Earth Heart

Earth Heart Housing Co-operative is an intentional co-housing community based in Atlow Moat, home to an English Heritage scheduled ancient monument. We are located in beautiful, rural Derbyshire close to Ashbourne, Carsington Water and the Peak District National Park.
We formed in 1997 as a group of parents having similar principles in attachment parenting, and over the years have welcomed a diverse group of people. We currently have singles, couples and families with children, home-owning members as well as tenants and lodgers.
We have worked closely together to pursue our common aims of living within a sociable and mutually supportive community but having the advantage of being able to enjoy our independent lives with privacy when we want it.
Members of the community own 900+ year leases on the 8 individual homes and each home has use of an allocated section of garden. Households have independent incomes with most people being employed off site, but some are based from home or do a bit of both.
Earth Heart owns the freehold of the Grade II listed converted farmhouse and barns. The east wing of the barns is partially converted to create a communal area for meetings and gatherings, as well as workshop space and storage.
We are as ecological as we can be having a communal woodpellet boiler for heating, a reed bed waste-water treatment system and using a green electricity company.
The surrounding 21 acres of organic land is managed primarily for nature conservation including secluded woodland, large parkland, small pastures, community orchard and an allotment.
We collaboratively plan and manage community work days and business meetings once a month and occasional ‘sharing’ meetings. Important decisions are made by consensus and general management is carried out by us, in our land, maintenance, finance and administration teams. We have a minimum co-op work requirement for every resident with an expectation of everyone doing a fair share, and we understand that nothing gets done unless we all contribute. We expect people to participate regularly in co-op meetings but they are not compulsory.
We host and run various camps during the spring and summer providing compost toilets and solar shower facilities as well as a beautiful Marquee. We are happy to consider hosting new camping groups.