Tim Ashton is a farmer at Soulton Hall and one of the current custodians of Soulton Hall and the legacy of Sir Rowland Hill, his relative.
BBC Farming Today interviewing Tim Ashton about Theatre and Agriculture
He read Law at Lady Maragret Hall (‘LMH’), University of Oxford, and is a Howarth and Smith Fellow of LMH.
In addition, Tim holds a Masters in Sustainable Crop Production from Harper Adams University.
Tim is an honorary member of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and of the Earth Rover Program, as well as being an Arts and Culture Commissioner in Shropshire within the Cultural Compact.
Tim has appeared on television and other media a number of times, including on BBC Countryfile, Radio 4, BBC News.
Tim spent a period working as a law clerk/intern in Los Angeles after Oxford, with the focus of that work being plaintiff’s side mass class actions in high value cases. He has also, more recently, been involved informally in work on public interest cases in the UK.
BBC Country File Visting Soulton Hall
He undertook to build one of the first long barrows in thousands of years. Tim also did emergency work to protect drama and performance during the pandemic and was consulted by the Department of Culture Media and Sport during that time.
Lately, Tim has been involved in work to undo the forgetfulness touching the legacy of Sir Rowland Hill in the sixteenth century, which has included public lectures in the City of London, before the Lord Mayor and more widely. There is forthcoming scholarly publication on these matters.
He has contributed to public policy on sustainable agriculture, including hosting visits to Soulton by two secretaries of State for DEFRA.
Tim is proudly dyslexic.
The Ashton family outside Soulton Hall
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Tim regularly gives talks.
Due to scheduling constraints, Tim is unable to accept all speaking invitations. However, he prioritizes engagements that demonstrably:
- contribute to the charitable and social well-being of Shropshire,
- promote the cultural and economic vitality of the county, or
- celebrate the civic legacy of Sir Rowland Hill.
In such cases, Tim is pleased to offer his services pro bono.
For speaking engagements with a less direct connection to these civic priorities, an honorarium and coverage of travel and accommodation expenses are typically required.
