The Diversification Award
We celebrate the entrepreneurialism of our member places, trying new ways to keep old buildings in use, relevant, and able to generate vital maintenance income.
New for 2025, the Diversification Award has been created in partnership with Savills, aiming to reward and recognise the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of Historic Houses member places as they seek to add value to their existing core business through new commercial opportunities. We’re not necessarily seeking the biggest and the best, but projects which build on and support the heritage at the heart of it all.
Our judging panel
Rupert Clark
Rupert joined Savills in 2015 and is national head of estate management and consultancy in the rural division.
Rupert is a rural practice chartered surveyor and has been involved with the management of a wide variety of rural estates for a diverse range of clients from families and their trustees to Institutions and charities. He specialises in the provision of strategic advice and supports owners in developing and then realising their objectives.
Simon Foster
Simon has been working for Savills since 2015 and heads up the tourism, leisure and events consultancy department based in the Worcester office
Before joining Savills, Simon managed Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, where he helped to develop a successful and widely diversified tourism, events and leisure business. before setting up his own consultancy service in 2007. Simon continues to advise owners and trustees of heritage properties and rural estates on how to set up, develop and operate trading businesses.
Simon’s expertise covers day visitor enterprises, including catering and retail, weddings, corporate events, group accommodation, location filming, outdoor events, holiday cottages and glamping. He has successfully helped numerous estates, large and small, to establish and develop these enterprises.
Lady Edward Manners
Anna Tyzack
Anna Tyzack is a journalist for papers including the Telegraph, Independent, Financial Times and Ipaper. She’s written extensively on sustainable design, conservation and heritage and met some fascinating characters along the way. Anna lives between London and the Westcountry with her five children and whippet.
Stephen Vickers
Stephen is the Chief Executive Officer for the Devonshire Group, the Duke of Devonshire’s group of businesses, which includes estates at Chatsworth (including Chatsworth House), Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, Eastbourne in Sussex and Lismore Castle in Ireland.
Brought up on a tenanted farm in Northumberland, Stephen graduated from Harper Adams University in 1996, and was a governor of that institution from 2009 until 2020, and Vice-Chair from 2015. He has previously worked for international property agents Knight Frank before spending 17 years in a number of senior roles for the Duke of Buccleuch. In 2013 Stephen took on the role of Managing Director of property company Buckminster before moving to The Devonshire Group early in 2019.
Stephen is a Governor at Stamford Endowed Schools, a former UK Trustee for Lantra, and was Chair of the Estates Business Group between 2021 and 2024.