THE global pandemic has created enormous change in the way we live and socialise including how and where we work.

Rural offices are in growing demand including serviced co-working office space, with all the benefits of high speed broadband, free parking and a beautiful open green space.

One such newly opened business centre is Fortescue Court with stunning views over the River Exe, located between Thorverton and Brampford Speke, on a nature friendly family farm 15 minutes from Exeter, Crediton and Tiverton.

This kind of diversification for farmers and land-owners has been made possible by the latest digital technology, allowing many to work remotely, opening up rural business opportunities in the South West.

The first phase of contemporary Fortescue Court offices, converted from traditional farm buildings, have attracted highly creative local businesses including Canns Down Press, Mold Product Design, Cabinet Jewellery and Emma Hewlett Floral Design. The second phase is due to open in the spring.

In autumn 2020, Fortescue Court welcomed its first rural co-working occupant SpacExeHub to the largest self-contained office. Here you can rent a desk by the month, with everything to set up and work instantly including super fast fibre internet, modern furniture, free parking, unlimited teas and coffee, even shower facilities.

Mark James, SpacExeHub founder said: "I’ve been searching for the right rural space for months and Fortescue Court meets all the criteria for high quality co-working space.

"City offices have been emptying since March 2020 with many of us working from home over lockdown periods or permanently since Covid.

"This has brought a seismic change in the commercial office world.

"Logging onto Zoom or Teams for daily meetings has become the norm and even the most technophobic have swiftly adopted digital communication. The upshot is the increasing number of cases where employers are not reopening offices at all and instead asking people to continue working from home for the foreseeable future in the realisation that they don’t need the high overheads of owning or renting and maintaining an expensive office building."

He added: "There is a growing need for smaller and often flexible co-working office space where you can show up, plug in and get on.

"Simply the act of ‘going’ to a place of work, with reliable internet connections, surrounded by like-minded people and where you won’t be disturbed by domestic distractions, is becoming the workplace of choice for many. Whether paid for by the employers or self-funded, co-working spaces are increasingly in demand."

Here in lies the silver lining for the rural community. There is often little need for those spaces to be in the expensive commercial centre of a town or city any more. Rural locations are becoming the most sought after spots for office space as they offer an arguably more pleasant environment, usually include parking as part of the deal and can offer much more affordable solutions to independent or employed workers that simply need a great space to work.