A Beautiful, Natural Space at the Heart of the Community
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A Potted History of The St Eval Community Land Project
The St Eval Community Land Project was first imagined in 2018 by three optimistic, green-fingered villagers. 'The Meadow' (as it is now fondly known) has become a beloved part of village life, offering serenity and happiness to all. Our ongoing mission is to provide a sanctuary for local wildlife whilst bringing the whole community together.
The Beginning
When we first set our sights on transforming a four acre plot of scrubland into a beautiful, peaceful space to be enjoyed by everyone, we didn't realise the work we had cut out for ourselves.
The unused land had been utilised as a dumping ground for garden and building waste, making it dangerous for children, and a complete eyesore.
It was going to take time, love and dedication.
Gathering Approval
We presented our plans for the project to the St Eval villagers by way of leaflet drops to every door and a public meeting. Our plans were met with an overwhelmingly positive response. From dog walkers to nature lovers and children of all ages, everyone who responded to our proposal were very happy that it would be a natural space which focused on wildlife and nature. With approval gained, we began planning our strategy.
The Magic Begins...
The land was in a dreadful state and so before we could begin, many many hours were spent clearing litter, thistle picking, removing old fencing from the soil and ensuring that the land was in an optimum condition for planting and landscaping. Many volunteers from the local community showed their support by turning out in their droves (in all weathers over several weeks) to help with this difficult but vital task.
Ploughing the land
After the hard labour, the land was finally ready for ploughing. A local farmer offered his help and he ploughed the field for us to make it ready for sowing.
We enlisted the help of a seed and meadow expert to help us plan which seeds to sow. He came to meet with us and discussed at length the best ways of managing and maintaining a meadow such as this, advising on the best species to plant for the type of soil and conditions we have here.
We needed 35kg of wildflower seed!
Seeding the Meadow
We opted for a nature-friendly mix which included yarrow, betony, common knapweed, meadowsweet, lady's bed straw meadow vetchling, oxeye daisy, birdsfoot trefoil, ribwort plantain, cowslip, selfheal, meadow buttercup, yellow rattle, common sorrel, pepper saxifrage, ragged robin and red clover. This would maximise wildlife diversity, as well as creating a beautiful kaleidoscopic display of colour each summer. We made a gaggle of scarecrows with the local Cub group and held a village scarecrow competition, which was met with much enthusiasm! These cheerful fellows would protect our precious seed and ensure that the greedy crows wouldn’t spoil our harvest.
The Land Blooms Into Life
It was so exciting waiting for the meadow magic to spring into life and we were absolutely blown away when we finally saw the fruits of our labour in July 2019… the meadow was breathtakingly stunning.
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But our work didn't end there, it was merely the beginning. Since those early days we have poured love and dedication into tending to our beautiful meadow, making it a serene, educational, beautiful cornerstone of village life.
Growing Into the Future
It has been a project with a long vision; we are dedicated to the project and know that we are in it for the long-haul, and yet have also been realistic in our plans and not implemented anything which would cause future residents an eyesore or be difficult to maintain, should any of us move from the area for example.
Read about projects we have already implemented, and our plans for the future...