Not long after moving onto our small holding in 2020 we decided it would be a wonderful idea to enlarge the small woodland at the rear of ‘Sunset Meadow’ and plant some native hedging. These additions would add character to the open agricultural fields as well as provide some shelter from the winter winds.
Our first question was, how many trees would we need? Finger in the air… 1,000 trees. Why not. That number started as a marker, soon became a target and then turned into an obsession.
Finally, at the start of 2023 Rich dived into a period of extensive planting. The site of Trewena cottage now features masses of new hedgerows, thickets and an expanded woods that is made from a beautiful mix of native rowan, oak, hornbeam, willow, alder, birch, dogwood, hazel, hawthorn, aspen trees. We have also planted a native apple orchard.
The project was supported by Forest for Cornwall, a scheme run by Cornwall Council to support small scale landowners to plant trees on their land. Our long-term goal is to create a sustainable environment that will act as an oasis for birds and insects as well as an important corridor for wildlife, while also enhancing the beauty of the local landscape.
This planting is also the first stage in our wider plans to create a sustainable lifestyle on site. The hedgerows are essential and much depleted wildlife habitats and will also provide important protection from the wind for us to plant vegetable crops in future. We’re really excited to see what possibilities open up on the land with this project
In addition to the hedgerows, the 45-tree native apple orchard will serve as a beautiful addition to the site with the welcome promise of small batch cider production in years to some. We’re imagining picnic tables nestled amongst the apple trees and hoping to create a cider and scrumpy making experience for future guests. Cheers to that!
Importantly by these trees to our smallholding we’re not just helping to enhance the beauty of the local area, we’re creating the foundation for sustainable smallholding practices that we hope future guests can learn from, or at least be inspired by. We believe that sustainable tourism can be a key tool to safeguarding the environment, and we’re committed to doing our part to make sure that future generations can enjoy the beauty of this incredible corner of Cornwall.
If you’d like to learn more about the project or see what we’ve been up to on site (visitors are always welcome too), please come and see for yourself!
Interested in how we’re trying to work with nature and improve wildlife habitats at our award winning cottages? Come stay with us and find out more. You can choose from ‘Little Avalon’ our 1850s labourers cottage, or ‘The Pigsty’ our converted barn.
