HRH The Duke of Cornwall delighted residents, businesses and contractors when he paid a special visit to Nansledan in July.

The Duke’s visit was part of a wider three-day visit to the region. He spent his time chatting with Nansledan residents and businesses, having an update on building works and touring the community.

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HRH The Duke of Cornwall chatting to contractors at Nansledan

The Duke visited the Ladyvale Bakery, a café and bakery which recently began trading at Nansledan. The business is owned by Lara and David Spurrell who also run the Woods Café at Cardinham Woods near Bodmin and have their own celebration and wedding cake business.

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HRH The Duke of Cornwall during his visit to Nansledan

David said: “It was very exciting to be able to welcome HRH The Duke of Cornwall to the bakery. We had actually had only been open just over a week, so it was great to get the chance to meet him. The café was absolutely jam-packed full of people when he popped in, but we got the opportunity to shake his hand.

“Nansledan is becoming a really vibrant community. One of the things that appealed to us about Nansledan was our shared sustainability ethos, something that HRH The Duke of Cornwall champions.”

The Duke also popped in to see KM Aesthetics, a medical clinic owned by Kelly Moss which opened its doors at Nansledan in January.

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HRH The Duke of Cornwall at KM Aesthetics

Kelly said: “It was a real pleasure to meet the Duke, and he really took the time to speak with me and look around my business, even commenting on the decorations. My daughter works with me and he seemed really interested to hear about our family-run business.”

HRH The Duke of Cornwall was also on hand to present a prize to the winner of a competition to design a logo for the Nansledan Community Association, five-year-old Ruan Payne.

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Five-year-old Ruan Payne with HRH The Duke of Cornwall

Theresa Ferguson, Chair of the Nansledan Community Association, said: “We’ve been running formally now for just over a year and it was clear from the off that we needed some identity. The children living in Nansledan were asked to put their thinking caps on and come up with a logo, ensuring that it included the character of the area they live in.

“The new Head Teacher of Skol Nansledan, Vicky Dilnot and the Duchy team based at Nansledan judged the competition selecting Ruan as the overall winner. There was also a similar process for adults to come up with our strapline. Alison Bailey came out top with ‘a community with character’.

“The icing on the cake, however, was when we were advised that HRH The Duke of Cornwall was keen to meet the artists involved in the competition and present the prizes to the winners. This meant all the children and their families had a chance to meet and speak with him. One for the memory box for all, and a fantastic end to a fun-filled competition.”

Nansledan is being developed on Duchy-owned land to the east of Newquay and will eventually comprise around 4,000 homes mixed with retail, offices, workshops, green spaces and a range of community facilities. It is being built by a consortium of South West building companies which includes Wainhomes, CG Fry & Son and Morrish Builders.

Photography by Charles Sainsbury-Plaice and Ben Murphy.