LEARNING ANCIENT SKILLS IN A NEW TOWN: SHERFORD EMBRACES ITS HERITAGE
The Sherford community is demonstrating that even new towns can have rich heritage connections, thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant that is helping residents learn traditional rural skills. Having recently developed and rolled out a Heritage Skills Training Programme, Sherford residents are now preparing to showcase their newly acquired skills to the wider community.
Sherford Community Trust and Real Ideas successfully secured a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant. The fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes, helping people across the UK explore and protect the heritage they care about. At Sherford, the grant has been put to work in several ways to enable residents to connect with the land's rich history, form stronger local links, and build community bonds.
Heritage Skills Training Programme
A key initiative funded by the grant is the Heritage Skills Training Programme, which has introduced volunteers to the fundamentals of traditional rural crafts. Instructor James Dyson has now completed two introductory sessions with the Friends of Sherford Country Park group, providing residents with a valuable insight into hedge-laying and coppicing techniques – skills that date back to the Stone Age.
These traditional practices are not merely historical crafts but vital conservation techniques. Coppicing, which involves cutting trees down to stumps to encourage vibrant new growth, promotes woodland biodiversity and sustainable timber production. Meanwhile, hedge-laying creates natural boundaries that provide important wildlife corridors and habitats
The culmination of this training will be a public demonstration at Sherford Day on Saturday 5th April, when the Friends of Sherford Country Park will display their coppicing skills to residents and visitors in the Country Park. This practical presentation will give the wider community a chance to learn about these historic techniques and their importance for conservation today.
“These training sessions have been incredibly valuable,” said Christine King from the Friends of Sherford Country Park. “Having completed both the hedge-laying and coppicing workshops, we have a foundation of knowledge and our volunteers are eager to share this with the wider community. The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant has made it possible to bring these ancient practices alive in our new town, enabling us to repair the banks and restore their biodiversity for coming generations. The skills that we pass on from this project will ensure that the landscape is managed in a beneficial way for the environment in the future.”
Celebrating Local History
Sherford Community Trust has worked hard to invest the Heritage Lottery fund grant of £9,855 – which it topped up by a further 10% in match funding – and this has included holding a heritage event, featuring experts including Sherford's archaeology team and The Box to better understand Sherford's heritage and its role in a new community. To encourage further engagement, they have established an Environment and Heritage group that residents can join, fostering a sense of ownership and stewardship of the community's natural and historical resources. The final outcome from the initial grant, will be the community-led production of a heritage plan for Sherford, to inform development planning going forward.
“It's wrong to assume that a relatively new town has no real heritage,” explains Judy Talbot, Project Coordinator at Sherford Community Trust. “Sherford is steeped in history and has a story to tell. This project is about understanding our heritage and making the most of it going forward. Having a sense of heritage is good for people; it gives people a sense of identity and pride.”
Environmental Commitment
The heritage and rural outdoor skills initiatives align perfectly with Sherford's broader environmental vision, brought to life by the Sherford Consortium – a partnership between Taylor Wimpey and Vistry Group, which includes Linden Homes, Bovis Homes and Countryside Partnerships* - which is responsible for the creation of the new town.
The Sherford Consortium has invested over £7.65 million so far in ecological initiatives and green infrastructure, planted over 264,500 trees, and committed to creating 9km of native, species-rich hedges throughout the development as well as preserving original hedge-banks. The Country Park is already impressive at 92-acres in size, and will eventually span 500-acres as Sherford grows.
Peter Sadler, Managing Director of Vistry Cornwall South West, part of the Sherford Consortium, commented: “Sherford is setting a new standard for sustainable development, demonstrating that you can honour and preserve heritage while building for the future. Sherford’s past is truly fascinating, from prehistoric artefacts beneath the soil to historic hedgerows that weave throughout the landscape. It's remarkable to see the community taking such proactive steps to preserve and enhance what they have inherited. By learning these traditional skills, residents are becoming custodians of both the land and its history.”
Sherford Day 2025
Sherford Day, on 5th April, marks eight years of growth and community spirit since Sherford welcomed its first resident. It will begin at 10am in the Country Park – and both residents and members of the wider local community are welcome.
Following the morning coppicing demonstration, a special day of community celebration will continue with a bring-and-share lunch in the marquee from 12-2pm, followed by a sunflower growing competition for children, wildflower seed sowing, and tree planting. These plantings symbolise the community's continued growth and recognise those who have 'put down roots' at Sherford.
The Friends of Sherford Country Park, Sherford Community Church, and the Over 50s Group have collaborated to organise this celebration of togetherness for the entire community – with support from Sherford Community Trust and its Community Panel. These thriving community groups continue to enrich life at Sherford through their dedication to fostering connections in the new town.
