By day, I am a rural surveyor, providing estate management and other professional services across Devon and Somerset. Outside work, I am a huge music fan. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to volunteer as 'crew' at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, held at Powderham Castle, where Savills assists with the Estate's management.

Welcoming around 25,000 visitors on each day, the festival had it all: glorious sunshine, first-class music and an impressive estate as its backdrop. The stages, tents and visitors occupied a 45-acre arena within the 200-acre historic deer park, and if you looked beyond the perimeter, you could just glimpse a handful of fallow deer – a reminder that you were in some of Devon’s most beautiful countryside.

On a day-to-day basis as a rural surveyor, I am on site one day a week and am involved with a variety of projects, including property management matters, and working with other stakeholders such accountants and lawyers to lighten the load of the Estate owners.

Working at the Big Weekend was quite different, however. Ahead of the event itself, I worked alongside colleagues and the owners of the Estate to make sure that the necessary infrastructure was in place, helping with everything from water and access through to transport management. I was even involved with the renovation of a cottage that would accommodate BBC staff during the event.

At the event itself, it was all hands on deck. I was involved in parking management, directing visitors and generally being on hand to make sure that everything was running smoothly.

Putting on a such a large-scale event at Powderham Castle was a huge undertaking in terms of planning and execution but it is a credit to the team that it went so well. With the capacity to host festivals of this size, there is a hope that this weekend’s experience will demonstrate what a wonderful venue Powderham is and set a precedent for future events on the Estate.

Further information

Contact Savills Rural Estate & Property Management