A MARKET town had the visit of a lifetime this week when HRH The Prince of Wales dropped in.

 

Prince Charles visited Northleach’s iconic Old Prison to meet volunteers and members of The Friends of the Cotswolds, the charity which champions the landscape, history and environment of the Cotswolds.

 

The Prince of Wales, whose home is at Highgrove near Tetbury, enjoyed a whistle stop tour of Cotswold crafts, including demonstrations by local craftsmen in dry-stone walling, blacksmithing, thatching and spinning and weaving.

 

The Grade II* listed Georgian old prison is now a visitor attraction and is home to the Lloyd-Baker Rural Life collection and the Cotswolds Conservation Board (CCB), the body which works to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Cotswolds AONB.

 

The Friends of the Cotswolds invited The Prince to see some of the activities run in partnership with the CCB and to learn about the exciting plans for the building in the future.

 

The prison will act as a central hub for the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with hands-on activities led by volunteers.

 

The centre will also continue building on the CCB’s rural skills training programme.

 

Liz Eyre chairman of the CCB said: “The board was delighted to co-host the visit by The Prince to The Old Prison.

 

“The site is a central hub for the Cotswolds AONB helping to deepen understanding and appreciation of the special landscape.

 

“The Prince’s visit is timely, as next year the Cotswolds AONB will celebrate its 50th anniversary since being designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”