Lower Shaw Farm

[Muddypause]

Some of you here, lurkers, passers by, or regulars, may have heard of Lower Shaw Farm in Swindon. Like me, you may even have visited it. If you don't know about it, allow me to introduce you.

I'm amazed to find that it is over ten years since I last visited the place, but there was a time when I would be there every weekend, either as an informal visitor, or attending a course. If you talk to anyone who has been there, the words they will use to describe the place will invariably include

welcoming
beautiful
warm
magical
friendly
inspirational
unique
open-hearted
creative
educational

It was originally set up as a community of several families in the 70s, on a former dairy farm. On a shoestring budget (often less) they converted it into a facility where people can come and learn about crafts, about other people, about shared values, and about a ton of other things that can only happen when people gather in an open hearted environment. The cowsheds were converted into sleeping chalets, the milking shed became a centre of activity, organic vegetables were grown, old pallets were converted into beds, barns became community centres.

And at wekends, people would come and run courses on basketmaking, yoga, co-counselling, creative writing, music, permaculture, circle dancing, DIY, tribal medicine rites... or there would be WWOOF weekends to take care of what was left of the farm - 3 acres with goats, chickens, peacocks, bees...

Anyone attending would, from the first moment, be made to feel welcome, that they, too, belonged there, conversations would flow, stories would be told, songs sung. Try and be shy at Lower Shaw Farm, and see how long that lasts for. And the food was always fantastic.

But it didn't stop there - you'd get invited back as a friend, asked to help install a kitchen, and be shown a new song on the guitar. Lately the place has run playgroups, and other children's projects, and it is the core of the Swindow Festival of Literature. It is not only a facility for visitors, but for locals as well.

In the 80s the place was completely surrounded, submerged almost, by a huge housing estate. And yet those precious three acres retained the vibrancy of before, unphased by the encroaching houses, the activities unabashed by the 'normal' people who moved in to the neighbouring houses.

Even after all these years, it still has a special place in my memory - it's a formative part of me. I keep meaning to visit again (why haven't I?). Over the years it has been through many changes in personelle, and is now run by a family, rather than a community. But the family is from the original people who set up the place in the beginning - 30 years of continuity.

But now (there has to be a 'but' to this story, you knew that, didn't you?), the bleeders in charge of the town council have decided to close the place down and sell off the land for yet more housing. What sort of madness is this? Apparently the land is valuable (£2 mill), and their budget is short. Quite clearly they have no idea about the meaning of 'value', and they haven't grasped the concept of an 'asset'. How long will £2 million last in the hands of the council - that's about 100 yards of new road, isn't it? Once LSF is closed down, it will be gone forever.

The local press seems to have been giving it good coverage here, here and here, with a stack of letters of support here, here and here. There is even a short video here, and apparently it is to make today's Channel 5 News (just missed it).

I realise this is something that may not feature on many of your horizons, and really this is just a personal reflection. I just stumbled across this when I was doing a bit of websurfing, and I'm pretty saddened by it. So if you've ever visited the place, or just heard about it, please consider emailing your support, and opposition to where it counts, as detailed in one of the above links.

[Merry]

Saw it on the news - couldn`t believe it!
Visited briefly in the past - my OH is a Wiltshire lad.
Will express my anguish on line

[Andy Hamilton]

Decided that this deserves a front page article

[Muddypause]

Thanks for doing that, Andy. What a champion you are.

[Starfish]

Hi
I have just read this about Lower Shaw Farm. Does anybody know what is happening now regasrding this threat. I originate from about 2 miles from this place, and didn't know it existed until now. I left Swindon 6 years ago. It sounds fantastic and I would love to take my children there one day. I know how obsessed the local council there is about building houses, I hardly recognise the place when I visit (rarely), they really will build on anything.

[Boots]

Hey Muddy, what is the best thing to do here... Email the Suits you've listed individually?

Am afraid that may just be met with the delete button... or one of those standard form letters telling me how glad they are that I have taken the time to write to them, rada rada.

Are you able to put a poll up here? Or is there a local paper running one? Does your government have a site where you can post issues like this for national (and/or international) petitioning?

This really sucks.

[Muddypause]

I hope I'm now on their mailing list. Otherwise, it seems hard to come by any first hand news about this - internet reports seem a bit conflicting, and it can be hard to know what the latest situation is. I got a press release from the council a few weeks ago (in response to several emails of objection) saying that it was all sorted out and how everyone is happy (they would say that, wouldn't they?), but this was the day before a crucial council meeting, and reading between the lines, that is far from the case. There are still plans to build on the land, and the lease renewal is strictly short term, so in fact nothing seems any different and the threat is still pending.

I'll keep y'all posted, but mean time, I doubt there is any harm in making your feelings known to the people who count.

[Organic_Linker]

being in Swindon, this is clsoe to my heart - I have my finger on the pulse of local news looking for it - so will let anyone know if i hear anything

[Lincolnshirelass]

When I saw this, I immediately emailed a Swindon-based friend of mine who is very into green issues and self-sufficiency. Turns out that she was active in the campaign and this is what she had to say:

"I know LSF, and can in fact report with some glee
that the level of positive response forced the council last month to
reconsider. They are going to sell and build on a bit of land at the
periphery of the farm, realising some cash, but the homes built there
are going to be green, and Andrea and Matt at the farm are happy with
the compromise, and delighted with the level of support they received.

I'm proud to say that I made sure I sent letters and emails to every one
of the people on the list, and my letter to the local paper was printed
(and commented on by folks I know in the village!). Usually I think 'Oh,
I might support that...' and actually do nothing, but this time I took
the time and acted - so I'm delighted and proud that I was part of a
positive movement!"


So, all in all - YAY!

[Tigerhair]

That is fantastic news!

[Muddypause]

"They are going to sell and build on a bit of land at the
periphery of the farm, realising some cash, but the homes built there
are going to be green, and Andrea and Matt at the farm are happy with
the compromise, and delighted with the level of support they received."

So, all in all - YAY!

YAY, indeed! It's good to get some first-hand news on this.

I'm still a leeeeeetle sceptical though - other reports seem to indicate that their lease is only being renewed for one year instead of the usual 5, which to my mind means the threat is still there (they may face this all over again in 12 months). Also, with only 3 acreas of the farm left anyway (much of which is occupied by the farm house, barns, workshop spaces, etc., it's still a bit of a worry to hear that more houses are going to be built ever closer, even if they are some form of eco-houses.

But for the moment, this probably merits a sigh or relief.

[Muddypause]

Just thought I'd bump this thread up again, because I happened to to have found out, straight from a certain horse's mouth, so to speak, that things are looking much better with respect to Lower Shaw Farm's long term survival.

It's not quite over yet, and there are a few meetings and things to be fought through, but it transpires that there are all sorts of obstacles in the way of developing the site, like archaeology, listed buildings, and other things. Apparently there would only be a very small area of the farm that could be easily developed.

And apparently, the leader of the council finally got round to visiting the place, and was subsequently heard to remark that he had previously thought the place was just brambles and weeds - he hadn't realised that things actually went on there.

And the farm has had an extraordinary amount of support, both locally and from further afield.

They also have a revamped website which includes a newletter describing some of the fight they've had on their hands. I also notice that the links secition has a grand total of two links - one of which is to SSish. I guess this must be because Andy was good enough to make their plight front page news.

[Thomzo]

Lower Shaw Farm is just around the corner from my office. I walk past it on my way to the shops at lunch time. It does run some amazing projects and is always in the local news for events that it has organised.

It amazes me that the councillor could think that nothing happens there. Where does he live? It can't be locally or he'd have known just how much they do. I have always thought that it could be under threat as it is surrounded by the huge housing estate that is West Swindon so I wasn't surprised when I heard what might happen to it. I am very glad that it's future is looking more assured.

Zoe

[Shirley]

bumping this up - just had a look at the site and there are lots of things going on.... hey, and check the literary festival in May... there might just be a couple of lads that you will recognise in attendance.

[hamster]

Ooh, ooh, what fun! Who else is up for going?