Gloucestershire is home to plenty of royal residences both ancient and more modern. Two members of the modern royal family live in Gloucestershire. Prince Charles lives with is wife the Duchess of Cornwall at Highgrove House and The Princess Royal lives at Gatcombe Park.
The Duchy of Cornwall purchased Highgrove House along with the adjoining farm Duchy Home Farm in 1980. The Prince chose this beautiful location as there is easy access to London, Wales and other parts of Great Britain.
Highgrove is more than a royal residence and is used for many receptions, projects, and briefings by The Prince of Wales. Ethically sound management of Highgrove was a passionate initiative by the Prince and there is a reed bed sewage system that encourages dragonflies at the treatment end, energy saving light bulbs and solar energy are used, kitchen waste is composted and all bottles, cans, paper and cardboard is recycled.
Rare trees and plants have been planted for future generations to enjoy and heritage plants and trees are catered for to keep the lineage going of these native types.
Highgrove is a flagship for organic and sustainable farming and living and the Prince is rightfully proud of is garden and farm and since the early 1980s has regularly invited various groups to visit, such as local charities and gardening groups.
The Duchy Home Farm was converted to a completely organic system to demonstrate the commercial and environmental benefits. Twenty-five years later, Home Farm is not only a successful and viable working farm, but is a shining example for the benefits of an organic, sustainable form of agriculture.
Highgrove is open to the public and is a wonderful place to visit for a day out while you are staying here in our cottage so close to these magnificent buildings we are so proud of. It is rare to see so much of an estate and farm like this. There is an opportunity for shopping in the Highgrove shop where all manner of delicious food is available plus home ware and giftware.
Some of the highlights you can see at Highgrove are rare breeds of farm animals including Tamworth and Large Black pigs, Gloucester, Irish Moiled, Shetland and British White cattle and finally Cotswold and Hebridean sheep. These breeds are preserved and highly prized for the quality of their produce.
The very first product made by the Duchy Originals brand was the Oaten biscuit made with organic oats from Home Farm in 1992. This thriving organic food business now sells a range of products from garden furniture to jams. All profits go to The Prince’s Charities Foundation.
There is a chance to see some very unusual and rare types of apples including Formosa Nonpareil, Golden Knot, Cornish Aromatic, and Lady’s Delight. There are also examples of some very rare cooking apple trees, of a type, which are now virtually extinct.
There is something for everyone at Highgrove from the history and wonderful house to the farm and the different projects taking place all year round plus it is where the heir to the throne lives so why not call by for a cup of tea while you’re staying at Cooks Green Holiday Cottage.