Poor Man's Piece

A new, three hundred year old project

Over three hundred years ago a forward-thinking benefactor named John Clarke donated a field to the community of Week St Mary in North Cornwall. In 1710, he bequeathed “a little piece or quillet of land, containing by estimation half an acre, called the Poor Man’s Piece” and this was to be held in trust “for the use of the… Parish forever”. This land, one of the last few undeveloped medieval field strips in the area, continues to be protected as a registered charity today.

However, much has changed in three hundred years. In 1710, people were land-rich but cash-poor and the income from renting a half-acre field provided financial assistance for those in need. Now, the rent from such a small field is negligible, but its potential as an accessible community wild space is priceless. Access to green spaces continues to fall across the UK, and this deprivation means that many children are growing up with no experience of playing in the wild. This has damaging impacts on wellbeing and is eroding our connection to nature. Nature-connectedness is especially important in this time of biodiversity decline: it will ultimately be our relationship with nature which fuels our passion to protect it.

Let's open the gate

Despite sitting in the heart of the village, at present Poor Man’s Piece cannot be safely used by the community because it is not insured for public access. The land has been used for sheep grazing for decades, but with some management change invites many exciting possibilities: wild areas left for nature to thrive; fruit trees planted for community harvest; bird and hedgehog homes installed; and perhaps a little pond or scrape to encourage greater biodiversity. This space is just waiting to become a haven for human and wild life alike, and we hope that you can help us to fund this exciting project. We need to buy insurance and mend the gateway to allow people safe access; then, purchase young trees, wildflower plugs and wildlife boxes to provide for our wilder visitors. It is time to open the gate at Poor Man’s Piece at last and we look forward to welcoming you!