Cyril Wood Court, the accommodation site in Bere Regis, Dorset, is specifically for creatives and here at the Fund we have nomination rights for potential residents.

Cyril Wood Court has a longstanding reputation for being a creative hub for older or less able people, providing a productive living space for songwriters, composers, musicians, writers, painters and craftspeople, in surroundings especially designed to suit their interests.

The housing itself comprises of 24 self-contained flats, each with their own living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom for those over 55 years of age.  Other key features include a community room, laundry facilities and communal gardens. Surrounded by stunning countryside, Cyril Wood Court recently underwent an extensive redevelopment to provide modern, up to date accommodation and facilities.

On site there is a converted barn for practising arts, crafts and music as well as a community room for art exhibitions and musical performances. A large studio with ground floor space and individual workstations above with a small pottery adjacent to the studio. All areas are available for use – providing a truly inspirational facility.

There are currently four vacancies available:

• 1 bedroom self-contained flat
• 1 bedroom self-contained flat (located at the top of the hill so more suitable for somebody with good mobility)
• 1 bedroom self-contained flat
• 2 bedroom self-contained flat (does have some steps).

Should any eligible PRS member be looking for a change of living and be able or keen to move to Dorset.   

For more information on the scheme and the services please contact us on [email protected], or call +44(0) 20 3741 4067

                                                                                                           Pic owned by Bere Regis Parish Council 

“Sitting on the patio in the beautiful Dorset village of Bere Regis, looking south to a magnificent sunset, the village’s one thousand-year-old church and beyond towards the Purbeck hills and the Jurassic coast. Just out of my eyeline there are the village’s two pubs, shop and post office.

‘Look at that, it’s Paradise isn’t it?’ the words were spoken by one of this country’s great drummers.

I live at Cyril Wood Court, a community of artists supported by the PRS Members’ Fund, which provides self-contained flats for PRS members who are retired or who have suffered from debilitating health issues. It was the brainchild of Cyril Wood, a founder of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, who wanted to provide a heaven for artists deep in the Dorset countryside. As well as the flats, at the entrance to the complex there is a large music room containing a baby grand piano and a library of books and sheet music which can be used for rehearsals or as a meeting place and talking shop. The room  even boasts a separate, fully fitted kitchen, which is in addition to the kitchens in the individual flats.

But it’s not just musicians who inhabit Cyril Wood Court. There are also painters, writers and potters, who help create a unique atmosphere full of artistic endeavour. For these artists, there is a grade 2 listed barn, turned into a studio with awesome natural light and equipped for painting and making sculptures. Many of their works adorn the walls of the music room.

Such is the degree of mutual support, a number of PRS members at Cyril Wood Court have collaborated to continue their careers with new recordings and live performances. Some also started a guitar club which operates once a week in one of the village pubs to help local amateur guitarists.

The physical infrastructure is managed by a charitable trust so there is no need to worry about maintenance, either of the flats themselves or the surrounding gardens. For any PRS member who is experiencing health problems and is over 55 years old, Cyril Wood Court could provide the ideal solution and a new lease of life.

One of the country’s great drummers died a couple of months ago. It is good to know that in his later years he really was living in Paradise.”

Lynton Guest, PRS member and Cyril Wood resident

Notes to Editors – About Cyril Wood

Cyril Wood OBE was a theatre producer and director, drama director of the BBC (West Region,) playwright and broadcaster. During his distinguished career Cyril Wood also founded and became the first Director of the South West Arts Association and helped to reconstitute the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

The Cyril Wood Memorial Trust was founded in 1976, with the original Trustees setting up a sheltered housing scheme, Cyril Wood Court, to provide accommodation for retired artists, writers, musicians and craftspeople.