A NEW boss has been appointed to head up the land, sport and tourism businesses of a sprawling North-East estate.

Lord Barnard has this week announced that Duncan Peake will become chief executive of the Raby Estate in June.

Mr Peake is a qualified chartered surveyor, originally from Lancashire, and has 30 years of experience developing some of the UK’s top landed estate businesses.

The 57-year-old will move to Raby from Cumbria, where he has managed the Holker Group of Companies on behalf of Lord and Lady Cavendish for almost a decade.

There he has developed arable farming, estate agency, property development and quarry businesses along with Holker Hall and Gardens, Holker Holiday Parks and Cartmel Racecourse.

He currently sits on the boards of the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and Cumbria Tourism and before joining Holker he managed the Castle Howard Estate, near York, for ten years.

He joins Raby during a transitional period since the death of the 11th Lord Barnard last April.

His son, the 12th Lord Barnard, Harry Vane, said: “Duncan will be joining us at the beginning of June and is also planning time here between now and then to familiarise himself with Raby.

"He is hugely experienced in rural property as well as visitor attractions.

"I am very pleased that he will be joining us and I look forward to welcoming him here.”

The two will develop a business plan for the Raby Estate which has residential and commercial property, arable farming, forestry, shooting interests and visitor attractions Raby Castle and High Force waterfall, all in County Durham, as well as agricultural and forestry operations in Shropshire.

Mr Peake said he is delighted to join Raby at an important and exciting time in its history and looks forward to working with Lord and Lady Barnard to establish and safeguard the business for future generations.

He added: “Raby has always been a key player in the local economy and I’m looking forward to working with team at Raby and building on the achievements of others who have gone before me.”