A place for research & learning,
reconnection with the natural world,
& a place for creativity.

We envision a valley alive with wildlife, working farms, & thriving community life, where restoration is not just an act, but a way of living.

Furnace Brook began with a simple but bold idea: to heal a neglected landscape & bring it back into balance. Over the years, we have transformed woodland, water, & fields through community-led restoration, regenerative farming, and education. From our first saplings to our growing network of community enterprises, our journey has been rooted in collaboration, care, & long-term thinking.

The Landscape

Located in the protected High Weald of East Sussex, Furnace Brook spans ancient woodland edges, ghyll valleys, & historic water infrastructure that once powered an iron forge. The site includes a 60-acre farm where decades of conventional agriculture left soils compacted, biodiversity reduced, & water systems disrupted. In 2013 a plan for wider ecological restoration based on permaculture principles was put in place. This was complimented by a biodiversity audit in 2020, emerging from which the acquisition of the adjoining farm was incorporated into the plans, taking the land from 20 acres to 80 acres. In 2024 the land unexpectedly suffered major ecological damage as a consequence of upstream pollution.

Learn more

Our Approach

A calm pond reflecting leafless and evergreen trees under a clear blue sky in a wooded area.

We aim to restore ecological function across soil & water while building a resilient model of regenerative food production. The substantial ecological damage in 2024 is resulting in a broad partnership coming together to restore and regenerate.
Rather than simply expanding woodland, we focus on rebuilding living soils & introducing diverse, low-impact farming systems, including agroforestry, perennial crops, pasture-raised livestock, & minimal-tillage vegetable production. These methods improve water infiltration, stabilise slopes, support pollinators, & create a productive, resilient landscape.

Mission & Vision

Our mission is to regenerate the landscape in a way that strengthens community wellbeing, enhances food security, & supports nature-friendly livelihoods. We envision a working landscape where ecological restoration & regenerative farming reinforce each other, creating a thriving, productive environment for people & wildlife alike.

Community & Education

Community involvement is central to the work here. Residents participate in volunteer days, citizen-science water monitoring, soil health workshops, & the co-development of food-growing & educational programmes. By healing degraded land while producing nutritious, ethically grown food, Furnace Brook connects people with nature & fosters skills for sustainable living.

We are working in close partnership with Community Action (3VA).

Impact & Goals

Through ecological restoration, regenerative farming, & community engagement, Furnace Brook is becoming a beacon of recovery & rural resilience in the High Weald. Every volunteer, visitor, & supporter helps build a landscape that is richer, more diverse, & more resilient for generations to come.

The Human Team

  • Alistair Gould

    Permaculture Modelling, Partnerships & resilience Planning

  • Diane Gould

    Community Engagement & Animal Husbandry

  • Simon Dole

    Woodland Management & Wetland Creation

  • Richard Reading

    Ecological Land Management

  • Will del Tuffo

    Food Grower, Forager, & Aquatic Monitoring

  • Michael Kennard

    Soil First Farming

  • Bella Spinks

    Music & Arts

  • Jules Reid

    Aquatic Restoration Projects

  • Kelly Jull

    Education Liaison

  • Zoe May

    Art & Design

  • Edmond Rube

    Innovations & Research

The Non-Human Team

  • Boss - The Goat

    Top of the goat pecking order

  • Patch - The Goat

    Our second in command of the herd

  • Snacks - The Goat

    She’ll be the one straight after you in search of (you guessed it) snacks…

  • Lucky - The Goat

    Full name: Lucky Number Seven, having a perfect white number seven shape on the back of her neck.

  • Buddy - The Goat

    Our littlest goat, most fond of little visitors

  • Alfie - The Pony

    Eating is his favourite hobby

  • Gracie - The Dog

    Some call her grumpy…

  • Dobby - The Cat

    The queen, laying in the sunshine

  • Norma - The Goose

    Our noisy and territorial Goose

Location and history of the region

A small meditation Buddha statue sitting cross-legged on the dirt ground amidst green foliage and trees in a forest setting.

Furnace Brook sits within the protected National Landscape of the High Weald in East Sussex and is managed by a Community Interest Company (CIC) dedicated to ecological restoration and community wellbeing.

The name “Furnace Brook” reflects its origins as a centre of artisan ironworking. Remnants of that past still shape the land today: the dense hornbeam coppice in our ancient woodland was once harvested for charcoal to power the surrounding furnaces.

Read more about the history of the site.