Frequently Asked Questions
General
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We are in Devon, in the UK. Two miles away from Totnes town centre.
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At Bowden Pillars, we are thinking about land use in a different way to conventional housing development or farm planning where nature is assumed to be damaged. We are integrating these three aspects of life – living, farming and nature – into a whole land-use system that benefits all.
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No, the project is not for profit. We are Community Benefit Society which means CBSs reinvests any profits back into the organization or the community, rather than distributing them to members. Community Benefit Societies are regulated by the FCA and must adhere to specific legal requirements, including maintaining a community focus and ensuring that assets are used for community benefit.
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There are many ways you can get involved, from volunteering at events to offering financial support (see Get Involved page) or becoming a member of our growing ‘Circles’. You can email hello@bowdenpillarsfuture.land and ask about opportunities or let us know how you’d like to be involved.
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The land is owned by Bowden Pillars Future Community Benefit Society – a non-profit organisation designed to ensure that all actions are benefitting wider community rather than private individuals or corporates.
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We are dedicated team of mostly volunteers, working across different ‘Circles’ and unifying over our core mission and vision.
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We use Sociocracy, a governance framework which allows the project to be self managing, distributes authority and allows decision making to emerge on a consent basis.
Village
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The village is being designed as a community-led regenerative neighbourhood, rather than a standard housing estate.
Homes, shared spaces, farmland and nature restoration are all planned together, creating a place where daily life connects with the land, local food systems and a strong sense of community.
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The project is currently in the pre-planning and design stage. If planning permission is granted, construction could begin in the following years.
If everything goes smoothly first houses will be ready in spring 2029.
Building a village is a long process, and timelines may evolve as the project develops.
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The design is being developed by a collaborative team of planners, architects, landscape designers and specialist consultants, working closely with members of the Bowden Pillars project and the emerging village community.
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The best way to stay connected is to join our mailing list and follow project updates. We will also organise events, gatherings and opportunities to meet others interested in the village as the project develops.
As the plans become clearer and the project moves closer to planning approval, we will share more information about how people can become involved in forming the future community.
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Yes. A significant proportion of the homes are intended to be affordable housing, helping create a mixed and inclusive community.
The exact structure and tenures are still being developed as part of the planning and financial modelling process.
Nature
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Around 70% of the 30-hectare site is being transformed into temperate rainforest — also known as Atlantic or Celtic rainforest. Native species including oak, birch, rowan, alder, hazel, willow and holly are being planted to restore a habitat that now covers less than 1% of the UK.
The remaining land will form a mosaic of open glades, woodland rides and wildflower-rich meadows to maximise biodiversity.
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The rainforest creation is being delivered by Devon Wildlife Trust through a 105-year lease at Bowden Pillars. The project forms part of The Wildlife Trusts’ national Atlantic rainforest recovery programme in partnership with Aviva.
Bowden Pillars Future works alongside this initiative, integrating nature recovery with regenerative farming and village design.
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More than 7,000 native trees were planted during the first two winters winter of restoration, with another 10,000 trees during the 2025–26 season. Further planting will continue in the coming years as the woodland develops.
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The trees are locally sourced and grown, many raised from seed collected in ancient woodlands on Dartmoor by Moor Trees. Using local provenance helps improve ecological resilience and supports regional biodiversity.
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The restoration is supported through a long-term partnership between The Wildlife Trusts and Aviva, alongside additional charitable funding and support. The 105-year lease ensures the land is protected for nature recovery over the long term.
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Currently, access is limited to existing public footpaths and bridleways. As the site develops, plans include increased opportunities for education, volunteering and community engagement, managed in ways that protect wildlife and habitat restoration.
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Yes. Over 100 local volunteers have already taken part in tree planting. Future opportunities will include volunteering days, citizen science projects, seasonal monitoring and community events.
The Bowden Pillars Nature Circle is also planning initiatives such as a community Bioblitz to gather biodiversity data across the wider site.
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Nature recovery sits at the heart of Bowden Pillars Future. The reforested landscape will sit alongside regenerative farmland and housing, with ecological principles embedded in the village design.
Landscape-led planning, habitat corridors, sustainable drainage, and permaculture-informed gardens will help ensure biodiversity and soil health are integrated across the whole site, not confined to the woodland area.
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Temperate rainforest takes decades to develop a full canopy structure. However, ecological benefits begin immediately as grazing pressure is reduced and native trees establish. Over time, the woodland will store carbon, improve water resilience and support increasingly complex habitats.
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Yes! No conventional plastic tubes are used as the default approach here. Devon Wildlife Trust uses Rainbow Terra biodegradable tree guards, made from UK forestry byproduct, to protect young trees in a more sustainable way.
Farming
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It is a living experiment in regenerative cooperation.
The Bowden Farm Collective brings together local growers to steward 35 acres of land as a shared ecosystem — not as separate businesses competing for yield, but as collaborators regenerating soil, biodiversity and community together.
It is farming as relationship.
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This land was once managed conventionally. Now it is being restored.
Instead of extracting from the soil, we are rebuilding it: through green manures, agroecology, seed diversity and low-input systems.
Our goal isn’t just sustainability. It’s renewal.
We want the land to be healthier in ten years than it has been for decades.
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The land hosts a mosaic of regenerative enterprises: edible ecosystems, climate-adapted seed research, off-grid hydroponics, tea and medicinal gardens, flower and compost innovation, and a native wildflower nursery.
Each project is different. Together, they form one ecological story.
Diversity above ground strengthens resilience below it.
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Nature doesn’t operate in isolation — and neither do we.
The collective model allows growers to share knowledge, tools, infrastructure and care. It spreads risk, deepens collaboration and strengthens the land as a whole.
It’s not just about producing food. It’s about cultivating interdependence.
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Yes.
In Phase 3, a market garden will be established to nourish residents with fresh, nutrient-dense food grown just beyond their doorstep.
We envision growers living within the village itself, creating a direct, everyday relationship between food, land and home.
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It is for the soil, first.
It is for the wider ecosystem — pollinators, birds, fungi, water.
It is for the community: for learning, wellbeing, food security and meaningful livelihoods.
We want to provide opportunities for land access to those who rarely have it.
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To prove that farming can restore rather than deplete.
To show that land stewardship, economic livelihood and community wellbeing can reinforce each other.
To create a model where regeneration is not a niche idea, but the foundation of how we grow food and live together.