Located within the protected landscape of the High Weald in East Sussex, the Furnace Brook Ecological Restoration Learning 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. 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.

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.

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.

Impact Story

Since starting our no-dig market garden in 2025, the vegetables grown just metres from our barn kitchen have become the heart of shared meals that bring neighbours, volunteers, and visitors together. The barn now fills with life through green film screenings, music nights, taproom gatherings, and workshops that reconnect people with land-based skills. Out in the fields, our mob-grazing goats have begun transforming tired soils, drawing curious families who now feel part of their restoration journey. With camping and alternative education thriving onsite, Furnace Brook has become a place where food, culture, and community regeneration grow side by side.