Widower donates land to the Trust
“People get so tied up with money they forget the beauty of the living things around them”
“People get so tied up with money they forget the beauty of the living things around them” says Mrs. Beryl Marsh, 83, who has bestowed agricultural land to the Trust in memory of her late husband Rex, who died in 2006.
For more than 30 years, the couple had worked the small piece of land adjacent to their home, growing all sorts of vegetables, as well as strawberries and raspberries, selling the produce as hedge veg and being almost self-sufficient.
Mrs. Marsh said she first considered contacting the Trust after reading about some St. Saviour’s land that had been donated – known to the Trust as the Sparkes’s field near the old Strawberry Farm – which set her thinking. “I had this land that I couldn’t really use anymore and that I wouldn’t want to see developed. I offered it to the Trust thinking they wouldn’t want it, but they snapped it up. Everyone thought it was a wonderful idea, these little patches of green need looking after, especially in the Vale.”
Despite being unable to visit the area due to ill health, Mrs. Marsh said that she was happy that the land would be safeguarded for the future, adding "and I will still get to see the beauty of it from my window.”
On behalf of National Trust of Guernsey, President Mike Brown expressed immense thanks for the donation.
“‘We really do appreciate the generosity Mrs. Marsh has shown in giving us this land. And if it helps her remember her husband we are even more delighted to take this area on.’
To improve access and facilitate site maintenance, the Trust will apply to have a gate added from Les Roques Barrees Road and add a National Trust of Guernsey stone or plaque in Mr. Marsh’s memory.
The land will be maintained in accordance with the Trust’s policy of not using herbicides and pesticides. As the land is semi-agricultural the Trust will probably carry on managing the land the same way and would be happy to hear from neighbouring farms who might be interested to help us.
If this story of land donation and our aim to safeguard more of Guernsey’s green places against development is of interest, we would love to hear from you.
Please contact Mike Brown, President
E: [email protected] or T: 07781 128820
With thanks to Guernsey Press for the original article with photo credit to Peter Frankland:
https://guernseypress.com/news/2023/03/23/widow-gives-national-trust-land-to-stop-development/