Paul Sedgwick’s “state of the nation” talk is always a popular event. This year it was even more packed: 110 of us met at the York Club on 16 October to learn about the year’s achievements and challenges, and to hear about the plans for the future.
It has certainly been a busy year for Paul. Not only is he now responsible for the Windsor and Rural Portfolio (the local area plus all farms) and the Traditional Portfolio (an eclectic portfolio of buildings, such as the Royal Ballet School), but he has also taken on responsibility for the Coastal Portfolio.
The Crown Estate
The Crown Estate Act 1961 s.5 says that Windsor Great Park “is to be maintained in its present state as a Royal Park and Forest”. The Team is holding to that whilst at the same time moving towards more environmental and educational work. Windsor is very expensive to maintain.
Across the four portfolios, there are 500 farm tenancies, some of which have been in the same family for generations, 1,100 houses and cottages, 900 long leasehold properties (residential and commercial), and 12,500km of UK coastline.
We saw a picture of Forest Lodge which is going to be Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales’ family home. Paul explained that the road closure and security barriers being erected around the house were Home Office led, but that he did not envisage any more of Windsor Great Park being ‘screened off.’
State visits
Home Park plantings are increasing. Windsor was also the backdrop this year to three State visits. The first was by the King and Queen of Sweden and the spade used by the King’s grandfather was found, and used by the King of Sweden, much to his great pleasure, in planting a new tree here. The spade is decorated with the Swedish flag and the date of the King’s grandfather’s visit. The King of Sweden liked this so much, they have started decorating any spades they use for tree planting in Sweden like this
The two other visits were by President Macron, who was given a Windsor Oak for the French embassy in London, and President Donald Trump.
His Majesty King III, along with The King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf, planting a gifted Swedish Oak in Home Park Private, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Camilla and Queen Silvia of Sweden
The spade used by King Gustavus V, the grandfather of the current King of Sweden, when planting an oak tree in 1908
Awards
The Windsor Garden team had done magnificently well in gaining eight prestigious RHS cups around the country; these had been won by PGE students and apprentices with the guiding hand of an experienced team member. The pictures showed us some very delighted young gardeners, all with broad smiles.
The team winning at an RHS Plant Competition
Winning displays at an RHS Plant Competition
Within The Savill Garden, the Casson Bridge had been rebuilt to the original design by Sir Hugh Casson, using Windsor oak and the stream had been de-silted, which needs doing every 25 to 30 years.
Valley Gardens has had work done too, and this year’s display at the Punch Bowl marked a return to its former glory. Paul thanked Patricia and her team for all their hard work.
Other awards included a Wildlife Garden Award, and a designation of “platinum” in the Loo of the Year Award (apparently, Windsor Great Park lost out to a shopping centre in Manchester…). The Adventure Playground won the worldwide TEA “Oscars of Play” award for a theme park on a limited budget and Paul Sedgwick and Athena Morse, Head of Visitor Development, travelled to Los Angeles to collect it.
Athena Morse, Head of Visitor Development, and Paul Sedgwick, Deputy Ranger and
The Savill Garden Visitor Centre Team attending the Gift Retailer of the Year Awards
Improvements & Developments
The Commercial dog walking scheme was launched this year and has been well received. More landscape planting took place in Windsor Great Park, and the team are receiving multiple deliveries of trees on a regular basis. Having looked at Ordnance Survey maps of around 1840, 15,000 open grown parkland trees were identified as missing. The idea was to replant them, and last year 1,000 had been replaced, although it had been difficult to keep them all alive due to the dry weather.
Slightly further afield, the cycle trail in Swinley Forest had been regraded and was now open again, and sweet chestnut coppice has been converted into fencing at Clockcase for use around the Estate.
Events
Paul talked about all the events that took place in and around Windsor Great Park; His Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh became the Patron of the Yellow Labrador Dog Club; the Parallel Windsor event continues to gain strength and was this year sponsored by Amazon; and a number of film companies have been filming on the Estate across the year.
The Royal Windsor Flower Show was another very popular event and did sell out this year.
Julie Janes, Team Leader in The Savill Garden Visitor Centre, winning awards at the Royal Windsor Flower Show 2025.
There has been wider engagement at the Environmental Centre as well as 45 school visits across the Rural Estates with The Country Trust, and at the biannual Schools open day in Windsor, 600 primary school children visited to see how the different teams across Windsor Great Park contribute to the work of the Estate.
Farms
Farms were next on the agenda. His Majesty The King transferred the responsibility for the Royal Farms to the Windsor Great Park team in March 2024. Paul talked us through the types of farming at the renamed Windsor Farms, and we will be able to buy their Windsor beef, pork and lamb, as well as venison at the Windsor Farm Shop. They were exploring the possibility of producing Windsor milk, yogurt and ice cream to use up all the milk that comes from the herds of cattle on the Estate. We should also see some of this produce on the menus in The Savill Garden Kitchen very soon.
Restoration work had been going on at the farm, and Paul told us the story of the lovingly restored clock and bell at Prince Consort’s Farm, which the Dean of Windsor suggested he should bless. The blessing and prayers were beautifully timed to finish a minute before 3.00pm so that all gathered – including the King – could hear the new chime. The clock chimed on time, but four times not three! Gales of laughter from all of them, luckily.
The King is hugely supportive of all staff; he hosted a private investiture for a number of the team who have worked at the Farm Shop for a long time. He also hosted an event at the Castle for all the tenant farmers who had gathered for a two-day event in July 2025, which was the first time they had all been together since 1981.
British Whites and Longhorns
The restored clock at Prince Consort’s Farm
Plans to come
Looking ahead, work will be done in and around Savill Garden to replace fencing, improve pathways, establish a permanent structure by the Obelisk to replace the kiosk and improve the current free playground to replicate a miniature Adventure Playground. In the Adventure Playground itself, there will be a sensory room for children and young adults with sensory needs if an affordable scheme can be agreed.
Paul laid out plans for other building and conservation work and said that the Totem Pole would be laid to rest this year.
The Home Park Public car park was under discussion with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to be returned to The Crown Estate, and they will work with councillors to improve the sporting facilities, once the site has been transferred.
A proposal for the new Obelisk playground
The Rural and Coastal Portfolios
The Rural Portfolio extends from Northumberland to the south of England and includes 29 rural Estates around England and Wales.
Paul and his team are helping farmers to become more diversified and thus more resilient when crops don’t do so well. He explained that what he and his team do matters in the farming community; it has a ripple effect and helps to explore new opportunities on tenanted farms.
The Coastal Portfolio covers all the land between the low tide and high tide marks, The coastline looked after by this portfolio extends for 12,500 kilometres; The Crown owns 55% of the foreshore and the great majority of the rest is owned by the National Trust, with whom The Crown Estate is looking to form a formal partnership. Paul described this Portfolio as “interesting” with over 2,500 customers, some of whom are currently “unlicensed”.
Conclusions
Bravely, Paul took questions from the floor which covered issues such as the importance of the Obelisk ride, Windsor Illuminated, and how he managed such a huge and diverse portfolio.
All in all, a fabulous evening. We all very much appreciated both Paul’s willingness to give up his time and to explain to us in such detail all the things that have been going on this year.
Keep an eye out for his talk in 2026!
