Sharpham Estate: “We are all part of the natural world”

Julian Carnell is Director of The Sharpham Trust – a charity which promotes nature conservation and offers mindfulness retreats near Totnes in South Devon.

There are a reported 8.7 million people on antidepressants in England and waiting lists for support are far too long. At Sharpham we see nature as a vital way of supporting an individual’s wellbeing – mental, emotional, physical – and we know that those who connect with the natural world also begin to care for it. For years I worked on projects designed to help nature recover from years of decline but learned that nature wasn’t really the problem, people were, and to properly address the issues we needed a more holistic approach. When I started as Director at Sharpham ten years ago I had a vague idea that I wanted to join things up – to create a place where nature conservation and mental health were complementary.

I also felt there was a disconnect between Sharpham’s desire for people to connect to the natural world and the reality of how we were managing the land, which at the time was largely a dairy farm. Our green and pleasant home was in many ways a green desert – a lot of monocultural fields with little biodiversity. We needed to bring our land management into alignment with the ethos of our mental health work. To this end we became fully organic in May 2022 and began a three-year project to rewild the 550-acre estate.

This philosophy also informs how we approach food on our nature connection and mindfulness retreats. At The Barn Retreat Centre, participants help to prepare the nourishing, seasonal, vegetarian meals, creating a sense of connection and community through cooking. Much of what we serve is grown in our own organic gardens, and at The Coach House, guests are invited to get their hands in the soil alongside our garden team. The rest is sourced locally, including from Riverford; food becomes part of the practice: grounded, ethical, shared.

1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England. Embracing the fact that we are all part of nature, not separate from it, can help us respond to the many challenges of the modern world. It’s what Sharpham is all about: reconnecting the threads that have been pulled apart.

Visit www.sharphamtrust.org/riverford to learn more.