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Our Story · The Vision

A vision for
something
greater

Nick and Gerald Winnington-Ingram did not inherit Old Manor Farm to keep it. They saw it belong to the nation, to a cause worthy of its 800-year history and the family legacy it carries.

7.2
Acres of Estate
8+
Structures on Site
5
Retreat Bedrooms
800+
Years of History
The Trust's Purpose

What the Trust
exists to do

The Old Manor Farm Preservation Trust was founded with a formally registered set of charitable objects, the legal purposes for which it exists. These objects reflect the founding trustees' vision: a place of faith, learning, heritage, community and care for the natural world.

I
The Advancement of Religion
Promoting and supporting religious harmony, locally and globally, hosting retreats, services, and spiritual programmes for people of faith and those exploring belief.
II
The Advancement of Education
Delivering educational courses, retreats, and programmes, including the MEGA (Making Earth Godly Again) curriculum developed by True Nature Enterprises, exploring faith through reason and philosophy.
III
The Preservation of Heritage
Restoring and maintaining Old Manor Farm as a Grade I Listed building of outstanding historic significance, ensuring it endures for future generations and remains accessible to the public.
IV
Community Benefit
Serving Cottisford, Juniper Hill, and the surrounding area, opening the farm for village gatherings, community events, and fellowship in the heart of the community it has always belonged to.
V
Environmental Stewardship
Promoting understanding of and responsibility for the natural world through education, conservation, sustainable land management, and the example set by the estate itself.
★
Open to All
"Our staff and volunteers may work with individuals and groups of any faith or none at all." The Trust's Christian foundation is its anchor, not its boundary.
The Estate

7.2 acres of possibility

Old Manor Farm is more than a house. It is a complex of historic buildings set within 7.2 acres (2.9 hectares) of paddock land, orchard and ponds, each structure with its own character and its own potential for charitable use.

01
Old Manor Farm
The Grade I Listed 13th-century manor house. To be converted for retreat, education, and community gatherings with 5 bedrooms and public reception rooms.
02
The Barn
A substantial outbuilding to be repurposed for programme activities, workshops and larger community events.
03
Old Manor Farm Cottage
A separate cottage on the estate, planned for staff or extended retreat accommodation.
04
Workshop & Pump Room
Practical outbuildings housing mechanical infrastructure and workshop facilities for the estate.
05
The Old Barn & Pig Sties
Further historic agricultural structures to be assessed and selectively repurposed.
06
Orchard, Paddock & Ponds
7.2 acres of land including mature orchard, paddock fields, and natural ponds supporting environmental stewardship and contemplative use.
HM Land Registry site plan of Old Manor Farm, 7.2 acres

HM Land Registry site plan, approximately 7.2 acres (2.9 hectares)

"Energising a physical ancient space in supporting contemporary spiritual communion, growth and education and with a commitment to the local community."

Old Manor Farm Preservation Trust: Governing Document
The Restoration Plan

Designed with care,
built to last

The Trust is undertaking the restoration and conversion of Old Manor Farm in accordance with the RIBA Plan of Work, the Royal Institute of British Architects' industry-standard framework for architectural projects. This ensures the work is carried out with the rigour, care, and heritage sensitivity that a Grade I Listed building demands.

The project involves a formal change of use from private residence to charitable facility. Feasibility studies, ecological surveys, planning applications, and detailed architectural design are all part of the process, each step carried out in consultation with heritage bodies, planning authorities, and specialist consultants.

The approach is not one of demolition and reinvention, but of careful, sympathetic adaptation, preserving the architectural integrity of an 800-year-old building while fitting it for the next chapter of its life as a place of welcome, learning, and faith.

RIBA Plan of Work, the framework guiding the restoration of Old Manor Farm

The RIBA Plan of Work framework guiding the OMF restoration project

Inside the Manor

Utilising every room

As a Grade I Listed building, Old Manor Farm is subject to strict heritage constraints: no significant structural changes will be made, and no walls will be moved or altered. The rooms will be used as they are, adapted in purpose but not in fabric, to serve the Trust's charitable mission.

The ground floor will be brought into charitable use, creating welcoming spaces for visitors, guests, and programme participants, alongside private retreat and staff areas. The first floor provides five bedrooms and three bathrooms for residential retreats and other visitors.

All proposed layouts and development works are subject to planning permission and heritage consent from the relevant authorities.

Ground floor public rooms: Entrance Hall · Cloakroom · Reception Room · Dining & Meeting Room · Conservatory
Private / retreat rooms: Drawing Room · Sitting Room
Staff areas: Kitchen · Pantry & Larder · Plant Room

Sustainable Infrastructure

Built for people
and planet

Old Manor Farm is intended to be a showcase, demonstrating what a Grade I Listed ancient property can achieve through the thoughtful adoption of modern, environmentally sustainable technologies. Heritage and innovation are not in conflict here. The Trust's commitment to environmental stewardship is built into the very fabric of the restoration, with sustainable infrastructure designed to serve the estate for generations.

01
Ground Source Heating
A ground source heating network installed across the paddock land, providing low-carbon warmth to the house and barn.
02
Discrete Solar Generation
Discreetly installed solar panels on the barn roof, approved in keeping with heritage requirements, generating clean energy for the estate without impacting the historic character of the manor.
03
Vegetable Garden
A productive vegetable and berry garden on the paddock land, supplying the kitchen and supporting educational programmes around growing and land stewardship.
04
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater capture and storage systems with separation from foul drains, reducing demand on mains supply.
05
Sewage Treatment
A dedicated foul drain and sewage treatment plant serving the converted facilities, properly managing the increased capacity of charitable use.
06
Orchard & Ponds
The existing mature orchard and natural ponds will be conserved and enhanced as habitats and spaces for reflection and environmental education.
07
Mains Water Supply
A mains water supply connection serving both the Manor House and the Barn, ensuring reliable provision across the full estate.
Retreat & Sanctuary

A place of
contemplation

The Trust is proposing a smoke sauna near the estate's natural ponds, a space for reflection and wellbeing, in keeping with the contemplative character of Old Manor Farm.

Drawing on a Scandinavian tradition of cleansing, contemplation and community, the sauna would sit quietly within the pond landscape, a fitting companion to the Trust's wider vision of retreat and renewal.

Proposed, subject to the necessary approvals.

Smoke sauna proposed near the ponds at Old Manor Farm

The Smoke Sauna, proposed near the estate ponds

The Decision

Purpose over profit

When John Winnington-Ingram suddenly and unexpectedly passed away in March 2021 (about 45 minutes after having been administered the second of Pfizer's mRNA Covid 19 "Vaccinations") after the initial shock and their grief in his passing, his sons Nick and Gerald had what one could possibly call something of an epiphany. They both strongly felt a calling not to sell Old Manor Farm, but to keep it; not just as a legacy to their father but so that it be much more than that for the greater good.

So, Nick and Gerald established the Old Manor Farm Preservation Trust, a registered charity (No. 1200105), and saw to it that Old Manor Farm belong to the nation, held in trust for the public benefit with a clear set of charitable purposes in mind. Both Nick and Gerald went to Stowe School, which is only just a few miles away from Cottisford, and though neither of them reside in the UK, nor intend to ever do so in the future, they still both have a sense of belonging to the local area, having known it from their schooldays and then subsequently when their father purchased the property some years later.

"Energising a physical ancient space in supporting contemporary spiritual communion, growth and education and with a commitment to the local community."

Their vision is grounded in a distinct facet of the Winnington-Ingram family tradition of Christian faith based community service, as well as that of the family's former stewardship as a custodian of ancestorial lands and properties over previous generations. The Trust now also carries those eight generations of the family heritage forward as a living legacy for future generations, but moreover for the greater public benefit.

The spirit behind the decision

Audeamus

We seek not for fortune, nor claim
To scorn the recompense we earn;
But help us, as we play the game,
To give the world its just return.

Thou made the earth for all of us,
Teach us to win and share, for thus
Can profit lead to happiness,
And make the world a better place.

Guard us from thoughts of little men
Which blind the soul to greater things.
Teach us to hold this task above
To make the world a better place.

Anon., read by Gerald Winnington-Ingram at Saint Bride's Church, Fleet Street, 20 April 2026

Old Manor Farm, Cottisford

Old Manor Farm, Cottisford, Grade I Listed, c. 13th century

Join the Journey

Help us build something lasting

The restoration of Old Manor Farm is a once-in-a-generation project. Every donation, every volunteer hour, and every visit brings this vision one step closer to reality.

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