Courteenhall Estate

30/03/2025

2025 🏅


We're delighted to announce that nominations are OPEN for the prestigious RASE Bledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners.


The Bledisloe Gold Medal is awarded to a landowner who demonstrates outstanding achievement in the successful land management and development of 2,000 plus acre estate in England.


Recent winners include:

• Lord Hertford of the Ragley Estate (2024)

• Dr Johnny Wake of Courteenhall Estate (2023)

• Her Majesty the Queen for the management of her Sandringham and Windsor Estates (2022)

• Sir Nicholas Bacon of Raveningham Estate (2021)



Click the link below to learn more about the 2025 award and submit your nomination 👇


https://www.rase.org.uk/about-us/awards/bledisloe-gold-medal-for-landowners/


Burges Salmon LLP

26/03/2025

🐸 Heroic rescue alert! 🐸

Yesterday, Bea worked her magic and saved these tiny toads from an area of the Estate where they wouldn’t have survived. She carefully moved them to a safe spot by our lake, giving them a fresh start and chance at life! ✨

17/03/2025

A male Goldfinch, originally tagged here at Courteenhall has been recaptured 579km away on the West coast of Ireland! 🇮🇪✨

On October 12th 2023, ornithologists Chris Payne and his team from Northants Ringing Group ringed the bird near Roade, alongside 200 other Goldfinch. 16 months later on February 19th 2025 the same bird was found in County Clare, Ireland. An incredible journey if you ask us! ✨🪶

11/03/2025

We are looking forward to attending tomorrow!

05/03/2025

24/02/2025

Our shepherdess Hannah Murrell at our sister site is gearing up for a very busy lambing season. 🐑

The 24-year-old shepherdess is expecting up to 300 Rare & Native Breed lambs to be born in the next few weeks at our sister Estate, Gawdy Hall, in Harleston.
Hannah looks after a flock of 400 sheep with the help of her three-year-old sheepdog Roo.🐶

We reintroduced Rare Breed sheep at Gawdy Hall in 2023 starting with 50 Llanwenog sheep. They were soon joined by another 350 as well as 27 Norfolk Horn Shearling ewes, an amber listed rare breed, 100 Lleyn ewes, 3 pedigree rams and 200 Lleyn ewe lambs.✨

The flock are reared entirely outside on grass and herbal leys in the 16th century Estate’s parkland and graze cover crops such as radish grown over the winter months. The introduction of cover cropping and livestock is part of our change to a more regenerative way of farming to improve soil health.🌾🌳

Find out more about Hannah and what she loves about her job here:
https://lnkd.in/ed7fTTTN

21/02/2025

Big Farmland Bird Count! 🪶

8 members of the team went out to various woods around the Estate on Monday lunchtime to record the birds we could hear around us.👂🌳

These birds included: Barn Owl🦉, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Common Kingfisher, Dunnock, Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Mistle Trush, Tree Creeper and Song Thrush.

We are aiming to take a team out every few months so we can keep an eye on the species that are on the Estate. Enabling us to target our environmental work to support those less common birds found on the Estate. 🦅🦆

Make sure to keep a look out for updates.

20/02/2025

Courteenhall Snowdrops! ✨

Snowdrop season is back and we are very excited to see our Courteenhall snowdrops gracing us with there presence once again.

10/02/2025

A big thank you to BBC Radio 4 Sarah Swadling for visiting Courteenhall Estate and interviewing Dr Johnny Wake! ✨

They had a fascinating conversation covering a range of topics including the The Ethical Butcher, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), Natural England and the British society of lifestyle medicine. 🌿

Plus, Sarah had an insightful chat with Alex Preston about New Leaf Learning, which is definitely worth a listen! 🎧

Catch the full interview on BBC radio 4 website if you missed it yesterday! ✨

British Farming Awards National Farmers Union Cranfield School of Management Oxbury Bank Plc

Sarah Swadling meets GP turned farmer Dr Johnny Wake.

07/02/2025

Who doesn’t like a frosty morning! ❄️

06/02/2025

Johnny Wake, the Managing Partner of Courteenhall Estate in South Northamptonshire, has won an award for his entrepreneurship and visionary leadership in the agricultural sector.✨

Johnny has been announced as the winner of Cranfield School of Management’s 2025 Entrepreneur Alumni Award and has been praised for his ‘deep commitment to sustainability and innovation’.

A former doctor turned farmer, Johnny was part of Cranfield’s Business Growth Programme 2019.
Its awards honour alumni who exemplify their values, make significant contributions to their organisations, communities, and the alumni community, and who serve as role models and inspire all those who strive to make a meaningful impact in business and society.

30/01/2025

Sausage Day! 🐷🍽️

Five of our Berkshire pigs, raised on the Estate and free to forage in the woods, were made into 3,000 sausages last Saturday! The team worked hard for four and half hours but the result was worth every minute!

From farm to fork, it’s all about sustainable farming and great home grown food! 🐖🍴

15/01/2025

We are thrilled to announce that our Managing Partner Johnny Wake has been appointed to the LEAF board of Trustees! ✨

LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) is a charity dedicated to advancing sustainable farming practices and ensuring a resilient food system for future generations. 🚜🐄

Here is to a sustainable future! 🌾✨

14/01/2025

Later this month, our Managing Partner Johnny Wake will be speaking at an exclusive The Ethical Butcher event at & Fortnum & Mason food studio in London! 🍽️✨

Join Johnny as he discusses how to scale regenerative agriculture for the future, alongside an expert panel featuring:
- Farshad Kazemian, Founder & CEO of
- Thomasina Miers, Founder of Wahaca
- Duncan Rawson, Partner at European Food and Farming Partnership

The discussion will focus on regenerative farming, exploring its challenges, benefits and the path forward. 🐄🐽🍽️

The Event will be hosted by Sasha Notley, Director of Sustainability

📅 Date: Wednesday, 22nd January, 6:30pm-8pm

📍Location: Fortnum & Mason, London

🎟️ Tickets: £38.62

Tickets are now available, Click on the link to our website for more information!

14/01/2025

Exciting news from Courteenhall!

We’re thrilled to announce our plans for a Farm Shop & Cafe, celebrating the best of local producers and sustainable farming have been approved. 🍽️🌾

Expect mouthwatering menus inspired by the seasons, featuring ingredients from Northamptonshire and surrounding counties including our own Traditional Hereford Beef. 🐄✨

Beyond dining, you will be able to explore our curated selection of fresh and pantry goods, enjoy scenic trails and cycling routes through beautiful wildflower meadows. 🌸🚲🚶‍♂️

This venture will not only support local agriculture but also create 19 full time jobs, contributing to a sustainable future for our community. ✨

More updates to come!

10/01/2025

Frosty Mornings! ✨❄️

09/01/2025

We have made great progress with laying the hedges at Courteenhall recently 🌿

Hedge laying is a time honoured tradition of managing hedgerows, helping them grow thicker, creating vital shelter and diverse habitats for wildlife. 🪶🦋

The hedges have been laid by expert local craftspeople in the beautiful ’Midlands’ style, ensuring a stock proof boundary for the fields, while supporting nature.

Photos and hedging by