‘I was forced to sell my land for HS2 leg days before it was axed. Now I fear I’ll never get it back’

Edward Cavenagh-Mainwaring was left feeling 'bereaved' when around 260 acres were bought from his dairy farm through a compulsory purchase order by the Department for Transport - (Edward Cavenagh-Mainwaring)

A father left feeling “bereaved” by the forced sale of a quarter of his dairy farm for the axed HS2 northern line fears he’ll never be able to afford to buy back the land.

Edward Cavenagh-Mainwaring lost around 250 acres of land his family had farmed for more than 900 years in Staffordshire when the Department for Transport (DFT) bought it through a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the high-speed rail line in October 2023.