SPIRIT
Spirit speaks to the deeper relationship between people and place — the memory of the land, the genius loci, and the care we bring to its future.
ORIGINS
We began with a shared concern — the threat of a relief road cutting through land shaped by generations. In response, a group of local people came together — first to protect what was at risk, and then to build something lasting.
Long Lands, our sister site, was the first piece of land brought into community ownership. As momentum grew, so did the vision — and a deeper sense of responsibility for the wider landscape.
This is not a new place. It has held meaning for centuries — shaped by wild things, royal hands, working people, and now, by a community imagining it back into life.
Today, Knaresborough Forest Park is a 60-acre, community-held landscape — part of a growing movement to restore ecological abundance, rekindle belonging, and protect the land for generations to come.
Above all, it is an invitation: to return, to reconnect, to remember.
And it’s only just beginning.
PURPOSE
Our work grows beyond conservation. It is a rebalancing — of land, people, and nature.
Guided by ecological principles and a deep respect for place, we’re nurturing a living landscape shaped by relationship rather than control — one that supports both ecological healing and cultural belonging.
We’re working towards a place where:
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Native habitats return, and biodiversity is allowed to flourish — slowly and naturally
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People rebuild connection to the natural environment through presence, learning, and stewardship
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Ancient wisdom and ecological practice are held side by side — listening to the land, not working against it
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The land is held in common — protected not for profit, but for the benefit of future generations
HERITAGE
Butler Hills is the historic name for this part of the land — now part of what’s being regenerated through Knaresborough Forest Park. It lies within the former boundaries of Bilton Park, one of three medieval deer parks that once formed the Royal Forest of Knaresborough.
The forest wasn’t dense woodland. It was a working, multifunctional landscape — open pasture, scattered trees, rough ground and heath — shaped for hunting, grazing, and control. Bilton, along with The Hay and Haywra, served Knaresborough Castle and the Crown, functioning as both royal playgrounds and productive estate lands. Their boundaries were enclosed, their ecologies managed, and their symbolism clear.
By the 1600s, the Crown began breaking up these holdings. Bilton Park was sold in 1630, and over time the estate was gradually transformed. One of the original park lodges became the site of Bilton Hall, built by the Stockdale family. While much of the land was converted to farmland, some areas retained a sense of the old park — open, elevated, and sparsely wooded. Butler Hills likely formed part of that landscape.
What remains today is subtle, but important. Field patterns, place names, and topography carry a quiet continuity. The land has been enclosed, worked, and shaped — but its underlying character still holds.
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WIDER CONTEXT
Knaresborough Forest Park is just one part of a bigger landscape.
A few fields away lies Long Lands — our sister site also owned by the community, and sharing the same vision of restoration, access, and care. Together, these two spaces form a growing patchwork of reconnected land — offering more space for nature, and more opportunities for people to feel part of it.
Both sites sit within the wider Nidd Gorge — a landscape shaped by water. Nature doesn’t stop at the edge of a site. It flows through Knaresborough and Harrogate just as it flows through fields and woods — in becks, hedgerows, tree clumps, and quiet corners of land between buildings.
Though often seen in fragments, the land itself is continuous.
This project strengthens that continuity — restoring habitat, supporting wildlife, and helping people see the land around them as part of a shared, living system.
Not something distant or set apart — but something we are already within.
This vision is part of a broader idea being developed by Harrogate 250: the Wildbelt — a living, connected landscape across the region that weaves nature back into everyday life, joining community land into something larger, lasting, and shared.
Our History
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Our Vision
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Our Team
This is a space to share more about the business: who's behind it, what it does and what this site has to offer. It’s an opportunity to tell the story behind the business or describe a special service or product it offers. You can use this section to share the company's history or highlight a particular feature that sets it apart from competitors.
Let the writing speak for itself. Keep a consistent tone and voice throughout the website to stay true to the brand image and give visitors a taste of the company’s values and personality.
OWNERSHIP & STRUCTURE
Knaresborough Forest Park is a 60 acre, community-held landscape — part of a wider vision to restore nature, strengthen ecological resilience, and reconnect people with the land.
The land is owned by a Community Benefit Society (CBS) with over 3,500 community shareholders. This model of common ownership ensures that the land is protected from development and cared for collectively — not for private gain, but for long-term public good.
A few fields away lies Long Lands, our sister site guided by the same ethos. Together, these places reflect a growing movement to place land back into the hands of the community, and into alignment with natural systems.
The project is shaped by a local working group, many of whom also serve as board members on the CBS, ensuring joined-up thinking and shared responsibility.
We follow principles drawn from permaculture, commoning, and a deep respect for the spirit of the land — valuing observation, reciprocity, and working with natural rhythms. Decisions are made with care and humility, recognising that this is not land to be owned or controlled, but lived with and learned from.
Site Lead
Geoff Freeston
Former Head Gardener at Norton Conyers, and founder of Horticap, Geoff brings 45 years of horticultural knowledge and experience working people with learning difficulties.
Membership
Alison Organ
Alison is a former language teacher, lecturer, teacher trainer and translator. She coordinated the successful Woodland Trust Appeal to buy land in Nidd Gorge in 1992.
Curation
George Eglese
Designer, curator, and place strategist, George works across physical, digital, and narrative layers to shape meaningful connections between people and land. He leads Harrogate 250 and supports a number of civic and ecological initiatives, bringing a creative and systems-thinking approach rooted in ecology, culture, and belonging.
Strategy
Shan Oakes
Shan, a former teacher then senior education officer for Humberside and York Councils, has spent 30 months living and working in Uganda for Action Aid and FENU – Forum of Education NGOs Uganda. She helped set up Voice International providing nature with a much need platform. She has an MSc in Education for Sustainability, is a Councillor for Knaresborough and Scriven parish.
Estates
Rick Brewis
Local 3rd generation landowner within the Nidd Gorge area, woodland owner and business partner, Rick was a founding member of Nidd Gorge Community Action Group & HALT. He brings lots of local knowledge and estate mangament to the table.
Estates
Trish Sanders
Trish has lived in Bilton all her life. A local business owner and landowner, she was involved in the intial campaign against the “relief road”, and has been involved with Long Lands since the start.
Finance
Bill Rigby
Former teacher and education officer with Lincolnshire and Humberside Councils, Bill brings extensive experience at senior level in agriculture, university education and development policy from Africa. He is the chair of Knaresborough Civic Society, co-founder of Voice International and former Mayor of Knaresborough.
Engagement
Mark Flood
Mark is a former Occupational Therapist with clinical and managerial experience, working with the NHS and Local Government. He founded ORB Community Arts, is involved with Renaissance Knaresborough, a Town Councillor and former deputy Mayor for Knaresborough.
Acknowledgment
This land was not simply acquired — it was brought into care through generosity, trust, and a shared belief in the value of place.
The acquisition was made possible thanks to a grant from the George A Moore Foundation, and philanthropic loans from Julia Davies and friends through the We Have The POWER – Funding Nature project, which helps charities and community groups to buy land and subsequently repay the loans through share schemes, grant applications and fundraising.
We’re deeply grateful for their support — and for the strength of our community, who came together with care, commitment, and a sense of shared responsibility.
This is not just land saved from development.
It is land protected through unity, and held in trust for the future.
You can find out more about philanthropic loans provided through We Have The POWER, here.
