Rural Super-Gentrification: An Investigation of Social Change Within Rural England

Rural gentrification emerged during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and Phillips (1993) has led the way regarding rural gentrification research. Subsequent studies have discerned gentrification in an array of rural contexts, encompassing remote amenity areas, accessible rural-urban fringe locations, and a plethora of forms: agricultural gentrification, wilderness gentrification and rural marginal gentrification. Studies by Stockdale (2010), Smith and Phillips (2018), Smith et al. (2019) and Phillips et al. (2020) have identified cases of super-gentrification within rural locations in the UK, specifically Crieff in Scotland and Tewin, Hertfordshire, England. Super-gentrification entails the transformation of a previously gentrified, prosperous neighbourhood into further exclusive and expensive enclaves through an in-migration of people with exceptionally high levels of economic capital (Butler and Lees, 2006; Lees, 2003). This mobilises an investment in properties within already gentrified areas in ways which are quantitively higher than that of earlier gentrifiers, and qualitatively distinct regarding forms of rebuilding undertaken and its implications on the locality, with earlier gentrifiers featuring amongst those who are displaced (Phillips et al., 2020; 2021). Moreover, studies of super-gentrification have variously accentuated the significance of globalised flows of economic capital and workers, financialisation, occupational change, objectified and institutional cultural capital, and transformations in neighbourhood social relations and identities (Butler and Lees, 2006; Lees, 2003; Phillips and Smith, 2018).

Despite references to rural super-gentrification, a clear urban bias remains within super-gentrification research with a 'world cities' emphasis since Lees' (2003) coining of the term. In comparison, super-gentrification in rural contexts has received little attention, with references made comprising of passing comments as part of wider studies of rural gentrification and its relations to other social processes- ageing in place (Smith et al., 2019) and displacement (Phillips et al., 2020; 2021). There have also been studies of a 'New Rural Gentry' and 'New Squirearchy' (Heley, 2010; Woods, 2005); however, these have advanced largely in isolation from gentrification studies and with no reference to super-gentrification. Notwithstanding a paucity of rural super-gentrification research, Bernt (2018) and Phillips and Smith (2018) illustrate the interconnected nature of urban and rural gentrification, henceforth the relevance of rural gentrification research. Moreover, COVID-19 has highlighted a super-rich in-migration to rural areas away from metropolitan centres, what Smith et al. (2021) contend will exacerbate processes of rural gentrification and result in rural areas becoming increasingly exclusive.

This research therefore aims to explore the emergence, and to advance a deeper and more nuanced understanding of rural super-gentrification through investigating social change within contrasting rural areas drawing together capital/asset 'production-side' approaches and theorisations of consumption and cultural identity. This research will also determine and examine the processes and agents of super-gentrification within contrasting rural areas. Moreover, this research will evaluate the extent to which displacement occurs as a consequence of rural super-gentrification, what forms of displacement occur and who and what is impacted by this.