They left the city to build a wilder life in Cornwall | the story of Stay Wild

Summary

After 20 years in Bristol, Tim and Clare moved to Cornwall to build a life more connected to nature. They took on 12 acres of abandoned farmland and gradually cleared it with help from friends and volunteers. As they worked, they uncovered a stream, ferns, trees and other natural features.

Rather than follow a fixed master plan, they developed Stay Wild gradually, with the aim of protecting and increasing local wildlife and biodiversity. The campsite is designed around privacy and space: guests can have a whole field to themselves, with room to enjoy the landscape without seeing or hearing other campers. The owners also wanted to combine camping with comforts such as private bathrooms, clawfoot tubs, heated floors and kitchens.

Tim and Clare hope guests leave feeling rested and with time to reconnect with family, friends and nature.

Highlights and Ideas

• Three distinct camping areas:
  • Buzzard’s Landing is known for its unusual bathroom and views.
  • Bramble Brook is more sheltered, with woodland, a stream, campfire spots and room for groups.
  • Medlin Meadows is still developing, with newly planted trees, a stone circle and opportunities to spot wildlife such as deer and barn owls.
• Wildlife and land care: Tim and Clare work with Cornwall Wildlife Trust, plant native species and long hedgerows, and involve volunteers in habitat projects.
• Growing food: Clare describes tending the garden each morning—watering and caring for plants, then eating the produce—as a satisfying ritual that gives her a tangible sense of purpose.
• Time outdoors: The owners find forests, the sea and time with animals restorative. They also value practical work on the land as a contrast to screen-based work.
• Animal experiences: Guests can hand-feed alpacas, brush or walk goats, collect chicken eggs and take part in a beekeeping experience. The couple say animal welfare comes first.
• Simple shared moments: Campfires, cooking sausages, talking and relaxing together are central to the experience.
• A realistic lifestyle change: Running the site can involve 12–15-hour days and last-minute repairs. Other income helped the couple build it at their own pace and stay focused on their values rather than making money the main goal.
• Looking ahead: They hope to add one or two glamping sites, including a larger, luxurious geodesic dome. Their longer-term vision is to have food growing across the land, including fruit, nuts and berries, and to restore practical knowledge about foraging and growing.
• A sense of stewardship: Tim and Clare see themselves as temporary guardians of the land, not its owners. They hope to pass on a thriving place and business to their children.

Notable Locations, Facilities and Speakers

• Location: Stay Wild Cornwall. Tim and Clare previously lived in Bristol.
• Named areas: Buzzard’s Landing, Bramble Brook and Medlin Meadows.
• Facilities and experiences: Geodesic-dome glamping, private bathrooms with clawfoot tubs and heated floors, kitchens, campfires, animal encounters and beekeeping.
• Speakers: Tim and Clare, the owners of Stay Wild. Cornwall Wildlife Trust is also mentioned. The auto-generated subtitles vary between “Karen” and “Claire/Clare,” but the metadata identifies the owners as Tim and Clare.