We are an Ecosystem Restoration Community
Located within the protected landscape of the High Weald in East Sussex, the Furnace Brook Ecological Restoration Centre spans a mosaic of ancient woodland edges, ghyll valleys, and historic water infrastructure once powering an iron forge. The site includes a 60-acre farm where decades of conventional agriculture left soils compacted, biodiversity reduced, and hydrology disrupted. A major pollution event in 2024 further damaged the lake ecosystem and catalysed a comprehensive restoration initiative, formally launched the same year.
Our aim is to restore ecological function across water and soil while establishing a thriving model of regenerative food production.
Diane & Alistair with John D Liu
“The great work of our time is to restore the fundamental ecological structures of our world.”
- John D Liu
Our Vision
We are restoring the land & water, rebuilding biodiversity & creating spaces for community, food growing, nature connection & learning. This includes:
Restoring soil & water health across the site
Developing accommodation & meeting spaces for community activities, retreats & educational programmes
Connecting local schools with farms to help children understand where their food comes from
Supporting local people to grow food for their community
Creating a Community Gardens Network to engage older people, young people & those facing isolation or mental-health challenges
This work is ambitious & urgently needed. With your support, we can bring this vision to life.
Let’s Work Together
How You Can Help
CORPORATE SUPPORT & PHILANTHROPY
We welcome partnerships with organisations who share our commitment to nature recovery, community wellbeing and regenerative land use. If you’d like an informal conversation about collaborating, please get in touch.
VISIT
Enjoy our accommodation, taproom afternoons, workshops and events in a peaceful natural setting. Every stay & every ticket directly supports restoration work on the land.
Find out more here.
VOLUNTEER
If you’re interested in joining our volunteer team, please complete our contact form. We’d love to welcome you to the project. We’re particularly keen to work with someone on using our trail cameras to capture some of the animal life here.
ENTERPRISE HUB
Run your enterprise from our Community Farm & become part of a growing network of land-based, nature-positive businesses.
DONATE
We depend on the generosity of supporters to continue this essential work. Your donation - large or small - helps protect this precious place for the future, for everyone.
MAKE A DONATION
Instead of expanding woodland, we are focusing on rebuilding living soils and reintroducing diverse, low-impact farming systems that integrate agroforestry, perennial crops, pasture-raised livestock, and minimal-tillage vegetable production. These methods help improve water infiltration, stabilise slopes typical of the High Weald, support pollinators, and create a resilient, productive landscape.
Community involvement is central to our approach: residents participate in volunteer days, citizen-science water monitoring, soil health workshops, and co-development of future food-growing and educational programmes. By healing degraded land while producing nutritious, ethically grown food, Furnace Brook aims to become a beacon of ecological recovery and rural resilience across the High Weald.
The surrounding rural area faces economic pressures, limited local food availability, and reduced access to natural spaces. Our mission is to regenerate the landscape in a way that strengthens community wellbeing, enhances food security, and supports nature-friendly livelihoods. We envision a working landscape where ecological restoration and regenerative farming reinforce one another.
Photo taken before the pollution event.