Woodhill Park in Shropshire once hosted guests such as Jackie Kennedy, but now has new owners and hopes to become a centre for wellbeing. Trees were being planted today by veterans.
Woodhill Park in Morda near Oswestry is the a house that once had esteemed visitors like Jackie Kennedy and is now under new ownership. The house and estate hopes to become a centre for wellbeing. To kick things off there was tree planting by Clearwater staff in the Veterans garden under direction of two veterans. They were planting in the shape of the George Cross.
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00:00We're here at the gorgeous Woodhill Park in Shropshire and Sairie, this is where you live?
00:05Yes, yes, but only for the last week, we've only just moved in.
00:08Yeah, you've just moved in and all the problems are coming to the fold.
00:12That's absolutely right, so we've had some events outside because then we don't have to take people inside and see all the mess.
00:18Yeah, it's a work in progress.
00:20That's right, that's right.
00:22So what is Woodhill Park?
00:24We're opening it as a well-being venue so that we can do, so people can come and do yoga or courses for maybe learning to grow food and all sorts of things like gut health and people can hire the retreat for business coaching, whatever.
00:41But it's just very important, we felt, to sort of have connection with nature, connection to other people, to the community, and it's all about finding purpose.
00:50So that was my sort of rationale behind setting it up.
00:54So we're here at Woodhill Park Estate, we've got two ex-Royal Navy veterans and Councillor Joyce Barrow, how are you doing guys?
01:00Very well, thank you.
01:02Cool, so what's happening here then? So you're planting a few trees, fill us in lads, so you were in the services, what are you up to now?
01:10So I'm running a business called Karma that works exclusively with the Green Task Force, which Paul's a part of, and what we do is we bring corporates out of the city, into nature, planting trees, giving back to people, society,
01:22and creating environmental impact.
01:24And it's important, isn't it, to kind of, they say, don't they, to get out there, it's great for the mental health, don't they, you know, get out in nature, something a lot of people don't seem to do.
01:34Paul, you'll second that then?
01:36I will, it's nature-based therapy and it's free.
01:40Yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah.
01:42Joyce, you've had a look at what they're doing down here, what do you think?
01:44Oh, I think it's absolutely fantastic, they're great people, and it's close to my heart because both my brothers served in the army.
01:52Oh wow, okay, yeah, yeah.
01:54So what is it you're creating here then, we're calling it the Veterans Garden, aren't we?
01:57Yeah, it's the Veterans Garden, but we're planting a hedgerow in the shape of the George Cross, which will form the pathway into the Veterans Garden, where we will have memorial trees in time.
02:06Ah, fantastic.
02:08And is it for the projects for Karma, is this the one-off project you're doing here, or will you be doing ongoing projects?
02:14Oh, we do hundreds of projects every year and we get corporates involved to sponsor the day to come out with their people, making an environmental impact and creating social value in the countryside.
02:26Awesome work guys, thank you ever so much for inviting us down, thank you.
02:30So you've had quite a busy, full-on life, at one point working for us at the Shropshire Star.
02:36That was my beginning, yeah.
02:38And you've worked all over in London, the hustle and bustle that comes with that, and in media, so is this you kind of just trying to find a more relaxed, peaceful way of life?
02:47Absolutely not, there's nothing like it.
02:49As I was saying that, I thought, hang on, you've got to consider it this house.
02:52No, this is the busiest I don't think I've ever been.
02:54But it is all about finding purpose and that was about me finding my purpose and I think that's what helps other people find their way through life, that's what you need.
03:06So let's use our magic wand, we fast forward three, four, five years, so there's going to be people here doing yoga, kind of, what sort of stuff, and people will be able to stay over as well will they?
03:18Yes, my aim is that people, well we've got six cottages and we're just currently renovating one of the stables to be a yoga studio, hopefully.
03:28And so we just want to be part of the community and have other people come here and see how beautiful Shropshire is, because even internationally I think people don't realise just what an amazing place this is in the world.
03:43I always think Shropshire is a little bit off that radar isn't it? A lot of people aren't aware of these beautiful towns and so on we've got.
03:49Which can be good and bad.
03:52Good for people trying to get a seat at the cafe, not so good for the owner of the cafe who wants to sell a few more breakfasts.
03:58So well it looks fantastic and we wish you all the best. MP Helen Morgan, hello.
04:03Hello.
04:04What do you think of what you're seeing here today, it's great isn't it?
04:06It's lovely yeah, it's great to see veterans who sometimes really struggle to adjust to their non-veteran life, get an opportunity to find some purpose and to connect with nature and to create something that's going to be there for a long long time to come.
04:22What a lovely thing to have in Shropshire as well.
04:24Yeah beautiful, it's a beautiful day and it's an absolutely beautiful setting so yeah really really proud to have it here.
04:30Well you've got your wellies on, go on go and grab a shovel.
04:32I'm going to go and grab a shovel and make myself useful.
04:34Thank you Helen, thank you.
04:36How can people find out about these retreats and yoga sessions that will be coming up?
04:41Yep it's at www.woodhillparkestate.com and they can also find out about the journal which is about people finding their purpose, very interesting people and the history of the place because it was actually originally owned by Lord Harlick who was best friends with JFK and he would often go and stay at the White House and then Bobby Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy and JFK stayed here.
05:07And then after JFK died Lord Harlick proposed to Jackie Kennedy so it has quite an amazing history and actually people from great quite older people remember actually being told to stay away when JFK would stay because the G-men might shoot them and they actually kept you know blood plasma for JFK in case anything happened to him so it's a very fascinating time.
05:34Oh my god if walls could talk that's what they say isn't it with some of these houses.
05:38That gardens looking great at the back there that's an interesting project isn't it that's going on there?
05:44Yes it's also the wall garden that we're sort of focusing on trying to bring that back to life.
05:48Yeah so that'll tie in with all kind of the growing the produce and that side of things.
05:52Fantastic so there's some great things to come and we hope to catch up with you in the future.
05:56Fantastic.