Trelay is a co-housing eco-village. Our vision is that it will eventually have about 30 adult residents plus children and visitors. (Currently we have 17 residents, ranging in age from 11 months to 88 years.) We have several empty living spaces which we are letting out as holiday accommodation until new residents join. Contact us if you’d like to come and live here!

We aim to live lightly on the Earth. We have chosen a place in North Cornwall, where the wind blows in from the Atlantic and there is a feeling of being wild and free. We have been here three years and each year we grow more of our own vegetables, together with eggs, pork, lamb, honey and fruit. The most profound values of our group are freedom, acceptance and respect – respect for each other and for our land, trees, plants, animals and buildings. We have no particular dogma – for example, we are not all vegetarians – but we learn from each other’s diverse beliefs.

Each person, couple or family has their own living space, where they can live independently. The spaces include stone houses, flats and log cabins. We come together to share meals regularly, but, of course, the communal meals are optional. Jobs that are better done as a group are shared.

We work together or independently on projects such as renewable energy, sustainable water and eco-buildings. We are aiming to generate more of the money we need from activities on our land (30 acres) and in our communal buildings. Perhaps you could add your skills and be part of our sustainable business endeavours? Some of our residents are retired or work off-site. Some have invested capital, others pay rent. We hope new people will come with capital, because we have thought of many inspiring improvements we could make with some more money. People investing money will get a beautiful home, with all the shared facilities and community involvement on top.

Our vision includes learning to develop happier and more fulfilling relationships with each other. It is difficult sometimes, because we are all human beings, with moments of sadness and anger. But there are great rewards from living in a caring, sharing community, so we keep trying. When we have a community day, and celebrate our shared achievements together, round some delicious home cooking, we feel very glad to be alive. Or going out to feed the pigs along the field with the sea view; meditating in the deep peace of our flower-filled woodland; helping children to bake a cake using our own eggs that they just collected warm from the nest . . . yes, it is a wonderful life.

But of course, it is not paradise; it involves real hard work, being out in the mud and gales, and with all the usual unexpected difficulties of life, including sharing the difficulties of other people.

Please look at our website (although it seems to be in need of some repair at the moment) www.trelay.org or use the contact form above to get in touch.