Batsford Estate is set in 4,500 acres of stunning countryside. It is a mixed use estate, farming approximately 1,000 acres in-hand, the remainder of the farmland with tenant farmers, most of whom have lived and farmed the same holdings for generations.
The Estate also owns and manages over 50 residential properties in Batsford and the surrounding villages. Their housing policy lets properties as a primary residence to those who live and work locally and those looking to move to the area. The Estate has invested in facilities to provide natural spring water to the properties in Batsford village, heating comes from a biomass boiler fuelled from wood chip, sustainably harvested from the Estate.
A new venture to build and rent commercial space to local businesses required an update of the Estate’s visual identity. Our brief was to create a refreshed identity and apply it to a new website, stationery and signage. We began our process with a few days on the estate looking to immerse ourselves in the family history and heritage of the site. We soon found a beautiful stone carving of a Griffin’s head on one of the outbuildings. Created by the owner’s father, we decided this would be a lovely option as the symbol for the Estate. In heraldry the griffin symbolises ‘courage’ alongside a sun in splendour on its chest which is the emblem of ‘glory’.
Armed with some initial sketches we then briefed illustrator Peter Horridge to create a selection of refined options to present to the client. The refreshed identity was then applied to a new website, stationery, property sale boards and estate signage. With no website previously, the new digital presence has given the estate a platform to engage with the local community on news, events, property availability and sharing new businesses to the area.
