23 October 2025 –
It was 12.30pm on Wednesday 15th October and LandWorks was awaiting the arrival of a very special visitor – Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. The windows had never looked so shiny, the floor so cleanly swept, or the grounds so well maintained!
All eyes turn skywards at the sound of rotor blades as the royal helicopter approached and landed on the Dartington cricket pitch. A few minutes later The Princess Royal was greeted at the Quarry Field Gate by the Deputy Lieutenant of Devon, Commodore Jake Moores, and LandWorks Chair of Trustees Ted Tuppen OBE. They subsequently presented HRH to the High Sheriff of Devon, Caroline Harlow; the Chairman and Chief Executive of South Hams District Council, Bernard Taylor and Andrew Bates; and to our very own Chris Parsons, Project Director at LandWorks. And so, the memorable visit began.
Over the next hour, Chris led The Princess Royal on a walk around the site, taking in the charity’s wood workshop, market garden, pottery, wellness yurt, and cob wall. During the tour she heard at first-hand from the trainees about their experiences at LandWorks and the difference it is making to their lives.
At the end of her visit, The Princess Royal was invited to unveil a commemorative plaque, hand fired in the onsite pottery, following which she was presented with a ceramic plant pot and two LandWorks books, ‘Acceptance’ and our latest recipe book, The Big Thank You. At her own special request, she also took away an espresso coffee mug, made by LandWorks graduate Gary Fulton, AKA ‘The One- Armed Potter,’ and a colourful bag of jalapeño peppers freshly picked from the LandWorks market garden.
The Princess Royal has a long-standing interest in the criminal justice system. In 1985, the year it was founded, she became a patron of the Butler Trust which recognises and celebrates outstanding work by staff in the prisons, probation, and youth justice services. She has been a patron of the Restorative Justice Council (RJC) since 2011. Most recently, in 2025 she became a patrol of the Clink Charity which works to reduce reoffending by training and rehabilitating prisoners through restaurant and hospitality programmes.
Her engagement with LandWorks was clear to see throughout her tour, particularly in the interest she took in the personal journeys and achievements of the trainees and graduates she spoke to. Everyone who met her commented on how friendly she was and easy to talk to.
“It meant so much that someone in her position took the time to listen and understand my story of addiction and recovery,” said Joe. For Barry It was “the proudest moment of my life. My grandmother will be so proud of me; she met Princess Anne twenty years ago.” Muss said: “It was so nice to meet her. She surprised me with how kind and genuine she was. She was so lovely.”
Reflecting on her visit Chris said: “It was an honour to meet The Princess Royal and have the opportunity to show her around LandWorks. Her visit marks a significant moment in our journey as we enjoy increasing national recognition for our work. I hope that we were able to demonstrate the importance of offering real opportunities for change and the difference it can make when people are given the right support.”
Later in the day, Chris messaged Gary to let him know that HRH had chosen one of his espresso cups to remember her visit to LandWorks. Gary replied: “Princess Anne choosing one of my pots – bloody hell. I can say with 100% certainty that that scenario had never, ever been on my radar!”
