New Age Travellers Sell Land for SAS Survival School Near Martin Clunes' Dorset Farm
Theo Langton and Ruth McGill, the New Age travellers who secured a hard-fought victory to establish a permanent caravan site adjacent to actor Martin Clunes' residence, have escalated tensions by selling a portion of their land for use as an SAS training facility and survival school. This development follows a protracted four-year planning dispute that concluded last month with Dorset Council granting approval for their mobile home site to become a permanent encampment, despite Clunes' vigorous opposition involving costly legal and planning experts.
Survival School Adds to Actor's Local Challenges
Clunes, renowned for his role in Doc Martin, now faces additional disruptions at his 130-acre farm as the couple have sold some of their land to a friend. This land will serve as a base for teaching survival skills to special services personnel and individuals seeking to learn Bear Grylls-style techniques for living off the land. A local source disclosed, 'Theo and Ruth were put through the wringer by Martin and his wife Philippa – and it cost a fortune to defend all the accusations. While they didn't need to sell the land when this opportunity came along, it seemed right. It certainly did no harm for Theo to cash in on the land, although he's hardly broke.'
The planning permission allows the couple to utilise a barn as a workshop, maintain a mobile home, a touring caravan, and a mobile van, with the addition of two spaces for travelling caravans to accommodate visits from family and friends. Dozens of local residents supported Langton and McGill throughout the contentious planning battle, highlighting community divisions over the development.
Historical Context and Neighbourly Tensions
Theo Langton relocated from a substantial family home to live off-grid on the site in 2003. Interestingly, it was his mother, garden designer Georgia Langton, who sold the neighbouring farm to Martin Clunes for £3 million in 2007, establishing the proximity that has since fueled disputes. Clunes, who recently portrayed disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards in a controversial Channel 5 drama, has not responded to requests for comment regarding this latest development. His longstanding opposition to the travellers' plans has been a focal point of local contention, with the actor employing expensive resources to challenge the encampment.
An aerial view of the area clearly shows Clunes' house at the bottom, with Langton's woodland travellers site positioned directly above, underscoring the close quarters that have exacerbated neighbourly friction. The sale of land for an SAS training site introduces a new dimension to the ongoing saga, potentially impacting the rural tranquillity of the Dorset countryside that Clunes has sought to preserve.
