Land Management
As autumn slowly gives way to winter and the rain starts to fall we can only look back and smile at the year we have all experienced here on the Estate. The balmy, long hot days of summer gave way to some rain early in September which spurred everything back into life. The grass came back lush and green and in need of cutting and the hedges and trees had a new lease of life which gave us some amazing autumn colours all across the Estate.
As the seasons change so does the workload and right up until the ground became too wet the team have been busy cutting grass and starting to tackle the never ending job of cutting hedges by hand as well as all the other routine jobs that are needed to be done to keep the Estate looking as good as it does. Colin Penney our local contractor has been back on the Estate since the beginning of September with his tractor and hedge trimmer sculpting the hedges back into shape. I’m sure you will agree they look amazing. Paul and the “Chedington digger” have done an amazing job, working under the guidance of Garry and Dean to complete the footings for the new Orangery at The Grange.
Just when I think we might have time to “draw breath” Geoffrey has come up with a new plan to make use of the excess trees in the plantations across the Estate. Normally these would be just cut off and wasted to give the remaining ones room to develop but given the success rate and how amazing these trees look he has decided to get some of these transplanted into what will be the gardens of The Grange Farmhouse and then the others, in partnership with Scott and Alice from Fern Tree care and Chedington Compost, will be sold. In total Geoffrey wants to thin out around 10,000 trees!!! So if you know of anyone looking for top quality semi mature trees you know who to call.
Speaking of trees, on the 6th of November ten of us attended The Southwest Farming Awards Ceremony in Taunton following our nomination in the “Woods and Trees Champion” category. Having made it to the final three sadly we fell at the final hurdle and were placed as runners up.
I still feel this is an amazing achievement given that over 50% of the woodland and tree planting grants available nationwide are awarded to farmers in the Southwest and here on the Estate, through Geoffrey and Kate’s vision and without grant funding, we have planted in excess of 75,000 trees.
On a final note, myself and my family feel very honoured to have been asked to move into Grange Cottage by Geoffrey and Kate. As many of you know it was the place where I was born and grew up and holds many special memories for me and as a family we are very excited to be planning our first of many Christmas’ back there.
I would at this point like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and prosperous new year, and from myself and the amazing team around me we would like to wish Geoffrey a speedy recovery from his knee operation, I wonder if he knows of a state-of-the-art rehab centre with some of the country’s best physiotherapists?!
– James Vickery, Land Manager
Estate Management
Well winter is most definitely here! The rain has been biblical at times so what with that and added to the mix the freezing temperatures it has really hindered the building of the new orangery on the side of The Grange. We have however been busy with the inside of The Grange with the stripping out of the kitchen, cloakroom, main bedroom, bathroom and the dressing room. We have laid a new solid wood oak floor so that the new kitchen and snug area have been completely transformed and with the attention to detail that one comes to expect from Geoffrey and Kate it looks stunning thanks to Paul Horner Roberts joinery and team. The building team have completely changed the look of the roof with a larger over-hang of the facia and soffit along with the fitting of new windows.
These works have not stopped the team from pushing on with other projects including helping Hobbs to provide the best accommodation for their clients. We are now on our fourth bedroom/bathroom refurb in Baqueira.
We will soon be starting on another phase within the marquee area where we will be constructing a new reception area for Hobbs to welcome their guests, a couple of garages, a new gardener’s workshop and a shooting range so these works will transform this whole area.
We have also carried out a complete refurbishment of the Grange Bungalow for Hobbs to use as their new base.
Ricky and his team have also been very busy with the creation of the new bog garden below The Grange with bridges, log stepping stone paths and the planting of some fantastic palms, ferns and other exotic plants. It really is starting to look very impressive so well done to Ricky and his team.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their efforts this year and to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
– Colin Maddock, Estate Manager
Chedington Equestrian
I hope you all had a lovely summer. We were certainly lucky it was such a dry one, so beautiful with sunny, long days and definitely BBQ weather. Our summer at Chedington Equestrian has shot by, my team keeping all the small paddocks free from horse muck, literally tons of it transported to North Buckham Farm to go for composting.
Young and old horses have done well this year in the lovely paddocks maintained by James and his team, thank you.
Our resident professional eventing riders have had a good season:
Tim Price finished the season 4th in the FEI Eventing World Athlete rankings.
He has had fourteen top ten placings at home and abroad including:
1st on Vitali- 4*S at Aachen, Germany
6th on Vitali- 5*L at Burghley
10th on Vitali- 5*L at Badmington
1st on The Highlander- 3* at Jardy, France
1st on Gloire de Marchenval- 3*S at Chaumont en Vevin, France
1st on Jarillo- 5* at Pau, France.
Jonelle Price finished the season 16th in the FEI Eventing World Athlete rankings. She has had thirteen top twenty placings at home and abroad including :
1st on Capitaine de hus Z- 4*L at Scone Palace
Three top 10 finishes at 4* and 5* on Chilli’s Midnight Star in the UK USA and France.
3rd on Senior Crocodillo- 4*S at Lignieres, France.
Cosby Green finished the season 10th in the FEI Eventing World Athlete rankings.
Clever Louis (Chedington) finished 9th at Arville with the USA earning team Silver in the Nations Cup.
Cosby finished in 5th place at the World Young Horse Championships at LeLion on MBF Party Time.
11th on Highly Suspicious- 5* at Pau, France.
Moved Libero D up to 4* at Blenheim jumping a double clear.
Ben Wickens
Lyonel D (Chedington) jumped well in the National 140 at Hickstead Grand Prix to finish 17th out of a big field.
Lyonel D also jumped well in the under 25’s 140 classes at Kelsall, Cheshire and Morris Equestrian, Scotland.
Call Me Clinton (Ellie Guy) jumped some super rounds at Hickstead and Kelsall.
Both these horses have had a long time out from injury so thank you to Geoffrey, Ellie and Ben for the patience and support of these great horses.
A top ten finish on Rock On in the CSI 1* 130 at the Mediterranean Tour in Spain and Pleasure Plot jumped well out there too.
Lyonel D, Call Me Clinton, Chambord Royale (otherwise known as Custard!) and Pleasure Pot all qualified in their classes at Hickstead for the main ring finals.
Emma Manton
Emma has had six top twenty placings this year in eventing including:
1st on Nexero BE 100 open at Mendip Plains,Aston Easton
2nd on Nexero BE 100 open at West Wilts.
Emma has also jumped some clear rounds in 6yo classes with PK Cabaret and at 1.40 and 1.45LR with Vanilla Fusion in Spain in September.
Thomas Worsley on Tumble, Show Jumping:
Children on Horses 2025
Pony of the Year- Three top ten placings
Selected for three Nations Cups.
Two top ten placings at Linz Austria
Individual Silver- Hagen, Germany
GB Team Silver in Lier, Belgium, see photo below.
Thomas has had multiple top 10 placings at Valkanswaard, Hagen,Hickstead, Bolesworth, Peelbergen and Sentower, including a 1st in Hagen.
A good season had by all, well done everyone.
Now, as we hit the rainy season, horses and riders are having a well earned break.
Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a successful 2026.
– Vicki Lewis, Yard Manager, Chedington Equestrian
Events at The Grange
Hobbs Chedington has had an exciting past few months which has been full of learning and emotional new firsts for ourselves and our clients. In August we launched our first paediatric week, transforming the building into a hub of laughter, curiosity and colourful activity. A week of therapeutic challenges and creative activities, celebrated with infectious enthusiasm. We had a second paediatric week in October and are looking to continue in February half term, learning and developing each time!
Our outpatient service is continuing to grow with some major personal victories for some of our clients, including one client who secured an apprenticeship following a dedicated period of intensive rehab and another who has returned to walking her dogs on the beach.
We have had some huge success stories with our inpatient clients as well with some amazing feedback about our grounds and hospitality services. A particular peak was when a client—potentially the first tetraplegic individual to do so—paddleboarded on open water independently using our bespoke paddleboarding system. Their powerful reflection, “I feel a part of my soul returning,” resonated deeply and became a defining moment of the year. We are so lucky to have the trails and countryside to use at Chedington and have had some incredible experiences with our clients on our fleet of adaptive bikes, including those who never thought they would be able to cycle again. The combination of fresh air, scenic views and newfound independence created some of the most uplifting moments.
In September team members completed advanced Lokomat training, Hobbs Chedington enhanced its ability to personalise sessions using the bespoke Lokomat Pro and expanded the scope of what clients can achieve through robotic-assisted gait therapy.
We have welcomed three new members of staff to our team. Rebbecca Andrews is our Neuropsychologist who is also based at our Hobbs site in Bristol and will be down 1-2 days a week. Katie Dorset is a Sports Therapist who has worked with the Injured Jockey Fund before and will be with us for 5 days a week. Louise Traynor is our new administrator for the team. All have been amazing additions to Chedington and are doing a wonderful job.
2026 is starting to look really exciting for Hobbs at Chedington. We have plans for a Parkinson’s Bootcamp in June where carers and clients with Parkinson’s can come spend a week with us to understand more about the condition, learn about latest research, take part in sport and fitness activities and go away with a bespoke action plan. ‘Amp Camp’ will be running in March, which is a retreat for amputees so they are able to try a number of different sporting activities such as cycling, rock climbing, hill walking and equine therapy. We have also got new partnerships with Help4Heroes and Regain charity for a large number of inpatient stays next year.
Equine therapy has been an exciting new addition to our therapy repertoire. Megan and Vicky have been brilliant setting this service up and our sessions have been a highlight of a number of our clients’ stays. We are looking forward to continuing to grow this in 2026. We are also in the planning stage of setting up an air rifle shooting range in front of the Therapy Barn. This is one of the most accessible activities for all levels of injuries and we are thrilled to be able to offer this on site!
We would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to all the Chedington Estate staff. You have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make Hobbs at Chedington happen and we love working with you all. What we can offer at Chedington, because of all your hard work is incredible. Hobbs would like to wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
– Sarah Holloway, Team Lead at Chedington and Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist
Hospitality
The Old Brewery Cafe & Kitchen, Gillingham
Here at The Old Brewery Café Sunday trading has been really good for us which is a relief.
During autumn, due to the cold and wet weather and even a hurricane, sales were not predictable so we are glad to see the winter which is our busy season.
An unexpected visit from the Environmental Health during a busy lunch period saw us retain our 5 star rating! Wahoo!!, They always seem to visit when I’m on a day off so it’s testament to the team to have held it all together!
As we head towards the Christmas season there has been a lot of planning, moving of tables, and reorganising of the kitchen to accommodate the 1200+ Christmas meals we’ve got to cook and that’s just the booked ones!!
The smell of turkey coming from the kitchen and crackers being pulled shows everyone is in the Christmas spirit!! We will all be exhausted by the time Christmas comes but it’s always worth it!
With the café fully decked out with Christmas trees and decorations we held our first Christmas party on the 29th of November. The DJ played Christmas favourites and the drinks were flowing. It was a great night and there are plenty more of these to come over the following weeks as we head towards the Christmas break.
As for 2026, we still have a few Christmas parties to deal with, one from the well-known hamper company Virginia Hayward and we plan to open again on Sundays early on in the year ready for the Sunday ride outs.
Here’s hoping that 2026 is a rewarding year for all.
From all of us here at The Old Brewery we’d like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
– Steve Angell, The Old Brewery Café Manager
Eira Ski Lodge, Baqueira-Beret
It’s that time of year once again, with snow already on the pistes and more due this week, Stephanie and I have begun preparations for this coming winter season. Many friendly faces returning to the team this year, which should take some pressure off the December peak season.
Please do get in touch if you have any ski trips in mind, dates are filling fast!
Henry & The Team
Salon on the Square
The past few months have been a busy and memorable time for everyone at Salon on the Square. As we look back over the last quarter it’s lovely to see just how much we’ve achieved together.
One of the highlights was a trip to Aveda HQ in London where we had the chance to dive into Aveda’s inspiring vision for the future. We were given a first look at some exciting new products coming soon and it left us feeling energised and full of fresh ideas to bring back to the salon.
We also had a very special celebration within the team, as Sharon tied the knot. It was such a joyful moment for all of us, and we couldn’t be happier for her.
This quarter also marked four years since we took over the salon. Reaching that milestone feels incredible, especially as we now have more than 180 Google reviews with an outstanding 4.9 rating. It’s a testament to the hard work and warmth the team brings to every client who walks through the door.
Training has been a focus too with the team enhancing their skills by learning the latest Clarins beauty treatments, ensuring we continue to offer the very best in service and expertise.
And now here we are in the Christmas rush with fully booked columns and festive cheer filling the salon. It’s our favourite kind of busy and we’re grateful for every client who chooses to spend a little of their Christmas season with us.
– Janemarie, Salon Manager
A note from Geoffrey & Kate
As 2025 draws to an end, the template for the future of the estate is now becoming much clearer after eight years of restoration, renovation and development.
Our established centre of excellence in equestrian elite competition training is now being matched by the recently developed neuro-rehabilitation facility at the Grange. This provides a premium service and further expands Hobbs into one of the UK’s leaders in the field. Guests with disability staying in our newly upgraded fully accessible accommodation in Baqueira and Vielha are able to access a full range of expertise and technology offered by the Hobbs physiotherapy staff. Nestled in the heart of our 500 acres offering therapy, world class technology, excellent cuisine, adaptiv sports and a full range of expert support makes Chedington unrivalled in this field of rehabilitation. We are delighted that Helen Hobb’s team lead on site by Sarah Holloway have integrated so well with the Chedington Estate family, one thing remarked upon by a number of clients over the past year.
For Kate and I this focus on such a worthwhile programme resonates closely with our past 45 years of medical research.
The work of our land management team (the farmers) serves both the equestrian and human client requirements. We are pleased to have James and his family return to his routes in Grange Cottage after more than 20 years.
As you all know by now Kate and I plan to move to the Grange next year with the upgrades to the house and the new extension much in evidence. Work is well underway with Colin and our builders continuing the collaborations which now slips seamlessly into its ninth year.
Our head gardener Ricky and his team have been working their magic in the planning and execution of the landscaping of 4.5 acres of formal gardens. Kate and I visited a tree nursery in Cambridgeshire recently so be prepared to see newly planted trees of up to 45 feet around the house and grounds.
We have been impressed with the continuing growth of both Salon on the Square and The Old Brewery Cafe and know that they both face an extremely busy Christmas season.
My use of our indoor padel court has been curtailed somewhat following my total knee replacement three weeks ago. Having booked our skiing with Henry and the staff at our Eira Ski Lodge in the Pyrenees in March I have a clear target to recover enough to ski and shortly thereafter return to the padel court.
The Guy Foundation continues to occupy much of my time as we become increasingingly prominent in the world of quantum biology as it relates to optimal health, space travel, the built environment and the future of medicine.
Our December Quarterly Review is truly a bumper edition with plenty of news and updates from the quantum biology field.
I very much enjoyed delivering an extremely well attended lecture about my book Quantum Biology for the Dorchester Literary Festival in October.
Kate and I wish all of the Estate staff, our contractors and tenants a very happy and restful Christmas.
– Dr Geoffrey W Guy
Chairman and Founder
The Chedington Estate Ltd
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