The Lees Court Estate has been described as the finest in Kent. It has been in the Sondes family for 700 years and became the centre of The Countess Sondes’ life on the death of her husband, Henry George Herbert, The Fifth Earl Sondes in 1996.

The Estate is approximately 4,500 acres with a core of 3,000 acres around the villages of Sheldwich and Badlesmere. It incorporates four principal traditional let farms and about 550 acres of woodland. There is also a large in-hand farm.

The Estate is currently involved in four major projects;

• The growing and marketing of innovative Non-Food Crops
• Seeds a farm diversification project which uses crops grown on the Estate in a range of personal care products
• Lees Court Estate Project, a joint conservation study which includes and indepth questionnaire
• Working with the United Nations to develop an International Centre for Non-Food Crops.

Through these projects The Countess hopes to build on the Estate’s core work and ensure it continues to prosper.