15 Minutes With...Roger Tempest
What does it take to keep a thousand-year-old rural estate alive in the 21st century? Roger Tempest from the Broughton Hall Estate talks candidly about how the North Yorkshire estate stays relevant in 2026In this episode, CLA North's Henk Geertsema visits Broughton Sanctuary in North Yorkshire to speak with Roger Tempest - 32nd-generation custodian of the estate and one of the most compelling voices in the rural resilience conversation.
Roger shares the remarkable journey of transforming Broughton Hall Estate into Broughton Sanctuary: from a single job in 1974 to a thriving community of 52 businesses and 700 jobs. He talks candidly about the alchemy behind that change - moving from industrial farming to nature-friendly practices, from fossil fuels to renewables, and from a traditional landed estate to a hub for personal transformation retreats.
We also discuss the growing headwinds facing rural landowners, why Roger believes the government needs to treat the countryside as an ally rather than a target, and how places like Broughton produce millions in tax revenue that politicians are at risk of destroying through short-sighted policy.
Listen to the conversation in full below.