James Nason and his wife, Rowena Colthurst, own Pitchford Hall and Estate in Shropshire. At least, they do now.

In 1992, Rowena’s mother was forced to sell the Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house. Although the family retained the surrounding land, James and Rowena made it their mission to buy back the Hall and reunite her family home with the wider estate.

In 2016, the couple raised the funds to purchase the Hall, which had fallen into dereliction. Since then, they have been working hard to source the contents that were sold at auction and bring the property back to life.

James describes Pitchford as a “tourism estate”, offering tours of the Hall, grounds, orangery and the world’s oldest treehouse. But it was their decision to become early adopters of solar energy that provided the consistent income needed to support additional borrowing.

Recorded in the treehouse, this episode explores the trials and tribulations of running a heritage asset like Pitchford Hall.

Ben Bolgar is the Executive Director for Projects at The King’s Foundation.

He first discussed architecture with the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, at Kensington Palace in 1988 and there was a meeting of minds that has underpinned Ben’s work during his nearly 25 years at the Foundation.

In that time Ben has led over 50 collaborative planning and design frameworks all over the world, championing the Enquiry by Design (EbD) process.

Describing architecture as “the mother of the arts”, Ben explains why he chose placemaking as his career, and how he challenged what he was taught at university where he says modernism was “shoved down our throats”.

The King's Foundation - Ben Bolgar

Enquiry by Design

Turning underutilised land into thriving leisure and hospitality destinations is what entrepreneur Joel Cadbury does best.

In the latest episode of Estate Matters, the founder and chief executive of Longshot tells podcast host Anna Byles how he has spent 30 years spotting opportunities where others see challenges.

Joel describes how, as chair of The Royal Parks Foundation, he transformed empty buildings into lettable properties generating millions of pounds a year and championed the creation of Winter Wonderland – an idea initially dismissed because "British people don't skate."

Now he has turned his attention to Mad Swans, a new leisure and hospitality concept, developed on the sites of failing golf courses – including on the Mendips in Somerset.

Working with leading architect Tom Mackenzie, the team has established what Sir Nick Faldo has called the first proper 12-hole course built in over a century, alongside padel and pickle courts, high-end accommodation and dining.

Reducing the number of holes, means land has been made available at the 200-acre site to reflect Joel’s passion for sustainability and self-sufficiency, including a planned solar farm, growing horseradish and keeping bees.

There were critics, Joel admits, but his philosophy remains simple: leave things better than you found them.