We now meet every sunday at 1.30pm

hello so that its easier for some people we now meet every sunday at 1.30 at the welcome point near the train station (conisbrough).

our numbers are growing and we welcome anyone that is curious or has ideas about the future of the earth centre

people power!

reclaim the earth centre for the people

meeting every friday at 1pm by the welcome point near the trainstop (conisbrough) come along show your support, share ideas and help return this space to the people

some historical inspiration to us all

The World Turned Upside down (the diggers song)

In 1649
To St. George’s Hill,
A ragged band they called the Diggers
Came to show the people’s will
They defied the landlords
They defied the laws
They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs

We come in peace they said
To dig and sow
We come to work the lands in common
And to make the waste ground grow
This earth divided
We will make whole
So it will be
A common treasury for all

The sin of property
We do disdain
No man has any right to buy and sell
The earth for private gain
By theft and murder
They took the land
Now everywhere the walls
Spring up at their command

They make the laws
To chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven
Or they damn us into hell
We will not worship
The God they serve
The God of greed who feed the rich
While poor folk starve

We work we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow to the masters
Or pay rent to the lords
Still we are free
Though we are poor
You Diggers all stand up for glory
Stand up now

From the men of property
The orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers
To wipe out the Diggers’ claim
Tear down their cottages
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed
But still the vision lingers on

You poor take courage
You rich take care
This earth was made a common treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common
All people one
We come in peace
The orders came to cut them down

some interesting you tube videos on the earth centre

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywfyyFi6xbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB-4CbgM84o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74CZPGEKRQY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNTKzGCi1LM

peace and love

come along and see for yourself

why not have a mooch to the earth centre there is a train stop (conisbrough) right at the entrance

cross the bridge a public right of way, explore the neighbouring forest, follow the trail to the pennine way and climb the hill for an amazing view of this special place, historic landscape and beautiful wilderness

we meet up every friday at 1pm to do the same so your more than welcome to join our party

power to the people! be the change you want to see.....

together we can do it - reclaim this space for the people of the earth

Forget how much money was wasted, forget the politics and red tape that halts positive flow!

we can return this space to nature, let the wild take hold of it and nuture its resources and our community spirit

unity, solidarity, love and respect ;)

if you have any ideas and want to be involved in any way please comment or contact welovetheearthcentre@gmail.com

'if you think your too small to make a difference try sleeping with a mosquito!'

people unite the earth centre is waiting to be reclaimed

what the hek is going on now????

currently the earth centre is used as a playground for ex military people that fire pellets at each other and carry out wargames

- for those of you that engage in these activities we wish not to offend you we simply want this amazing space to be used by all and for the purpose of empowering people to respect and actively support the health of the earth and all its inhabitants

i hope that you agree and understand why we are campaigning for its return to the people

love and respect

so what was it all about?

The Earth Centre was dreamt up by Jonathan Smales, a former director of Greenpeace
Mr Smales wanted to create an environmental centre that would stimulate the growing interest in the future health of the earth. The centre would be self-sustaining, both ecologically and financially. It would also demonstrate how modern technology and the latest architecture, landscape design and responsible farming could work together to revive a despoiled and redundant industrial landscape.

"We want the Earth Centre to be very much a part of Doncaster and not some exotic bloom," Mr Smales said. "

and they sure went to town with their funding.......

• 80% of building materials were either reclaimed or recycled
• Europe’s largest flat-foot solar installation.1,300m2 canopy containing 250 photovoltaic panels – generating 80,000 KW of electricity per year and would run the systems and the galleries.
• Conference centre constructed largely from reclaimed materials including telegraph poles, crushed concrete, glass and radiators.
• A shop and café area
• 6500m2 black box gallery space conditioned through an underground thermal store called the Labyrinth
• "Living Machine" sewage treatment plant. A local water treatment system processing all waste water coming from Earth Centre toilets, basins and kitchens, operating entirely through biological reactions, using both bacteria and nutrient-demanding tropical plants in the warmth of a greenhouse.
• water management system that incorporates rainwater harvesting and the treatment, storage and recycling of water use in irrigation and water features and as a wildlife habitat.
• 100,000 new trees including 15 acres of willow as well as some ancient woodlands, two rivers and a variety of ecological grasslands and wetlands
• Demonstrations of organic gardening methods, fruit orchards, willow sculptures, forest and bog gardens, and other flower and sculptural gardens

All this and a pirate ship!

Children visited the earth centre as part of their education topic into growing things. Hundreds of local people used the forest gardens and allotments and the earth centre was a space enjoyed by all.

the earth centre closed in 2004

the earth centre went into administration in october 2004, it has remained closed to the public eversince.

recently curious public have been escorted off by armed police! walkers have been met with access denied to the penine way which is situated behind the earth centre and requires you cross a bridge to get to it, they closed the bridge a public right of way!

the mayor at the time martin winter said: "I am determined that the ethos of the earth centre site is preserved for future doncaster generations… I intend to set up an advisory group to help me guide the future of the earth centre site and this will include community and former earth centre trustees."

don valley mp caroline flint said she welcomed confirmation that the Earth Centre would be taken over by doncaster council, saying that the commission would only agree if the council maintained the educational work performed by the centre.

5 years on and the site remains derelict and closed to the public, however the council made sure that at least someone got use of it.......

welcome to the story of the earth centre

the earth centre is an amazing space at denaby main, doncaster, south yorkshire it is built on derelict land left over from former coal pits, it was the ‘museum for the millenium’. Initial plans were for community-led projects and apprentice training. The first stage of that project opened in 1994, including a sustainable aquaculture centre and a community farm.






















In 1995 the Millennium Commission made a massive award to Earth Centre, which became one of its ‘Landmark Millennium projects’. It was redesigned and virtually all existing landscaping and projects were destroyed, which lost the goodwill of the local community who felt excluded from the project.