Ben Pauling's Top Tips for the Cheltenham Festival, Important dates for Countryside Stewardship grant applications, New Tenants Fees Legislation and a lovely selection of properties in the Cotswolds.

The cream of National Hunt racing goes head to head at the most prestigious meeting of the season, The Cheltenham Festival in the second week of March, and will be accompanied by huge crowds of racegoers bedecked in all manner of silk, fur and feather. It is a terrific spectacle, and a punter’s rollercoaster.

The window for applying for Countryside Stewardship Schemes with a start date of 1 January 2020 opened on Monday 18 February 2019.  This includes applications for Higher and Mid-Tier Schemes including Water Quality Capital Grants and Wildlife Offers, as well as Hedgerow and Boundaries Grants.

The Tenant Fees Act gained Royal Assent earlier this week and will become Law in England on the 1st June 2019.  Full details of the Act will be released shortly, however below is a brief overview of what we expect the regulations to entail, going forward. 

There’s a huge choice of things to do involving horses in the Cotswolds and a great selection of fine Cotswold homes close to top riding country - prices from £580,000 - £2million. £20 million worth of equestrian property also available privately.