A heated dispute has emerged over billionaire hedge fund founder Chris Rokos’s plan to install a 40-acre solar farm on his vast Savernake Estate in Marlborough, Wiltshire. Rokos is currently renovating the grand Tottenham House, a 100-bedroom Grade I listed manor, and has submitted an application to Wiltshire Council to develop the solar array.
The proposed 688-kilowatt solar project aims to secure a long-term, sustainable energy supply for Tottenham House and its associated outbuildings, supporting their functional operation with renewable power and water sourced via a planned drainage lagoon.
However, the plan has met considerable resistance from local residents, heritage advocates, and the parish council who argue the large-scale solar installation would significantly disrupt the area’s natural beauty. The site lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the estate includes a Grade II* Registered Park and Garden, part of a historic Capability Brown-designed landscape.
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Neighbours have voiced strong objections, concerned that the glare and visual impact of the solar panels will detract from the historic setting near the Grade II* listed stable block and erode the special qualities of this protected heritage landscape. One adjacent landowner called the project a “substantial visual and historical intrusion.”
Resident Richard Frics highlighted the magnitude of the impact, noting the ground-mounted solar panels would cover more than one hectare and be visible from several protected sites. Mark Colquhoun, another neighbour, praised Rokos’s commendable restoration efforts but opposed the solar farm for undermining the character and historic legibility of North Park, a vital connecting landscape within the estate.
Additional concerns have been raised regarding the adequacy of proposed screening to mitigate visual impact, particularly given the landscape’s listed status.
Tottenham House and the Savernake Estate are steeped in history. Once a royal hunting forest dating back to the Norman Conquest, the estate rose to prominence when Henry VIII wed Jane Seymour after visiting Sir John Seymour at nearby Wolf Hall. Ownership passed through the Seymour family before transferring to the Bruce family, later known as the Brudenell-Bruces. The current Earl of Cardigan, David Brudenell-Bruce, lost possession of the estate in 2014 following a legal dispute.
If approved by Wiltshire Council, the solar farm would generate about one-third of the estate’s electricity needs, marking a significant shift towards renewable energy on this historic property. A decision is expected by July.