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Rural Projects

The Guild owns and manages over 100 acres of ancient oak woodland and 2 smallholdings in the Wyre Forest in Worcestershire near Bewdley. This land, part of which is known as Ruskinland, is coming back to life through the work that is being done by the Wyre Community Land Trust based at Uncllys Farm.

At the farm a small outbuilding has been converted into an oak framed barn and named the Ruskin Studio which is now used for rural crafts and countryside skills training courses, farm based events and educational visits. It is made from oak harvested from the Guild's own woodlands and built by local craftsmen. The project won the 'most sustainable building' category in the LABC West of England awards for 2011.

The Trust, based at the farm, owns and manages a herd of over 40 Dexter cattle which are used to graze many wildflower meadows for Natural England, the Forestry Commission and over 20 private landowners ensuring that these meadows are safeguarded for future generations.

The area around Bewdley was once one of the largest producers of cherries and now volunteers working with the Trust are busy restoring some of these old orchards and planting new ones. Each autumn many of the local communities are now involved in collecting and pressing apples that would otherwise go to waste and making delicious fruit juice and cider.

For more information see:

Wyre Community Land Trust
Uncllys Farm
Grow with Wyre

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