Higher Spargo Stories

As we take delight in the occasional few hours of sunshine during this particularly wet winter — sitting in the warmth, listening to birds beginning their preparations for spring — it feels like a good moment to reflect on all that has been achieved here at Higher Spargo over the past year.

This time last year the studio classroom was barely even on the drawing board. By August, however, the doors were open and we welcomed our first students for an inaugural course led by Tim Shaw RA. It was an exciting milestone, and one that set the tone for everything that has followed.

Looking ahead to 2026, we are delighted to be planning a far more ambitious programme. We will host twelve short courses, ranging from two to seven days in length, alongside a series of monthly evening events beginning after Easter. These will open with a screening of Tim Shaw’s extraordinary film Lifting the Curse. Later in the year we are honoured to welcome another Tim — Sir Tim Smit of the Eden Project — who will join us for a special event. A full listing of courses and events is available on our website.

November also marked an important moment for the farm itself, as we welcomed half a dozen North Devon (Ruby Red) cattle — the first livestock to return here in more than a decade. They have quickly become a constant source of pleasure: endlessly curious, surprisingly perceptive, gentle, and occasionally a little mischievous. Sitting in the winter sun watching them quietly munch hay offers a welcome pause in busy days and a reminder of the rhythms that shape life here.

Like many across this part of Cornwall, we also felt the impact of Storm Goretti. Several old and very large beech trees were lost in the Argal Valley along River Lane. It is always sad to see such magnificent trees fall, yet their loss also creates space for renewal. The valley holds remnants of Atlantic rainforest, and we hope to encourage native oak and the rich web of plant and animal life that depends on it to flourish in the years ahead.

With support from the Woodland Trust, survey work in the valley has already identified rare lichens and other indicator species of this remarkable habitat. We look forward to exploring this further at our June event with Merlin Hanbury-Tenison, where we will be learning more about Atlantic rainforest and the importance of protecting and restoring it.

As winter gradually gives way to spring, there is a strong sense of momentum here — in the studio, on the farm, and across the landscape. We look forward to welcoming many of you to Higher Spargo in the months ahead.