About Us
Heritage, facilities, ecology and development...
Welcome to the High Nature Centre
The High Nature Centre is a 5 acre smallholding located on a coastal plateau 130m above sea level on the South Devon Coast. The site is level and surrounded by mature hedges, and is a short walk away from a dramatic picturesque stretch of the South West Coast Path and some of the most spectacular sandy beaches in England.
High Nature was founded in 2009 by Permaculture Designers Catherine Middleditch and Douglas Lane. Originally a plant nursery known as Wayfield Nurseries, the small holding has a history of growing cauliflowers, cut flowers and was then managed by a local woman known as ‘Green Jane’ who grew beautiful organic fruit and vegetables for the local community. Over the last 10-15 years, the land has slowly been diversified using permaculture ethics and principles into a mixed use of eco-tourism, organic food growing, well-being activities, nature connection, rewilding, and social outreach. The Centre continues to be managed by Catherine along with Tobdan and their daughter Tanzen-Zangmo.
Heritage
The High Nature Centre is located in a very special area, both in terms of its beauty and it’s geological and cultural heritage. If you walk from the Centre towards the sea you will discover an ancient Celtic field system positioned on Deckler’s Cliff, dating from 300 BC. These have survived due to their proximity to the cliff edge and are thus protected from certain modern farming methods. There are also the remains of hut circles, further evidence of prehistoric inhabitants. The High Nature Centre aims to provide visitors with the opportunity to learn about the local heritage and culture through the provision of interpretation materials, activities and courses.
Facilities
Facilities on the site consist of 6 x 35m polytunnels, some of which have been adapted to provide space for both plants and people . Amongst the food growing you can find spaces to relax, eat and drink, play games, partake in arts and crafts workshops, yoga and fitness sessions, plus we have a laundrette. It’s worth noting that a few of our tunnels are currently ‘under contruction’ whilst we’re going through a planning process to turn them into more suitable earth sheltered eco-buildings. We guarentee that this transition will not impact on your stay with us. Some of the areas of the site are private.
The site also has a borehole linked to a collector tank, mains water and electricity throughout the site, a reception / field kitchen cabin, a shared yurt camp kitchen, hot showers, composting toilets, seasonal accomodation for staff and volunteers, and full time accomodation for our site manager.
Accommodation
A small amount of low impact off grid accommodation is available in the form of yurts. The yurts are hand built using natural materials and provide the visitors with a unique ‘High Nature Experience’ whilst they explore the project and the surrounding landscape. In 2014 we added 6 off-grid grass camping pitches with the intention open up the Centre to a wider market. We are also able to offer 3 more glamping units enabling larger groups to book the whole site for eco-weddings, anniversaries and birthday celebrations. We aim to keep our campsite spacious with plenty of room for wildlife to flourish.
Rewilding & Conservation
The Centre aims to conserve, protect and enhance wildlife habitats, as well as promote geological and archaeological features. Biodiversity and productivity has been increased on the land using permaculture and rewilding practices, creating havens for both wildlife and visitors. Intensive monocultural farming continues to dominate the surrounding landscape here and throughout the UK. We consider ourselves a little hidden poly-cultural oasis here on the South Devon Coast.
Over the years, this essential regenerative work has involved the planting of more than 2000 hedgerow trees on the 5-acre plot, the introduction of wild flowers, grass meadows and increased soil health throughout the tunnels.
Ecological Surveying
High Nature provides wild-life habitats for various wonderful mammals, insects, flora and fauna including: wild rabbits, badgers, foxes, mice, moles, shrews, stoats, brown rats, hares, common newts, common toads.
Butterflies and insects: meadow brown, brown hairstreak, ringlet, small copper, small blue, chalk hill blue, painted lady, black hairstreak, red admiral, peacock, wood white, and the great green bush cricket!
The following birds have also been spotted here at High Nature: black cap, buzzard, coal tit, blue tit, grey tit, goldfinch, chaffinch, rook, raven, crow, jackdaw, magpie, great egret, black bird, song thrush, robin, wren, swallow, house martin, swift, stone chat, dove, wood pigeon, kestrel, herring gull.
Wild flowers and grasses include: Yorkshire fog, common bent, cock’s foot, lolium perenne, crested dogs tail, soft brome, red campion, yarrow, bind weed, creeping thistle, lesser burdock, borage, wild mustard, white clover, ribwort plantain, greater plantain, broadleaf, common sorrel, common mouse ear, oxeye daisy, common daisy, black knapweed, foxglove, artemisia, bluebell, celandine, valerian.
Rural Diversification
The original planning application was granted in October 2012 to further develop the site to allow for additional recreational and business activities. The aim was to contribute to rural diversification by enabling additional revenue generating activities to be carried out on the site. This has been achieved by providing glamping and camping facilities for visiting tourists, venue hire for eco-weddings and family celebrations, low cost workshop spaces for locals, and social outreach opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged people.
Our aim was not only to enhance the visitor experience but provide a place for local people to develop their own rural enterprises. For example food processing/preserving, arts and crafts, textiles and wood working, as well as providing health and well being sessions such as foraging and marine trails, yoga and meditation, fermenting and plant based nutrition. The production of food using natural agricultural methods has continued and more recently enabled the field kitchen catering service to provide fresh local produce to the guests and general public.
The Roundhouse
An application for the High Nature Roundhouse was granted ‘permanent’ permission by South Hams District Council in June 2018. This low impact ecological construction (once built) will be used as an ‘all weather’ central hub and activities centre. High Nature is in much need of a temperature controlled space for storing seeds, produce, sensitive equipment and for holding events throughout the year, especially during extreme and severe weather conditions.
The design of the building is still in development and is growing organically. It has changed a lot since it was first conceptualised. We are very happy to be working with Gordan Clarke from Apse Architects www.apse-architects.com/ We are aiming to offer a variety of short eco-building courses throughout the construction process.
At present we are waiting for our latest planning application to be determined to release the capital to begin this incredible building project.
The Polytunnels
The polytunnels here at High Nature have been through many changes since they were first erected more than 30 years ago. After 15 years of diversification from agriculture to a mixed use of tourism, education, recreation and light industry, we are finally applying to re-develop these structures into more suitable earth sheltered eco-buildings to better suit the change of use officially granted back in 2012. These new structures (which are still being designed) will also enable us to better adapt to the changes in our climate here in the UK, with increasing heavy rainfall, storms and heatwaves, we are confident these buildings will shelter our team and visitors, whatever the weather.
We are very excited to be working with the amazing James Shorten, a planning specialist at TerraPermaGeo specialising in sustainable and regenerative land use. Our lastest application will be available to view very soon and we’d love your support so please watch this space!
Location
The High Nature Centre, East Portlemouth, Salcombe, TQ8 8PN