My summer journey of discovery, touring our wonderful portfolio of Estates has helped me gain a better understanding of a wider range of different perspectives and opinions. I recognise that I’m privileged to spend a huge amount of time in…
North Devon
Where nature, people, and enterprise are being brought back into balance.
Mornacott is undergoing a long-term transformation, from a simplified, traditionally managed landscape into a more complex, resilient system shaped by natural processes.
Set on the idyllic southern edge of Exmoor, Mornacott is a breathtaking 777-arce Estate and ecological haven in North Devon. The Estate is within the UK’s first UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve – an area recognised globally for its environmental significance,. The Estate is perfectly poised to connect people with nature while promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship. Historically a mixed farming and game shooting estate, Mornacott now leads the way in integrating conservation, organic agriculture, and eco-friendly tourism, offering visitors an unparalleled experience in natural beauty and biodiversity.
Sustainable Tourism
The future of Mornacott is not about removing people from the landscape, but about redefining how land is used.
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Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
At Mornacott, Biodiversity Net Gain is a mechanism to fund and accelerate meaningful nature recovery.
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Regenerative Agriculture
Agriculture at Mornacott is being reimagined as a tool for ecological recovery.
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Reconnecting habitats and creating new landscapes.
The Estate is a patchwork of permanent pastures and scattered sections of broadleaf woodland, threaded by the River Molland Yeo and enriched by a diverse property footprint, from holiday cottages and a Grade II listed farmhouse to extensive agricultural buildings. It is a landscape full of potential, where restoration and innovation can create lasting benefits for both nature and people.
At its core, this vision is about restoring function: rebuilding ecological relationships, reconnecting habitats, and creating a landscape that can sustain both biodiversity and people over time.
Sustainable Tourism
Across the Estate, restored cottages and the historic farmhouse provide spaces for guests to slow down, explore, and engage with the natural world. Every element of the visitor experience has been carefully considered, from renewable energy systems and low-impact operations to partnerships with local producers and businesses.
As the Estate evolves, so too will its tourism offering—introducing new experiences, increasing capacity, and deepening the connection between people and place. The ambition is to create a destination where conservation and hospitality are fully aligned, allowing visitors to become part of the landscape’s long-term restoration.
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
By committing over 700 acres of the Estate to habitat creation and enhancement, we are transforming the landscape into a more diverse, connected, and resilient ecological system. Through the creation of species-rich grasslands, scrub, wetlands, and wood pasture, we are restoring the complexity that has been lost over time.
This work will generate high-quality biodiversity units, ensuring measurable and lasting gains for nature. In doing so, Mornacott is being positioned as a leading example of how BNG can deliver real ecological value at scale—supporting long-term restoration while enabling the Estate’s vision to grow and endure.
Regenerative Agriculture
The Estate has transitioned to organic and regenerative farming practices that prioritise soil health, biodiversity, and long-term resilience. This includes reducing stocking densities, removing sheep, and using conservation grazing to help shape habitats naturally.
By working with natural processes rather than against them, farming becomes part of the restoration—supporting healthier soils, richer ecosystems, and more sustainable food production. Over time, Mornacott will demonstrate how agriculture can operate in balance with nature, delivering environmental and economic value together.
Explore our interactive landscape vision map for the Estate.
Mornacott's restoration is already well underway.
Across the Estate, active restoration is already well underway — from large woody debris installation and gravel introduction for river restoration, to hedgerow planting and management, scrape creation, and a major wetland restoration project currently underway.
Through these efforts, we aim to achieve a range of objectives —including clean water, carbon storage, spaces for wildlife, community homes, nature engagement, education and learning, green jobs, regenerative agriculture, and clean energy—that collectively contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The figures to the right represent the long-term impact we aim to deliver through restoration—measured over the lifetime of the Estate.
over 1,000 BNG units
generated through habitat restoration
8 km
of watercourses restored
4 jobs
supported across the Estate
Articles from across the Estate
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What is BNG? In an era where environmental and social impacts are paramount in shaping a sustainable future, the emphasis on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has never been more critical! BNG is an innovative environmental policy framework that mandates any…
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As we close the book on 2024, we’re not just reflecting on a year; we’re celebrating an expedition. It’s been a year of audacious ambitions, groundbreaking progress, and so many learnings that only come with challenging the status quo. At…
Meet your Estate Manager
As Estate Manager at Mornacott, Archie leads the stewardship of this traditionally managed North Devon Estate as it undergoes transformation into a nature recovery project. His work spans delivery of Mornacott’s Biodiversity Net Gain scheme, including active habitat restoration such as river works, wetland creation, and hedgerow planting, and management of the Estate’s transition to regenerative agriculture and Oxygen Escapes tourism offering. With a background in marine biology, he brings both technical depth and a genuine passion for nature recovery to his work at Mornacott.
Email Archie