Jubilee Celebrations in Saltby Launch with the Lighting of a Beacon

The Saltby Estate in Leicestershire continued its tradition of marking Her Majesty The Queen’s Jubilee celebrations with the lighting of a bonfire beacon on 2 June 2022.   More than 3,500 beacons were lit across the world to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and The Saltby Estate was delighted to be a part of those celebrations.

The Queen began the ceremony by touching a globe representing the Commonwealth nations, symbolically sending a chain of lights from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace.

Over 120 people from the Estate and the surrounding villages attended the ceremony at Saltby.  The Estate provided refreshments and a hog roast which helped to ensure that everyone had a lovely evening.  Alexander de Capell Brooke lit the Saltby beacon at the appointed time and once alight, the beacon was a spectacular sight.   The lighting of the beacon was championed by Wendy de Capell Brooke as part of The Saltby Estate’s wider Jubilee celebrations.

Alexander de Capell Brooke said:

“The lighting of beacons is a long and unbroken tradition in the UK gathering communities together to celebrate Royal Jubilees, Weddings and Coronations.  The Queen reaching her Platinum Jubilee was an unprecedented Royal event for Great Britain and we were delighted to be part of the official celebrations.  The Queen has lit up our lives for 70 years through her dedicated service and commitment and we are proud that we were able to light our beacon at Saltby in her honour, and to celebrate in this way.”

Ten years ago, The Saltby Estate formed part of the official Royal Record by planting one of the 60 Diamond Jubilee Woods across the UK, each spanning 60 acres, to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.  Estate owners, the de Capell Brooke Family, oversaw the planting of more than 30,000 trees, including 5,000 oak trees, to form The Bescaby Oaks Diamond Wood.   Sustainable woodland management is a passion of the Estate and a decade on from planting over 30,000 trees to create The Bescaby Oaks Diamond Wood, the trees are flourishing and the Estate is on track to achieve its goal to increase biodiversity and create new points of interest across the Estate.