Fairford Park
Encyclopedia
Fairford Park is a 4200 acres (1,699.7 ha) estate in the southern Cotswolds
in Gloucestershire
, England, close to the small town of Fairford
. Purchased by Ernest Cook from the Baker family in 1945, the former stables and coach house of Fairford Park House are used as the headquarters of the Ernest Cook Trust
, which now owns the estate. At the time of its sale, the estate occupied about 2500 acres (1,011.7 ha), but it has since been added to by the purchase of surrounding farms: Court Farm in 1966, Hooks Farm at Southrop Airfield in 1967, Homeleaze Farm in 1975, and Donkeywell Farm in 1982.
The estate comprises five let farms, mainly arable
with some grazing along the valley of the River Coln
, and about 260 acres (105.2 ha) of woodland. During the Second World War
, the 17th-century Fairford Park House was used as an American military hospital, and until 1959 Polish refugees were housed in a camp in the park. The house was demolished in the 1950s, and its site is now occupied by Farmor's Comprehensive School.
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England, close to the small town of Fairford
Fairford
Fairford is a small town in Gloucestershire, England. The town lies in the Cotswolds on the River Coln, about east of Cirencester, west of Lechlade and north of Swindon. Nearby are RAF Fairford and the Cotswold Water Park.-Schools:...
. Purchased by Ernest Cook from the Baker family in 1945, the former stables and coach house of Fairford Park House are used as the headquarters of the Ernest Cook Trust
Ernest Cook Trust
The Ernest Cook Trust is a large educational charity in England. It was founded in 1952 by the philanthropist Ernest Cook, the grandson of Thomas Cook...
, which now owns the estate. At the time of its sale, the estate occupied about 2500 acres (1,011.7 ha), but it has since been added to by the purchase of surrounding farms: Court Farm in 1966, Hooks Farm at Southrop Airfield in 1967, Homeleaze Farm in 1975, and Donkeywell Farm in 1982.
The estate comprises five let farms, mainly arable
Agronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
with some grazing along the valley of the River Coln
River Coln
The River Coln is a river in Gloucestershire, England. It rises at Brockhampton to the east of Cheltenham, and flows in a south/south-easterly direction through the Cotswold Hills via Andoversford, Withington, Fossbridge, Bibury, Coln St Aldwyns and Fairford...
, and about 260 acres (105.2 ha) of woodland. During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 17th-century Fairford Park House was used as an American military hospital, and until 1959 Polish refugees were housed in a camp in the park. The house was demolished in the 1950s, and its site is now occupied by Farmor's Comprehensive School.