Cabilla

Cabilla is at the beginning of an exciting new chapter in its journey to restore and rewild the land, the soil and the animals that live there. By inviting people to visit it can also rewild us as humans.

The Cabilla of today is looking to return to a diverse system, a return to the wilderness once ubiquitous across the UK. They are asking the questions, does it have to be a choice between farming, forestry or wilderness or can it not be a mixture of them all together? Would it work better in a way more synonymous with the past? Grazing cattle amongst oak tree plantations, increasing the number of species both animal and flora, producing less but infinitely better-quality produce. Incrementally improving the health of the land rather than degrading it and always asking - “How can we farm in a better way”.

Farms are part of the ecosystem, part of the web of life

Merlin grew up on the farm and always knew that his future lay in writing the next chapter for Cabilla. Following his time in the military and suffering from PTSD as well as becoming a father he put all his focus into his homeland. Inspired by the land, in particular the oak woodland which has robustly survived the last 300 years, his vision was to make a beautiful place for humans to come and stay and reconnect with themselves through nature. For people to simply leave Cabilla feeling better than when they arrived, improving human health both psychologically and physiologically.

Together with his family Merlin considers himself a “steward of the land” with the responsibility to actively rewild and nurture their farmland back to life as a showcase to how it can be done. Merlin is currently running a scheme to reintroduce native animals that were driven out by humans and in so doing to return the ecosystem to its natural state. They have started with the Beaver, “undoubtedly the most fascinating and the most incredible animal that the British Isles should have, but (sadly) killed off”. Following the Beaver there are plans afoot to return the Pine Martin, Red Squirrel, Wild Cats, Bison….at this point Merlin becomes incredibly passionate and the whole purpose of Cabilla is shone a spotlight upon. To bring nature back.

We are a part of nature not apart from nature