The Courtyards Community comprises 5 units within a converted school on the outskirts of Bradford on Avon. Each unit is self-contained. We share the use of 8 acres of land and a wonderful communal hall. Other shared facilities include a tennis court, swimming pool and orchard. This year, all types of fruit were particularly in abundance.

Most residents work off-site (at least for some of the time), but we get together for a full day's work once a month. Jobs we've taken on over the last few months have been painting, turf-laying, tree-planting, garden-building, rock-shifting, grass-cutting, sewage-composting, tree-cutting and some other building and development projects. We always end up sharing a meal together. We've recently instigated a formal method of accounting for the different availability of each resident for additional communal work.

Communal facilities are used regularly by groups which include people from outside the community. Examples have been the monthly dance: 'The Wave', a book club, meetings of the Woodcraft Folk, WWOOF days, camping, private parties and weddings.

In 2005, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the original conversion of Frankleigh House into living units. This project subsequently became "The Courtyards Community" and "Frankleigh Co-Flats".