Matt Jones bought the Furzebrook Estate and within it the Blue Pool in 2021 with his wife Julie following the death of long-time owner Jennifer Barnard aged 91. Ms Barnard, whose father bought the former clay pit in 1935, had operated the nature reserve site for more than 70 years. But for some years, the top attraction that welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year has “lacked investment”, Matt said.
A series of new ideas have or will be implemented at the Blue Pool that is vital for its long term sustainability. Matt told the Echo: “The Furzebrook Estate lacked investment for around two or three decades; Jennifer Barnard, bless her, was holding the fort but it needed to move forward to remain economically viable as a business. “For some years, the business had been loss making, so diversification and investment was essential in order to ensure that the business remains viable and open to visitors of future generations.
“Largely the infrastructure needs updating, this is largely the works we are planning. “The tea rooms needed investment, so we put in eco boilers to reduce our demands for fossil fuels, we’ve updated the seating, the fences, the gates, it’s predominantly infrastructure.” The Blue Pool closed in 2020 following the death of its previous owner Jennifer Barnard aged 91 and was bought by Matt and his wife in 2021, who both reopened it the same year.
In addition, Matt and his team have looked at offering camping at the Blue Pool and now open the .