The Prince of Wales met two adorable alpacas during his trip to Princetown on Tuesday, where he launched a new community fund worth at least £250,000 for the remote Dartmoor village that sits in the shadow of its famous – and now abandoned – prison.
The Princetown Community Fund will channel money into locally driven social, economic and environmental initiatives across the moorland settlement.
During the packed visit, the heir to the throne met administrators overseeing the new fund, greeted villagers, and revisited a youth club he had previously stepped in to save.
The trip featured a particularly lighthearted moment when William was introduced to a pair of alpacas named Treacle and Noodle, owned by Gari and Karen Mann, who operate the local Hooves and Moor alpaca trekking business.
While stroking Noodle, the prince said: “Their wool is so thick isn’t it? How have they fared in the heat this summer?”
Mr Mann, 55, assured him the animals had coped well with the warmer months.
William provoked laughter from onlookers when he asked: “They look very well looked after. Are they allowed in the house?”
Another highlight saw William try his hand at a historic letterpress at Princetown Press, guided by co-owner Emma Hogbin, who runs the business alongside Jon Palmer.
The Prince of Wales met two adorable alpacas during his trip to Princetown on Tuesday, where he launched a new community fund worth at least £250,000 for the remote Dartmoor village
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PA
The prince inked the letterheads and operated the roller himself before proudly displaying the finished broadsheet, which had been produced to commemorate the occasion.
“Excellent. And spelt correctly,” he joked, before adding: “Brilliant, look at that. It’s amazing, really, really good. What’s so lovely is how crisp each letter is.”
A walkabout through the village gave William the opportunity to speak directly with Princetown residents, local traders and pupils from the village primary school, reinforcing the visit’s emphasis on grassroots connection between the Duchy and the community it serves.
A walkabout through the village gave William the opportunity to speak directly with Princetown residents, local traders and pupils from the village primary school
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PA
Before departing, William toured Princetown Youth Club – a facility he had quietly visited on a previous occasion, when the building was in a state of serious disrepair.
Following that earlier trip, Duchy funding was secured to overhaul the premises, including the replacement of a leaking roof, and to broaden the range of activities available to local young people.
On this occasion, the prince watched teenagers participating in a drama workshop and chatted with them about their experiences growing up in the village.
“Is it better there is no hole in the roof? A bit draughty when I last came here,” he quipped.
Emma Byrom, who chairs the youth club, credited the Duchy’s intervention with keeping the doors open. She recalled the prince’s earlier promise: “He said: ‘It’s not closing on my watch’, and it hasn’t.”
Emma Magee, representing the Duchy of Cornwall, said: “The Princetown Community Fund is about helping local people turn ideas most into action.”
She added: “Most importantly, it ensures that local people remain at the heart of decisions about where investment is directed and how lasting benefits can be delivered for the community.”