural regeneration

As an extension of his estate management role, Roderick embarked on a 300-acre Countryside Stewardship Scheme in 2019. The government-run scheme provides financial incentives for farmers, foresters, and land managers to look after and improve the environment. Merevale Estate is actively involved in large-scale woodland plantings, environmental land management schemes, and efforts to increase biodiversity through habitat creation and maintenance, as Roderick explains: “We have planted over 100 acres of wildflowers, new hedgerows, built wildlife corridors alongside wooded areas and provide over 10 tons of supplementary feed for wild birds every winter. This has led to a boom in wildlife, with all sorts of animals spotted on the Estate, from red kites and muntjac deer to yellowhammers and grey partridge. The farm and our stewardship efforts run side-by-side, and we have plans to blend the two later down the line.

“Whilst management of the woodland used to cost the Estate money, it is now economically beneficial to us, through our engagement with Stewardship initiatives and the repurposing of materials. Even the heating for Merevale Hall is produced through dried wood chippings from timber felled.”