Thrings’ new offices at Stuart Court on Hampshire’s historic Broadlands estate near Romsey have been opened by Lady Mountbatten.
The law firm’s official move into the newly-refurbished premises on the 4,500-acre estate was marked at a ceremony in front of estate staff and members of Thrings’ legal and business services teams.
Headed up by partners Mark Charter and Sally Pike, Thrings recently committed its long-term future to clients in Hampshire by signing a 10-year lease after outgrowing its existing premises in Southampton.
The 7,776 sq ft offices include an open plan office, meeting rooms with state-of-the-art communication facilities, a theatre style meeting room, break-out areas, quiet rooms and a sizeable space for hosting events and entertaining clients.
The premises will support Thrings’ future expansion plans in Hampshire, offer staff a new and exciting working environment and provide city-standard commercial facilities in a rural setting to clients, many of whom require legal advice in the closely-related practice areas of agriculture, agribusiness, landed estates and private affairs.
Addressing guests at the opening, Mark Charter said: “We are delighted to welcome our guests Lady Mountbatten and members of her staff from Broadlands to Stuart Court. The estate has a rich history, and it is entirely fitting that Lady Mountbatten cuts the ribbon and declares Thrings’ Hampshire office open for business.
“The move to Broadlands is the culmination of a two-year project to add to Thrings’ existing offices in London, Bristol, Bath and Swindon. During this period, we have continued to build links with the farming and landed estates communities, enhanced our offering to private clients and strengthened our commercial team to provide clients with an integrated legal service.
“In our refurbishment of Stuart Court we wanted to remain loyal to the provenance of the original buildings. We are thrilled with the end result and are tremendously excited to be entering this latest phase in Thrings’ three-hundred-year history in such glorious surroundings.”
Formerly home to Queen Victoria’s great grandson, the late Lord Louis Mountbatten, Broadlands has been Lord and Lady Mountbatten’s ancestral residence since 1979. With origins dating back to the eleventh century, the estate comprises over 130 residential properties, more than 50 commercial properties, a thousand acres of woodland together with beef cattle herds and agriculture.
