Regal Neighbours!!

Newton St Loe, near Bath, the Duchy of Cornwall's largest estate outside Dartmoor

"The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate established by Edward III in 1337 to provide independence to his son and heir, Prince Edward. A charter ruled that each future Duke of Cornwall would be the eldest surviving son of the Monarch and heir to the throne. The current Duke of Cornwall, HRH The Prince of Wales, is the longest serving Duke in history. The revenue from his estate is used to fund the public, private and charitable activities of The Duke and his children...

The Duchy's estate includes over 600 residences and virtually all are let to tenants. These houses often form part of rural and urban estates and although the Duchy does from time to time sell the freeholds of houses, in many instances the Duchy endeavours to keep the structure of the estates intact, indeed many of these dwellings are on land that has been owned by the Duchy estate since its creation in 1337. As a result, the estate has many links with tenants and communities that span generations." http://duchyofcornwall.org

After a rubbish morning, a surprise invite to meet up with friends at the local farm shop cafe for a cuppa in the warm sunshine was a welcome treat! Newton St Loe is such a lovely village, but with the majority of the houses belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall, living here remains a distant dream for many...