admin – Dawnay Estates

Wykeham Welcomes Barbless Flies

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 12:13:47 +0000

Relocating to The Cartshed at The Hillyard, Barbless Flies supply hand tied flies to the river & stillwater fly angler. Ten years ago, Richard Fieldhouse, a keen angler, realising the gap in the market for ready-made affordable barbless flies of quality decided to source his own. Barbless Flies now supply individual and boxed selections of flies to ANYWHERE in the WORLD free of charge. However if you want to pick your own there’s a fantastic selection on display at their new shop in Wykeham.

Visit www.barbless-flies.co.uk to find out more.

A Fond Farewell To Robert Sword

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 12:12:08 +0000

As the snowdrops bloomed in 1993, Robert Sword became the Estate’s Director. After starting as a junior assistant agent at Hatfield Park and Badminton Estates, he joined estate management company Humberts; going on to establish their York office.

He first came across Wykeham when he was asked by the late Lord Downe, playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn and Charles McCarthy CBE of McCains to advise on the acquisition of the old Odeon cinema, as a new home for the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough.

After this successful deal he was lured to Wykeham full time. “I have relished the challenge of managing this magnificent and beautiful estate,” says Robert. “Consultants only dip in and out of a project. In this role you live with your successes and failures; there is ultimately only one option – sort them out.” Creating and nurturing a growing business can take many years, and although Robert would be the first to recognise the huge contribution from an exceptional group of general managers, he has been instrumental in many of the estate’s recent successes, culminating in the award of the Bledisloe Gold Medal. The rest of the newsletter touches on some of his achievements.

A Warm Welcome To Our New Chief Executive David Steel

admin — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 12:12:22 +0000

David Steel has passed the Estate’s door countless times, driving from property managers Savills’ York office when managing the Duchy of Lancaster’s estates north of Scarborough. Now his commute will be a little shorter, living and working in Wykeham village.

From a Durham family farming background, David has now lived in North Yorkshire for nearly two decades. He has worked with a wide variety of estates and organisations, across both the north east and north west of England, which has encompassed a wide range of rural projects.

“I’m really looking forward to putting down roots and focusing my attention on one Estate,” says David. “I’ve always admired the business diversity of the Dawnay Estates and reading about its progression in this very newsletter. I now can’t wait to be a part of it myself.”

The Steel family is made up of David’s wife Georgie, daughter and son Izzy and Harry, and two cocker spaniels – Pigeon and Toast. He is a keen road cyclist and enjoys shooting game and clays. Please say hello if you see him out and about!

Welcome to Dawnay

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 12:09:42 +0000

Last year’s Charity Clay Shoot raised over £25,000 and one of the organisations that benefited was Support Dogs, a Yorkshire based charity that trains and provides specialist assistance dogs for children and adults living with autism, epilepsy and disability. As a thankyou The Estate was invited to name a dog – so welcome to “Dawnay”, a Yellow Labrador puppy. With Dawnay spending the next 2 years in training we will receive regular updates and, we hope, the odd visit.

Charity Clay Shoot raises £100,000 in 3 years

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 12:07:33 +0000

Last year’s Charity Clay Shoot raised over £25,000 and benefitted the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and Support Dogs, a Yorkshire based charity that provides assistance dogs for those living with autism, epilepsy and disability. Held over three consecutive years the Charity Clay Shoot has gone from strength to strength and the total raised is over £100,000. In addition to the GWCT and Support Dogs the event has previously supported St Catherine’s Hospice and Ryedale and North Yorkshire Mountain Rescue.

Gold standard for St Helen’s

admin — Thu, 28 Nov 2019 11:26:40 +0000

St Helen’s Caravan Park in Wykeham has been awarded the AA’s coveted 5 Pennant Gold quality standard for caravan parks. “We’re delighted all our hard work has been recognised,” says Manager, Andrew Backhouse. “It’s the highest mark the site has ever achieved and builds on our reputation for excellent customer service and facilities.”

These facilities include a new café with a veranda for outdoor dining and a wood burning stove inside for cooler days. It’s not just patronised by the caravan parks’ visitors but is a regular haunt for locals, walkers and cyclists. It was the start and finishing line for a recent Trackrod car rally and has hosted fundraising events including a Macmillan Coffee Morning and a charity night which raised more than £700 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance and St Catherine’s Hospice.