Here’s your chance! We hear from Ele and Anthony at Pentiddy Woods about a unique learning opportunity on offer from October 2019.

This is an opportunity to join our family for 9 months living off-grid on an established experimental woodland smallholding.

From October each year through to the following July we are offering a full, rounded experience in sustainable living. You will be trained in numerous essential skills for setting up your own project. There will be a small training budget for off-site courses, free weekends (except during hay-making time!), 1 day each week for more flexible study or skills learning and 4 days a week helping on a variety of interesting tasks around the land.

Each season there will also be trips to the Green Scythe Fair and the National Coppice Federation AGM. There are plenty of interesting places to visit fairly locally such as the Eden Project, Landmatters Community, Agroforestry Research Trust and Keveral Farm Community.

We can only offer 2-3 places each year, and we would prefer you to visit us for a stay beforehand if possible.

What to expect

The internship we are offering is not paid – there is no stipend or salary. It is an exchange similar to WWOOF or HelpX, where in return for your help here we provide all food (except luxury items you might choose to purchase yourself), accommodation and training. A small training budget is also available. Accommodation is in either a caravan or a cabin. Both have wood-burners and provide a small personal private space.

You will generally work a 4 day week from Monday to Thursday with Friday a ‘self-study’ day where you can read up, experiment, attend courses or follow interests. One Friday a month Ele and Anthony are available for more specific training and learning opportunities. Weekends are free, and the workshop, land and locality are all at your disposal!

A typical day starts after individually prepared breakfasts with a meeting at 9am. This broadly follows an 8 Shields idea of check-ins, gratitudes, good of the village and so on. Work is discussed and agreed and we aim to start at 9.30am. Lunch is normally 12.30pm, resuming activities at 1.30pm. We finish at 4.30-5.30pm depending on season/light/tasks. However, sometimes when particular tasks such as haymaking are happening, this all goes out the window – but it is discussed and agreed beforehand!

How to apply

Please in the first instance apply in writing or by e-mail. The deadline for applications is the end of June.

As a nudge, maybe include stuff about:

• Your passions
• Your preferred diet
• Your ethos/beliefs
• Your interests/hobbies outside of land based living
• If you smoke or drink
• Any mental health issues, physical issues or allergies
• If you have a driving licence

… and anything else you feel might be relevant to 9 months living in community close to the land, which at times may be quite intense and challenging. We do not have a particular response/profile we are looking to fulfil and we also don’t need reams and reams – we just want to get to know more about you! It would also be very useful if you could let us know how you heard about the internship opportunity and do have a think if there are any questions you would like to ask us too.

Learn more

You can find lots more information about Pentiddy on their website, with information about the internship available here.

About the author

Anthony and Ele Waters run the Pentiddy experimental woodland smallholding near Liskeard in Cornwall, comprising Pentiddy Woods, Pentiddy Natural Burials, Heartwood Creations and a community woodland charity. Pentiddy loves to host people and offer them a unique experience to learn about all aspects of ‘simple’ living and the day to day work of a diverse permaculture smallholding.