Public Places “
enter through the gated estate along the approach to Rockingham Castle, it is immediately obvious that William the Conqueror was guided by this same principle when he demanded that a castle be built on this picturesque spot; still beloved today for its stunning views across Leicestershire’s Welland Valley. In its early years, Rockingham Castle was an
T
essential stronghold for William, instrumental in keeping order across his kingdom. Today, the castle remains in remarkable condition and hoards of visitors flock to it each year to enjoy the castle grounds and its vast 400-acre grounds. The modern Rockingham Castle is home to
James Saunders Watson, and has been his ancestral family’s home for 450 years; prior to this, the castle was held by the Crown. Remarkably, Rockingham is one of the only castles in the country that has been continuously occupied for nearly 1,000 years and, within that time, has been owned by just one family since being relinquished as a royal property. Today, Rockingham Castle operates like many other large estates and country houses, with a mix of tourism, stalking and shooting and corporate events key to its continued success and prosperity. A big part of Rockingham’s annual calendar is also the hosting of key international competitions, one of the most high profile being the Brigstock Horse Trials, which was staged at the castle for the second year this May, welcoming professionals from nearly thirty nations to compete in, what is, a blue riband event in the equestrian world. The hosting of such a notable riding fixture
was something of a baptism of fire for the Rockingham Castle estates management team when the venue took over the staging from Fermyn Woods Estates in Northamptonshire, prompting wholesale investment in the site’s infrastructure to prepare for the annual showcase. “It was a massive coup for us to be granted the hosting of the Brigstock Horse Trials, won largely because of the wide appeal of the
It was a massive coup for us to be granted the hosting of the Brigstock Horse Trials, won largely because of the wide appeal of the castle and our suitability for staging such an event
he perfect location has always been the key to successful property development. The well-worn mantra location, location, location was as true in the 11th century as it is today. As you
castle and our suitability for staging such an event,” explains Andrew Norman, Chief Executive at Rockingham Castle and Horse Trials Administrator for the Brigstock Horse Trials. Whilst the inaugural hosting was hailed as a
success by eventers and visitors alike, behind closed doors the preparations for the event proved to be a steep learning curve for the venue, whose staff were largely working with no precedent regarding the running and logistics of the operation. “The layout and the flow of visitors was
probably the most significant change on the first year,” explains Andrew. “The event attracts thousands of guests, both equestrian and non- equestrian visitors and, in our first year, I think we underestimated the appeal, particularly among the general public.” “In the first year we had no entertainment
zone for guests, a situation we remedied this year with the introduction of our entertainment arena. Attendees across the estates management world, farming, land owners and the equestrian set was high in its first year, but the visitor numbers were up 70% across the three days this year, which showed we hit the nail on the head.” “The first two years have proven that Rockingham Castle is an extremely popular venue among the professionals, largely because it’s an old fashioned style long galloping course, without the ferocious turns and hairpins commonplace at other venues in the jumping calendar.” “Together with the elegant layout, the course
boasts an array of attractive, yet challenging jumps and the openness of the course has also garnered high praise. The water jumps have proven particularly popular and, when exiting out of the jumps, riders can enjoy the beautiful scenic setting - the picturesque rolling countryside being one of the real draws of the course.” Whilst it may be a twelve month programme
to prepare the grounds for the show, the three weeks in the lead up to the event is where the work really gets going. The man at the helm - in charge of tending to and organising works across the 400 acre site - is Head Forester, Brian Lewin who, alongside his small team of four, is charged with delivering the on site duties spread across
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