Charles lives at Simonsbath, where he and his partner and family run the Exmoor Forest Inn and farm the Simonsbath Estate. Cornish by birth, Charles has been coming to Simonsbath for nearly twenty years and moved to live there in early 2020, as Covid-19 gripped the world. The arrival of mobile phone signal in Simonsbath a few months beforehand was timely, as it meant that he was able to continue his work as a partner with a London law firm from a remote cottage, with no mains electricity, on the edge of the Chains, throughout the various lockdowns.
Charles spends much of his spare time astride a horse, exploring Exmoor and further afield. He also has a particular interest in old buildings, especially churches. He was also previously a Councillor in London, before moving to Exmoor, and put his interest in buildings and architecture to use by chairing the Kensington and Chelsea Planning Committee.
Charles has recently been responsible for the building of a new house on the site of a farm built by John Knight on the Exmoor Forest, above Simonsbath. The new house was recently commended by the Georgian Group in their annual awards. At the Exmoor Society, Charles works closely with the Chair, Kate O’Sullivan, on planning matters within the National Park.
