M-Sport's multi-million pound premises at Dovenby Hall set a benchmark in rallying. They made several Formula 1 teams cast envious glances to the site, a few kilometres from the market town of Cockermouth, on the edge of the picturesque English Lake District. Few teams can boast a home set in 47 hectares (115 acres) of lush parkland, the modern technology and engineering facilities found in the new workshops contrasting with the beautiful Cumbria countryside and the restored splendour of Dovenby Hall itself, a listed building of special historic interest.

Search for a New Home

The team moved to Dovenby in May 2000. However, the story began many months earlier when team director Malcolm Wilson recognised that the requirements of Ford's rally programme meant his homely, but cramped facilities on the opposite side of Cockermouth were no longer suited to the demands created by a sport moving forward in leaps and bounds.

?We needed more space, both for equipment and people, and it quickly became clear we had to move. I wanted to stay in northern England but finding the right location wasn't easy. I had visited 38 properties on both sides of the country before driving into the Dovenby estate but once I saw this I knew I'd found the right place for our team," he said.

Turning History into a Modern Rally Base

There was much to do. The premises had been empty and much restoration was required. Wilson sought support from the local council and business support agencies, both eager to lend experience and finance in return for the prestige of having a world championship team on their doorstep. Wilson and Carlisle-based Northern Developments focused their efforts on retaining the original features of the estate buildings. Designers concentrated on blending the ultra-modern workshop requirements into the site. The result was a state-of-the-art facility which boasts amazing attention to detail.

The hall was transformed into an office area, offering modern accommodation for the company's key support staff in a manner sympathetic to the history and style of the building. Adjacent to the entrance is a small retail outlet where memorabilia and team clothing can be purchased. Inside, employees can take advantage of an Italian-style caf? in the basement, the interior stripped to reveal the original 12th century stonework and the walls adorned with the names of legendary rally drivers who have won in Ford cars. As well as being home to the team, Dovenby Hall also offers serviced office accommodation for external companies.

The Workshop

The former walled garden was converted into a 5575 square metre workshop or final assembly area, linked to the hall by a glazed walkway. It is in this football pitch-sized area, larger than the workshops of many Formula 1 teams and home for more than half of M-Sport's 160 employees, that the heart of the team lies. Inside is a vast array of equipment and technology which, allied to the expertise of some of the sport's finest brains, keeps the Ford team at the forefront of the sport.

The facilities include:

• Car assembly bays to house up to 22 rally cars
• Dedicated composite laminating plant
• Fabrication department
• Engine build and dynomometer test-cell department
• Sub-assembly workshops
• Electronics design and build department
• Calibration laboratory
• Extensive stores area
• Machine shop
• Quality control department
• Body shell jig and measuring room
• Transmission build department
• Transmission dyno department
• Plastic blasting shop

The most recent addition is a ?1 million research and development facility from which technical director Christian Loriaux leads his team. Engineering and design staff work closely with the technical teams building the Focus RS WRC cars, the close proximity encouraging creative thinking and innovative responses to the teams' challenges. Engineering staff also work closely with their Ford Motor Company colleagues, both sides benefiting from a computer set-up linked to Ford's global engineering network.

?With the latest technology so important in gaining those vital few seconds that make the difference between winning and losing rallies, it was important we invested in that equipment. I feel we've created a working environment that provides a solid base for the future of Ford in rallying,? said Wilson .

The Future

While Dovenby Hall is fully operational, this is far from the end of the development at the site. There is ample space for enlargement in the future and work is continuing on several other aspects.

A Safari Rally-themed museum will be constructed, housing a host of rallying memorabilia and rally cars. It is intended that the museum will become the focal point of Ford's rallying heritage. A merchandising and visitor area is now open from where daytime site tours can be booked and BP-Ford merchandise purchased. Purpose-built conference facilities are also planned.

As well as the home to Ford's global attack on the FIA World Rally Championship, Dovenby Hall Estate is fast becoming one of West Cumbria 's premier business sites. The diversity offered by the estate's accommodation has been a major part of its appeal as a business environment. It caters for all requirements, from single serviced offices in the main hall itself, through to offices in the surrounding ?houses' - four stand-alone buildings which have been refurbished to offer up-to-date accommodation for some of the UK's leading companies.

There is 24-hour security with closed circuit TV surveillance and controlled access and a number of innovative features including a woodland walk, lecture theatre and restaurant facilities, all of which are accessible to occupants of the estate. Planning permission has been granted to construct a 28-bedroom hotel on the site, which will have separate access and parking. The search is now on for the correct operator for this development.

?The decision to move to Dovenby Hall was hugely significant for our company and the Ford team as a whole,? said Wilson . ?It's a superb facility for Ford and also for the region. We've received enormous support from the local council and industrial agencies, both aware of the importance of this programme to Cumbria and the additional employment opportunities it creates,? he added.