Trelay Cohousing Community
Origins & Vision
Trelay Cohousing Community was established in 2007 as a vibrant, regenerative, intentional co-housing project. It began when various friends and friends-of-friends came together in 2006 with a view to establishing an eco-community. A meeting held in early 2006 attracted 23 people interested in the vision. South West England Sustainable Enterprise Society (SWESE) was set up as a society in mid-2006 with a £50 membership fee and enrolled approximately 40–50 members by the end of that year. Members investigated some 40 properties identified through local estate agents during 2006 and put bids on three properties. Trelay Farm was eventually secured – a 32-acre agricultural holding two miles from the sea, about 8 miles south of Bude in North Cornwall.
The Site & Infrastructure
Trelay comprises 32 acres of farmland, including rolling green hills, lush gardens, breathtaking landscapes and views of the wild Cornish coast. The community consists of 28–34 people (children included) living in 12 homes, though the number of homes can be flexible to meet community needs. The site includes a range of private living spaces supplemented by several communal buildings – a farmhouse kitchen and dining room, a washing machine room, a tool store, log shed, games room, workshop, storage and craft units. A small farm shop is being developed. The community also provides holiday accommodation and is developing itself as a learning centre, running training courses, conferences and events linked to the cohousing experience.
How It Works: Cooperative Ownership
Trelay Farm is owned co-operatively by SWESE. Residents are required to be members and buy equity certificates on a mutual home ownership basis, either through using existing personal resources or by making a commitment to a proportion of the mortgage, which entitles them to live (by virtue of a licence) in a particular living space at Trelay. If a resident wishes to leave, they need to find a person (who must be accepted by the Trelay community as a member) to pay for the equity certificate on their property. The exiting resident receives what the incoming resident is prepared to pay, or takes over commitment for their part of the mortgage. This model keeps the land collective while allowing flexibility and preventing speculation.
Community Life & Values
Trelay is an intentional community where its members care and share for each other, diversity is welcomed, and where every member is treated equally regardless of their financial contribution or skill level. Members meet regularly, often in the farmhouse kitchen and dining room, for communal meals and to undertake project work. The community is set up and run by its members co-operatively and equally – members are consciously committed to living as and contributing to the community. Regular practice of mindful communication (an offspring of Non-Violent Communication) helps members navigate challenges, which do arise, but the community remains filled with love, laughter, support and adventure.
Food Production & Sustainability
Trelay operates as a farm, producing much of its own food with a large veggie garden (with over 30 beds) and a large polytunnel. The community keeps chickens (for eggs), cows and sheep (for milk, fleece and meat), and also hosts a peacock and peahen. Some members have cats, and there are two dogs on-site. The community also enjoys foraging. The farm is regenerative – the community is committed to living in harmony with the land, each other, and themselves through permaculture and sustainable practice.
Environmental Practice
Trelay operates environmentally, having installed a large PV (photovoltaic) system, a ground source heat pump, a pellet boiler scheme, and a solar hot water system, with ongoing work to improve insulation. The community is deeply committed to reducing its ecological footprint.
Why This Matters
Trelay demonstrates that rural cohousing – a way of life combining private space with genuine collective ownership and shared responsibility – can survive and flourish over time. It shows that people of diverse ages, incomes, and skills can live together co-operatively without hierarchy or financial coercion. It proves that regenerative farming, environmental stewardship, and community care can coexist on the same land. Most importantly, it offers a counter-narrative to the myth that the only way to live in the countryside is in isolation – Trelay shows that rural life, when shared, becomes richer, more resilient, and more joyful.