New Enclosure was appointed to deliver a landscape led masterplan for a family with great vision for their 12 acre smallholding in Somerset.

Set in a large expanse of lowland clay vale in the Upper Frome Valley, the smallholding is beautifully situated in an area with a long history of pastoral agriculture, which is characterised by an abundance of diverse native hedgerows and veteran trees, streams and rivers, and small historic settlements.

The project first required an in-depth assessment of the site’s existing setting to allow for a comprehensive evidence base to be built around and inform the proposals, and crucially, to identify opportunities for how the client’s aspirations could be realised. Capturing the historic, ecological, and ultimately the landscape baseline of the site allowed for a masterplan to be put forward that resourcefully worked with the landscape. That used its inherent natural qualities of deciduous woodland, pasture and meadow, and streams to frame a site wide offering that included provision of wild equestrian forage, lake and wetland creation, kitchen garden growing space, places for family recreation, and the reworking of the smallholding yard and farmhouse.

Working closely with the client, New Enclosure placed great importance on forging a productive and collaborative relationship so that the final iteration of the masterplan successfully addressed the brief. From site visits and meetings, to concept sketches and the presentation of the final iteration, New Enclosure composed an imaginative and coherent plan that gave the client a firm footing from which to develop their smallholding with confidence.

The implementation of the masterplan is underway with New Enclosure well positioned as lead consultant as the smallholding matures over decades to come.

Topographic survey courtesy of ADS Survey