Neal’s Yard Remedies began life in 1981 as a quirky alternative and complimentary medicine shop tucked away at Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden, London. People said it wouldn’t have much of a chance in London, but the Neal’s Yard team proved them wrong, culminating in 180 branches across the country. This year they moved into their new headquarters on the outskirts of Gillingham in Dorset. Ben Bamber examines the case for relocation.
Focusing on the building, Neal’s yard have brought almost all of their operations onto one site. The building, designed by eco-architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects (FCB), conforms to all the latest thinking on ecological design for buildings and occupies a 5.2 hectare greenfield site on flat land flanked by hedgerows leading down to the River Stour, surrounded by farmland to the south.
