Vision

We are a pioneering organization advocating the many ancient rural crafts that work with the natural landscape materials of Cornwall, embracing other craftspeople who celebrate a connection to the land and feel drawn to pass their skills into new hands. As a diverse collective of people who come to CREST with different stories, we find unity in the love of craft and the Cornish landscape. Through craft and nature, we find a connection to our community and to the place in which we live – creating intelligent hands, working with the seasons, nurturing a sense of belonging in the landscape and fostering a love of the land and its incredible natural resources.

Mission

To protect, promote and preserve rural crafts, countryside skills and land-based education to support the heritage of our Cornish landscape and the people living, working and caring for this land.”

Values and Ethos:

Working together to cultivate a sense of belonging in the Cornish landscape, deepening our roots in heritage craft, strengthening communities and celebrating creativity and innovation.

Aspire to excellence in craftsmanship and create a culture of knowledge exchange
Instil in our learners the importance of high quality, longevity and environmental sustainability.
Promote inclusive and accessible training – celebrating diversity, innovation and creativity.
Nurturing community, our natural resources and the landscape.
Work in partnership and recognise that together, we are greater than the sum of our parts.

Our Story | What we do | Who we are | Values & Ethos | Partners

The CREST Story

Cornwall Rural Education and Skills Trust CIO was formed by Cornish hedgers to address the increasing concern regarding their craft in Cornwall. It had been recognised for some time that there were too few hedgers to meet the demand for work, with two high profile projects highlighting just how desperately the skills were needed at the beginning of 2023.
Golden Tree’s creative and celebratory project, Kerdroya; The Cornish Landscape Labyrinth, which began in 2019 shone a light on Cornish hedges. It raised awareness of the uniqueness of the humble Cornish hedge but also the worrying skills shortage and risk to this heritage skill. The project itself struggled to find sufficient professional hedgers for the ambitious build. At the same time, Cornish hedges on the A30 became mainstream news, confirming that the expert knowledge to build quality hedges needed to become widely accessible to support both the industry and the self-employed craftsperson.

As a result, a collaboration with Heritage Crafts began to assess the future of Cornish hedging. The Cornish Hedge Group, Penwith Landscape Partnership, Cornwall Council, the Guild of Cornish Hedgers, Cornwall AONB and the National Trust all contributed to this work. Recognising that there was a whole project required to deliver training to the next generation of hedgers and raise awareness of the importance of Cornish hedges, the team of Cornish Hedging Trainers worked with the Cornish Hedge Group and Cornwall AONB to develop a full training and education project, sourcing funding through the Farming in Protected Landscapes Defra fund. Realising the strong need to work in partnership, CREST was formed as an organisation to take this project forward; and whilst Cornish hedging was formally added to the Red List of Endangered Crafts, Cornwall Heritage Trust stepped forwards to partner CREST and bring the project to life.

Our Story | What we do | Who we are | Values & Ethos | Partners

What we do

Cornwall Rural Education and Skills Trust CIO deliver training in Cornish hedging whilst promoting the importance of Cornish hedges in the landscape. We offer courses that are suitable for complete beginners right through to advanced skills training for working hedgers. We have secured funding to subsidise the cost of training with bursaries available to those aged 16-25 or in financial hardship. We want to help the next generation gain the skills they need to start a career as a craftsperson as well as helping landowners and volunteers learn how to repair and build hedges that last.

Helen Bowkett – CO-FOUNDER

Co-Founder, Lead Trainer and Strategic Development Officer
Helen comes from a background of farming, craft and outdoor education. Brought up on a Cornish smallholding with a deep connection to the land and the sea, Helen trained in traditional boat building and rowing coaching, managed an Outdoor Education programme for Penwith schools and then worked as a landscape gardener whilst renovating old cottages with her husband, who specialises in heritage building. Helen completed training with the Guild of Cornish Hedgers in 2013 to become the first Guild craftswoman Cornish Hedger and spent the following six years building traditional Cornish hedges with a fellow craftsman, as well as other contemporary stonework as part of her garden landscaping business. In 2022, Helen began teaching Cornish Hedging and working with other Cornish hedgers, co-founded CREST in 2023.

Andrew Cockshaw – CO-FOUNDER

Lead Trainer and Training Development Officer
Andrew began his career in hedging whilst in his early 20’s, gaining experience with working hedgers before formalising his training with the Guild of Cornish Hedgers. He has spent the last 15 years building hedges full-time; working throughout Cornwall with the many different stone types and in the many different styles that make up the Cornish landscape. He is passionate about Cornish Hedges and using natural Cornish stone in unique and creative ways.

Digory Truscott – TRAINER

Digory started learning to hedge at the age of fifteen. He was taught in the traditional way learning from his farming family. Digory says that his Father, Uncle and Brothers taught him a combination of skills, work ethic and high standards. His inspiration came from creative works, such as that of Andy Goldsworthy. By his late twenties, after stepping away from farming, he started specialising in all forms of boundary construction, Agricultural, Industrial and Domestic which included both Walling and Cornish Hedging. After many years sheep shearing, which included working in both Norway and New Zealand. Digory became a trainer as part of the National Wool Board Team, that teach sheep shearing skills to many working in the farming industry. Joining CREST, Digory says “Having been involved in Hedge construction for so long and realising how scarce the skill has become, I wanted to give something back to the tradition of hedging, by instructing for CREST

Daryl Ashley – TRAINER

CREST Trainer, Daryl, has been a self-employed Cornish hedger for 7 years, having trained with the Guild of Cornish hedgers in 2016. Daryl came to Cornish hedging during a difficult time in his previous career and life. Daryl started to work on a Cornish hedge in his garden, “I realised that what I really needed was to do things, to make things and be outside.” This started Daryl on a happier career change to Cornish hedging, he is keen to advocate the mental health benefits of working with your hands and connecting to the landscape, as well as the fulfilling career. As a trainer, Daryl brings his professional expertise in Cornish hedging and is keen to pass on the skills to others.

Cherish Maxwell – VOLUNTEER & TRAINING COORDINATOR

Cherish pulls together the coordination of CREST, so please contact her if you would like to book onto training, events, join our volunteer work, or generally have an enquiry about CREST. Cherish works closely with our partner, Cornwall Heritage Trust, and has a background in project management with a special interest in voluntary wildlife recording, local ecology and especially Cornwall’s native plants. She first started to note the importance of Cornish hedges when surveying their biodiversity with Penwith Landscape Partnership who played a vital role in the inception of CREST. Since then, she continues to try and learn as much as possible about hedges, their role in the landscape and their historical significance.

Our partners and funders

We are incredibly grateful to our supporters who have helped bring CREST into existence.

Cornwall AONB – Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL)

CREST secured £235,000 from Cornwall AONB’s FiPL fund to start the project of saving the craft of Cornish hedging and raise awareness of the importance of Cornish hedges in the landscape.

This funding has helped CREST to set up as a charity and develop a training and education programme since July 2023 and until the end of March 2025 with dedicated sites and staff. A significant amount of this funding is passed onto trainees through heavily subsidised training fees.

Cornwall Heritage Trust

We are very proud to work with Cornwall Heritage Trust who partnered with CREST to guide us and give practical assistance that helps CREST do the most with their funding and opportunities.

Cornwall Heritage Trust share their expertise with us, provide administrative systems and provide us with an office space to work from. Cornwall Heritage Trust have been a warm, supportive and experienced partner-organisation and we look forward to a lasting partnership.

Other Supporters

We also receive support from private donors and businesses. There’s more information about our Bursary scheme sponsors on our Support Us page.

About CREST

Cornwall Regional Educational and Skills Trust CIO