Tom Mason, our new Estate Manager, is looking forward to getting to know members of the local community as he gets to grips with his new role looking after our diverse operations.

He brings a wealth of experience in farming and land management to the Claydon Estate, most recently as Estates Director with the Environment Bank, working with farmers and landowners to bring biodiversity improvements to sites across the country.

Tom is relishing the close connection with the community that the role of an Estate Manager offers and has already begun making contacts in and around Claydon.

Managing Partner Nicholas Verney said he was very pleased to welcome Tom to Claydon. “Tom’s experience and his passion to work with people across our community makes him a huge asset to the team. I very much look forward to working with him to ensure the estate thrives.”

Tom says taking on the job of an Estate Manager has been his ambition since his student days.  After studying at Hull university, where he graduated in geography and economics, Tom worked on a large arable farm in Essex, before returning to his studies to take his Master’s in Rural Land and Business Management at Henley Business School, part of Reading University.

Jobs with Strutt and Parker – where he worked as a land agent for several estates – and the Country Land and Business Association followed. But Tom always had his sights set on a job with a single estate, taking responsibility for managing its business interests across the board.

He says: “It was a long-term goal and always something that I wanted to do – juggling the different business opportunities of an estate, from farming and conservation to diversification projects and the management of commercial and residential property.

“I am so pleased to be living and working on the Claydon Estate. I think to do this job you need to really invest yourself in the local community – it gives you a different perspective.”

Tom accepts there are challenges for farmers and land managers at the moment and cites uncertainty as the biggest barrier many face. But he says the longevity of rural estates like Claydon, which has been operating for around 400 years, is a great strength and provides hope for the future.

His first major project as Estate Manager will be integrating Claydon into the Ray Farmer Cluster, a farmer led initiative to bring together farmers at landscape scale to protect and enhance nature for the benefit of wildlife and the public.

Tom says: “The first step is to carry out an audit of the Estate and identify opportunities to make the best use of our natural capital which could include some restoration work in the parkland.  It’s at an early stage but is an exciting project.”

Outside of work Tom enjoys country sports and watching rugby.