THE owner of Abbotsbury Swannery has been named the wealthiest person in Dorset.

Charlotte Townshend, 65, is the top local name on the Sunday Times Rich List, coming in at number 294.

The 65-year-old – one of the few people other than the Queen who is allowed to own swans – rose two places on the list despite her estimated fortune falling £2million to £454m. Her portfolio includes at least 20 acres in London’s Holland Park and she has assets in 10 businesses.

The Marquess of Salisbury, who owns Cranborne Manor, is at number 378 on the list, down from 383, with a fortune estimated to have gone up by £2m to £345m.

The 73-year-old, who owns Hatfield House in Salisbury, has residential properties in Hertfordshire, London and Dorset. He gave £174,000 to the Tories ahead of last December’s election.

Mark and Mo Constantine, among the co-founders of the Poole-based cosmetics brand Lush, are at number 393, down from 308, with a wealth said to have fallen £106m to £334m.

Mr Constantine, 67, failed his O-levels at Weymouth Grammar School and earned £3 a week as a trainee hairdresser in the town.

Lush, which he founded with a group including his wife Mo, 66, has 900 shops in around 50 countries. The couple’s stake was reckoned to be worth £281m before the lockdown.

Tom Singh, founder of the Weymouth-based fashion chain New Look, and his family, are at number 418, down from 385, with their fortune down £30m to £310m.

Mr Singh, 70, announced his retirement as chairman from the business this year. His family have made around £275m from the business but it made a loss of £537.5m in 2018-19 and the Rich List considers his 10 per cent holding to be “worthless”.

Sir Richard Sutton and his family are at number 435, up from 554, with their fortune up £83m to £301m. The 83-year-old Gillingham resident owns hotels in London and elsewhere.

Dorset-born entrepreneur Jonathan Reeves, 60, is at number 610 on the list, down from 606, with a fortune unchanged at £200m. He is involved with augmented reality and mixed reality technology via his business Arvizio.

Rupert Martin, retired racing car driver and chairman of Gillingham lighting company Dextra Group,is at number 858, down from 828, with a fortune down £7m to £140m.

The family behind Dorset’s Hall & Woodhouse brewery is at number 886 on the list, down from 884, with a fortune up £3m to £137m. Anthony Woodhouse, 54, took over as company chairman last year from cousin Mark, 64. The company has more than 200 pubs as well as its bottled beer range, produced in Blandford.

David and Betty Carr, founders of the Helston Garages Group, are at number 982 on the list, down from 959, with their wealth down £4m to £120m. The Cornwall-based company has 37 franchises across Dorset and the west country.

The man named the wealthiest in Dorset last year has seen his fortune drop by £501m. James Benamor, 43-year-old founder of Amigo Loans, is now worth £299m and came in at number 447 on the list, down from 174 last year. His stake in the company lost much of its value after profits fell amid a crackdown by regulators.