ONE of Cheshire’s oldest family estates, on the outskirts of Chester, has been announced as the runner-up in this year’s prestigious Rural Business Awards. The private Barnston Estate, which consists of 1,800 acres in and around the villages of Farndon, Churton and Hapsford, was runner-up in The Sustainability and Environmental Impact Award. The national awards recognise and celebrate the successes of businesses operating in the UK’s rural economy - a sector which in England alone contributes £261bn to the nation’s GVA, nearly a fifth of the country’s total economic activity. The awards, held online for the first time due to lockdown and in partnership with Amazon, were hosted by Jules Hudson, the BBC Escape to the Country presenter.