Keeping Sawbridgeworth Green. Forever.
Sawbridgeworth Land Trust buys land in and around the town and keeps it safe and protected – for wildlife, for the local community, and for the generations after us.
What we do
We Buy Land
We buy open land around Sawbridgeworth so that it cannot be built on.
We Protect It
Land we own is held for our charitable objects and managed for wildlife and biodiversity.
For Our Community
We act for the public benefit, and we share what we learn about the wildlife and landscape around the town.
For Future Generations
We’re safeguarding the natural landscape and rural character of Sawbridgeworth.
Our Mission
Sawbridgeworth Land Trust is a charity set up by local people, for the public benefit.
Our purpose is simple: to acquire and look after land in and around Sawbridgeworth – conserving its wildlife and landscape, keeping it safe and protected for the local community, and helping people learn about the nature on their doorstep.
Where we are now. The trust is newly formed. We adopted our constitution in September 2026 and our application to the Charity Commission is with them now. Membership and online giving open once that is granted – in the meantime, sign up for updates or say hello.
How it works
From donation to protected land
Every pound we raise goes towards land, and the land we buy stays protected.
We raise the funds
Donations, membership subscriptions and grants build a fund that we can draw on when land comes up for sale.
We buy the land
We watch for parcels of open land around the town and buy them on the open market, at a fair price, as an ordinary buyer.
We hold it forever
Charity law binds us to our objects. Selling land is not a free choice: it takes a qualified surveyor’s advice and the best terms reasonably obtainable, and the proceeds stay inside the charity.
Why now
Planning policy protects land only until it doesn’t
Planning designations are policy, not promises. Boundaries get reviewed, policies change, and land on the edge of a growing town is always under pressure.
Ownership is different. Land a charity owns, and is legally bound to hold for its objects, is protected by more than policy – it is protected by title.
Stay in touch
Want to hear how it goes?
We are only just getting started. Leave your name and email address and we will tell you when membership opens, when we can accept donations, and when we buy our first piece of land.
Help us buy the next field
Land comes up for sale without much warning. A standing fund, built from regular donations and memberships, is what lets us act when it does.