The Crown Estate

We manage the coastal assets of The Crown Estate in East Anglia and on the River Thames.

The Crown Estate manages for the nation the bed of the sea, approximately half of the foreshore and beds of tidal rivers. This management is effected through a series of specialist managing agents. Peter Riches was appointed to this role in East Anglia in 1990 and since 2008 has delivered the service in conjunction with Carter Jonas. In 2013 the role was extended to include areas on the River Thames.

The significant areas The Crown Estate manages through Morley Riches & Ablewhite are

The rivers of the Suffolk and Norfolk Broads
The Wash
Beaches from Blakeney to Horsey (including Holkham and Bacton), Hembsy, Hopton, Lowestoft to Kessingland, Walberswick to Bawdsey (excluding Thorpeness)
The estuaries of the rivers Blythe, Alde/Ore, Deben, Stour, Blackwater and parts of the Crouch and Roach
Great Yarmouth Outer Harbour
Parts of the Port of Felixstowe
Ports of Harwich and Parkeston Quay
Burnham Yacht Harbour
Hamford Water National Nature Reserve
Sections of the River Thames fronting current or former public buildings such as the Tower of London, Palace of Westminster, Lambeth Palace and Hampton Court

Activities typically undertaken on the foreshore and beds of tidal estuaries include

Structures for access such as jetties and pontoons
Reclamation
Moorings
Marinas
Pipelines, cables and outfalls
Wildfowling
Coast protection
Environmental management

The Crown Estate has recently published two new reports focussing on the coastlines of Norfolk and Suffolk which challenge perceptions about erosion and dredging:

Aggregate dredging and the Norfolk coastline

Aggregate dredging and the Suffolk coastline

Our Services

Clients choose to work with our friendly, professional team time and time again because we consistently deliver a quality service that makes their lives easier. Our plain-speaking approach ensures everyone is kept on the same page and that a project can move forward in a timely and cost-effective way.

Commercial Estate Agency

Property Management

Property Valuation

Landlord and Tenant

Building Surveying

Development Consultancy

What people say about working with us

"Griffin Chapman has a long-standing relationship with Morley Riches & Ablewhite. Our experience is that they are highly professional, efficient and proactive. We have been pleased to recommend a number of our clients to Morley Riches & Ablewhite for assistance in property matters. The feedback that we have received has been highly positive. We have also been pleased to co-sponsor a number of successful corporate events with Morley Riches & Ablewhite over recent years."
Griffin Chapman, Chartered Accountants
"Dudley Smith Partnership has enjoyed a long and positive professional relationship with Morley Riches and Ablewhite. Their broad professional services are delivered with efficiency and they display a practical approach together with proactive client service. Our respective firms have from time to time worked jointly on projects over the years and we are pleased to recommend Morley Riches and Ablewhite when the opportunity arises."
Dudley Smith Partnership
"Morley, Riches & Ablewhite – forgettable name, but seriously unforgettable service! We engaged MRA about 3 years’ ago on recommendation. We have never regretted it. Good, practical advice on all property aspects, including new leases, professional discussions with existing Landlords and advice generally. At all times the service has been prompt, professional and cost-effective. Communication skills are first rate and we have confidence in the calibre of MRA’s team and their ability to provide commercial insight and evolve innovative win / win solutions."
John May, Director, Thompson & Morgan Group Holdings Limited
"We are very happy with the friendly, professional and pro-active commercial property management service which we receive from Jon Ablewhite and we accordingly have no hesitation in recommending him and his firm."
Rodney Stock, Bishop’s Stortford
"Jon Ablewhite of Morley, Riches and Ablewhite has provided professional services to my company for many years. This has included sales, purchasing and renting of office properties in and around Colchester. He has been very professional and thorough, combining this with an understanding of the needs of a business client such as ourselves. Together with Peter Riches, he forms a very strong and likeable team."
Russell Sainty, Seaford Properties Limited
"Being a local business in Colchester, we seek to establish relationships with local professionals in certain key areas of business. Morley Riches and Ablewhite are a professional friend of Handelsbanken and understood from a very early stage what we were looking for from their reports. They have been extremely prompt in their delivery of valuations and more than happy to discuss all aspects of the property market within our catchment area, which we find very valuable. Overall a pleasure to deal with."
Russell Felstead, Handelsbanken