The Princess Royal spent a day at Cilwrgi Farm in Monmouthshire on 21 July. The farm belongs to HMP Prescoed and is the only working dairy farm that the prison service operates.
Dai Jones, deputy governor of HMP Usk and Prescoed and of the Cilwrgi farm training centre, welcomed her on arrival. She then met staff and prisoners and learned how the farm supports rehabilitation through skills development and work experience.
Among those she met were farm manager Richard Gough and livestock control officer Hannah Priest. The mayor of Usk, Kay Peacock, also attended. So did Karl Gilmore, the deputy lord lieutenant, who chairs the Employment Advisory Board at the prison.
During her tour of the dairy, the Princess spoke with staff and prisoners who help run it each day. She saw the farm’s two robotic milking machines. Prisoners have received training to operate, service and maintain them.
Governor Rob Denman said the prison was delighted to host the Princess Royal and show her the work at Cilwrgi. He said the farm gives prisoners the chance to earn recognised qualifications and learn practical skills. It also builds the confidence they need to lead crime-free lives after release.
As well as being a fully operational dairy farm, Cilwrgi is a registered training provider. Its nationally recognised courses cover tractor driving, field mowing, livestock handling and the operation of agricultural machinery.
Research carried out at the site points to wider benefits from dairy work in prison. According to its findings, working with animals can help prisoners develop empathy, responsibility and positive relationships. Each of those factors has links to lower rates of reoffending.
Prescoed has held men in open conditions since 2004. Before that, it served first as a youth detention centre and then as a young offender institution.
Prescoed is a Category D open prison for men in Wales. Inspectors last carried out a full inspection in August 2025. They rated it good for safety, respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release.
