Dorset CPRE’s celebration to mark 100 years of protecting the countryside

The special event on Friday, 25th September (5 – 7.45 pm), will be opened by journalist and broadcaster Kate Adie, President of Dorset CPRE.

Book tickets

CPRE has spent 100 years protecting the countryside and rural communities from damaging development and urban sprawl; Kate Adie will chair what promises to be a lively debate: What is the future of the countryside?

The panel will include Mary-Ann Ochota, National CPRE President, Cllr Nick Ireland, Leader of Dorset Council and George Hosford, leading Dorset farmer and Agricultural Advisor to Dorset CPRE.

Anne Litchfield, Milton Abbey Archivist, will tell us about the history of the Abbey, its adjoining house and the landscape designed by Capability Brown.

After the discussion, there will be canapés and wine, and guests will have the option to take a 40-minute self-guided walk along the Milton Abbas Experience Trail.

Milton Abbey is in the grounds of Milton Abbey School, just outside the picturesque village of  Milton Abbas, which befits a CPRE celebration as it’s commonly regarded as the first planned village in England. The Abbey is embraced and integrated by a breathtaking 500 acre landscape designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.

Whether you are a long-standing member or just curious to learn more about our work, we warmly encourage you to attend. The evening promises to be both celebratory and thought-provoking and a wonderful chance to meet our Trustees, volunteers, and members in the inspiring setting of Milton Abbey.

How to Book and current Programme

We hope you can join us. Tickets for the event are £20 per adult, register via Eventbrite by Sunday 30th August.  Note, Eventbrite does not collect payment for this event. Please pay by cheque or BACS as follows:

Post cheque payable to Dorset CPRE to our Hon. Treasurer, Bob Bowmer, Fairfield House, 2 Kings Road, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 4HU

Or, pay by bank transfer: account name Campaign to Protect Rural England, Dorset Branch
Barclays Bank, sort code 20 26 62, a/c 20292109 and quote IG and your surname as a reference.

Programme

Read more on CPRE’s centenary and Dorset CPRE’s work in ‘Protecting what matters since 1926‘.

Background information:

Kate Adie, Dorset CPRE President
Journalist and broadcaster Kate Adie became President of Dorset CPRE in November 2023. Kate opens Dorset CPRE’s annual planning conferences, which focus on development pressures and local biodiversity.

Guest speakers:

Mary-Ann Ochota, National CPRE President
Mary-Ann is a broadcaster, author and anthropologist whose passionate expertise has engaged people worldwide with landscapes, heritage and the natural world. She has presented programmes for the BBC, Channel 4 and National Geographic, including Time Team, Mystic Britain and Ancient Impossible.

George Hosford, Agricultural Advisor to Dorset CPRE
George farms 2,000 acres rented from the Bryanston estate with his brother Dougal. Much of Travellers Rest Farm lies within the South Wessex Downs Environmentally Sensitive Area and the Dorset National Landscape. George is well known for his high environmental standards, regenerative farming and focus on conservation, and is passionate about education. George is a former Chair of NFU Dorset.

Cllr Nick Ireland, Leader of Dorset Council
Nick has served in local government for many years. He chairs the Cabinet and is Cabinet Member for Climate, Performance and Safeguarding, as well as serving on the Dorset National Landscape Partnership Board and numerous regional bodies. Nick is very interested in health and wellbeing.