Timeline of Commonwork at Bore Place

Here's some of our key dates over the past 40 years...

1976 Neil and Jenifer Wates bought Bore Place

1977 Commonwork Land Trust was set up by Neil and Jenifer Wates

1978 Milking began on the Commonwork Farm and a methane digester was installed to make use of the natural waste from cows

1979 a brickworks was set up to use clay excavcated during farm building works

1970s and 1980s conversion of farm buildings for use as residential study centre

1980s the education programme began with schools visiting the farm and members of the public coming to events and open days

1980s projects on the ecology and history of the site started

1980s Supernatural Ltd. Organic Compost set up, selling an organic compost range which made the most of the waste from the dairy farm.

1990s the Green Wood Workshop at Bore Place was set up

1996 organic conversion began

2000 organic certification received for the farm's milk

2004 the organic vegetable garden was set up in partnership with Kent Social Services

2006 a strategy for becoming a low carbon emissions site was launched

2008 biomass boiler installed to supply heat and hot water to Bore Place House

2008 the Sustainable and Global Schools Learning Network started

2010 the GrowCookEat project started which focussed on food and farming

2010 the Grow2Grow project started, offering support to vulnerable young people

2010-16 renewable energy installations, wind turbine, solar PV, biomass district heating system installed.