The Rural Estate
The rural estate comprises the agricultural, mineral and forestry estates in England, Scotland & Wales, as well as residential and commercial property.
At approximately 146,000 hectares (360,000 acres) the estate is one of the largest in the UK and is made up from the following constituents:
- Agricultural estates – approximately 108,000 hectares (267,000 acres) which are made up of 780 tenancies across 450 principle farm holdings.
- Forestry estates (excluding Windsor) – nearly 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) – of which just over 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) is let to the Forestry Commission.
- Residential – 770 residential tenancies, mainly former farm cottages and farmhouses, let on a fair rent or assured shorthold basis.
- Welsh Commons – 26,885 hectares (66,435 acres).
- Mineral estate – The Crown Estate inland mineral rights cover some 115,473 hectares (285,341 acres). The large majority of this is not worked for minerals. Active mineral production includes 34 lettings extracting sand, gravel, limestone, granite, brick clay, coal, slate, dimension stone including Portland Stone and waste disposal.
- Mines Royal (gold and silver) – there are five Mines Royal production leases, including one gold mine in Northern Ireland now producing gold, 22 Mines Royal exploration licences with eleven more being processed.
- Salmon fishing rights in Scotland – this includes 140 tenancies of which around 60 are let to local communities through angling associations.
Financial 2007/08
During 2007/08 the estate grew significantly in value and the long-term prospects are very positive.
In 2007/08 the estate made a gross revenue contribution of £16.7 million, an increase of 1.2% on the previous year. The value of the rural estate, comprising some 780 agricultural tenancies as well as around 700 residential tenancies, forestry and natural mineral resources, was £903 million, 26.5% up on the previous year.
For further financial information on the estate, please visit the rural section of our financial report:
Management
We have environmental plans for each of our major estates, targeting specific measures to sustain and enhance important habitats and encourage biodiversity. We are conducting a review of all these plans in order to provide up-to-date environmental information and encourage farmers to enter stewardship schemes.
We offer open access to 27,000 hectares (67,700 acres) of land, in addition to some 800 kilometres (500 miles) of public footpaths and bridleways. Efforts are now being focused on the development of new permitted access routes in appropriate areas, supplementing a number of new arrangements in our woodlands.
Building on a theme of best practice we introduced the rural estate awards to reward a holistic approach to business through integrating competitive business practices with environmental responsibilities and social contribution to the local community. These awards have now been expanded across the organisation to become The Crown Estate business awards.
The rural estate also awards an annual scholarship to the Oxford Farming Conference and sponsors a Nuffield Scholarship. These scholarships are awarded to a Crown Estate tenant, or a son or daughter of a tenant, who may take over the tenancy of the farm holding, to help develop their farm business and benefit potential successors to the business.
For 2007/08 we have given our support for the Year of Food and Farming initiative, an industry-led campaign aimed at helping children and young people to learn more about how food is grown and produced and how it reaches the consumer.
Further Information
 Forestry Stewardship Council
Nuffield Scholarship
Oxford Farming Conference
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