The consultancy firm I now work for, have their HQ in the Broughton Hall Business Park, just outside Skipton. Unlike most work-related parks that have fancy names because they were built on top of historic structure (such as the Victoria Park Shopping centre, built on the Victoria Park, or the Castle Business Park in Stirling which is merely in sight of the Castle), we really are housed in the Hall's South Barn. It's rather clever really: the upkeep of Broughton Hall (the fabulous stately home of the Tempest family) must cost a bit so Mr Tempest rents out his outbuildings, barns, orangery and courtyard to a moderate list of small and medium-sized businesses (including the Dalesman magazine, local radio station Fresh FM, and some funky BBQ provider next door). In return we get an amazing place to work.
JBA occupy one of the larger properties in the estate, the South Barn, which is distinguished by its blue-faced clock on the end wall facing the car park. With 5 or so open plan rooms, each seating 15 of so budding flood experts, a kitchen, a couple of meeting rooms and a room full of high-powered computers, it has pretty much everything the company needs. My room is at the top of the barn with high ceilings, exposed wooden beams and a few token exposed wall features. Outside, there are fields with sheep, birds of prey, an old railway, a river, a tennis court and outdoor pool, secret gardens and the large manicured wall gardens (including a fancy, modern glass sided cafe within the garden for visitors). So when I sit reading my book over lunch between the immaculately rounded evergreen trees and bushes, overlooking the glass domed roof of the Hall's rear glass house and listening to the 1pm chime from the bell tower, it is easy to become immersed in Jane Austin's Emma and imagine that Broughton is instead Highbury.
It definitely beats London!
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