Prince William launches £250k community fund to revive Dartmoor village

The Prince of Wales has visited Princetown, an isolated village next to the shuttered Dartmoor Prison, to launch a new regeneration fund.

The Tuesday visit saw William unveil The Princetown Community Fund, which will grant at least £250,000 to back local social, economic, and environmental projects in the village.

The future king no longer profits personally from the controversial £1.5 million annual rent generated by the prison, which has been empty since July 2024 after high levels of radon, a toxic gas that occurs naturally in soil and rocks and can cause lung cancer, were recorded in prisoners’ accommodation.

William asked that the sum be redirected from his Duchy of Cornwall income from 2026-27 onwards, ensuring the funds are used for local community regeneration instead.

During the visit, William met the administrators of the fund, spoke with rangers from Dartmoor National Park, and used a historical letterpress to print a broadsheet marking the occasion.

William was shown how to use the printing press by co-owner Emma Hogbin, who runs Princetown Press with Jon Palmer.

After inking the letterheads and rolling the press, he held up the finished item and joked: “Excellent. And spelt correctly.

“Brilliant, look at that. It’s amazing, really, really good. What’s so lovely is how crisp each letter is.”

William was also introduced to alpacas Treacle and Noodle, who belong to Gari and Karen Munn, the owners of Hooves and Moor alpaca trekking.

Stroking Noodle, William said: “Their wool is so thick isn’t it? How have their fared in the heat this summer?”

Mr Mann, 55, replied: “They have actually been quite good. They haven’t fared too badly.”

William drew laughs when he asked: “They look very well looked after. Are they allowed in the house?”

William also did a walkabout where he met Princetown residents, local business owners and spoke with children from the village’s primary school.

Before departing, the prince toured Princetown Youth Club, which he had previously visited privately and has since received Duchy of Cornwall funding to replace its leaky roof and expand its activities.

William watched teenagers take part in a drama workshop and spoke to them about life in the village.

“Is it better there is no hole in the roof? A bit draughty when I last came here,” the prince told them.

The children told him they liked “hanging out” and taking part in the sports offered at the club.

Speaking afterwards, Emma Byrom, the chair of the youth club, said the Duchy funding had kept the club open.

“Princetown is quite isolated and the children don’t always get the same opportunities they get in a city like Plymouth, which is nearby,” she said.

“The prince had visited before and he said: ‘It’s not closing on my watch’, and it hasn’t.”

The Princetown Community Fund

The new regeneration fund will be delivered by Devon Communities Together, and grants ranging from £500 to £40,000 will be available, alongside support for organisations applying for funding.

It forms part of the prince’s plan for the Duchy to deploy more than £500 million over the next decade to invest in local communities, homes, local economies, renewable energy, farming resilience and environmental recovery.

The fund will build on work by the Princetown Place Strategy and the Encounters Shop initiative.

Emma Magee, from the Duchy of Cornwall, said: “The Princetown Community Fund is about helping local people turn ideas most into action.

“Over recent months, through the Princetown Place Strategy, we have listened carefully to residents, businesses and community groups about what matters most to them and how they would like to see investment support the future of Princetown.

“This fund provides both financial support and practice assistance to help local organisations bring their ideas forward.

“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.”