His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester was welcomed to Rutland yesterday, Thursday 6 July, by Lord-Lieutenant Dr Sarah Furness.

Having last visited Rutland in 2021, His Royal Highness travelled to sites of significant local interest at Ryhall, South Luffenham and Ketton. The visit began at Ryhall Hall, a Grade II* Listed building and private home.

There, His Royal Highness was welcomed by Cllr Andrew Brown (Chairman of Rutland County Council), Mr Nick Gilchrist and Mrs Janine Gilchrist (owners of Ryhall Hall) and Mr Andrew Nebel MBE (Ryhall Parish Councillor). 

HRH visted Ryhall Hall in Rutland on a recent visit to the county. Image credit: Rutland County Council.

After learning about Ryhall Hall's medieval, Elizabethan and Jacobean history, His Royal Highness was escorted to the nearby St John's Church by Reverend Jo Saunders.

While at the Church, His Royal Highness was introduced to Wardens Win Peck and Marion Taylor, before hearing about restoration work and future renewal projects being led by Dr Sandra McCune.

St John's Church recently celebrated the completion of a new church roof, after the building was placed on Historic England's at-risk register. This work was only made possible thanks to extensive fundraising efforts by the local community. 

From St John's Church, His Royal Highness was escorted to the Green Dragon Public House, where he was introduced to Mr Simon Lambert and Mrs Ania Lambert (Landlord and Landlady), together with Mrs Debbie Rolfe (Chair of Ryhall Parish Council) and Cllr David Wilby (Armed Forces Champion and Ward Member for Ryhall & Casterton).

The Duke met the team at the Green Dragon Public House, Rutland. Image credit: Rutland County Council.

Following a tour of the Green Dragon's medieval vaulted beer cellar, His Royal Highness then travelled to CS Ellis in South Luffenham. CS Ellis is a family owned and operated logistics and warehousing company celebrating its 90th year in business. With a fleet of more than 60 large goods vehicles, 500,000sqft of warehousing and other businesses, the CS Ellis Group is one of Rutland's largest employers, with around 280 staff. 

The CS Ellis team have also supported a local football club by sponsoring their shirts. Image credit: Rutland County Council.

A spokespersons for CS Ellis said: "The CS Ellis family and team took immense pride in showcasing our newly branded fleet livery, prominently displayed on our 90th anniversary DAF tractor unit and trailer.

"Additionally, we exhibited a collection of vintage vehicles from our esteemed heritage fleet, including the iconic "Prince of Rutland", a 1960 flatbed, the regal "Her Majesty" a 1934 Foden R Type, and the historic and award winning FP4, a 1899 Decauville French vintage car that was the first vehicle registered in Rutland. 

"Chaz Ellis, our CEO, expressed his pleasure in welcoming HRH The Duke of Gloucester to CS Ellis Logistics, noting the Duke's genuine appreciation for our rich heritage and keen interest in the logistics industry."

The Duke was presented with a floral arrangement from Rutland Garden Nursery, both companies being part of the CS Ellis Group.

The Duke of Gloucester had a busy day visiting locations and businesses around Rutland. Image credit: Rutland County Council.

From South Luffenham, the visit moved to Hanson Cement in Ketton, where His Royal Highness was greeted by Mr Sinan Urhan (Plant Manager).

This was followed by a tour which included the plant's impressive 20-hectare solar farm. Located on previously quarried land, the farm comprises 38,544 individual solar panels and generates around 10% of the cement work's annual electricity consumption. The tour culminated in a presentation by Mrs Marian Garfield (Director of Sustainability), elaborating on Hanson Cement's wider environmental work and measures being undertaken to mitigate against carbon emissions.

His Royal Highness' visit to Rutland ended at St Mary's Church in Ketton, where he was invited by local group Ketton Talks to give an evening address on the work of The Red Cross and St John Trust. 

Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland Dr Sarah Furness said: "It was an honour to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester back to Rutland. This was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the County's rich heritage, while also highlighting the work of key local employers who make a tremendous contribution to our regional and national economy.

"Rutland is a county with close-knit communities that are steeped in history. Equally, we are fortunate to have some of the UK's leading businesses, harnessing the very latest technology to support jobs and sustainable growth. I'm grateful that The Duke was able to see all this first-hand and would like to thank him for his visit."