Digger group seize eco-village site in Surrey.

“We: peaceful people, declare our intention to go and cultivate the disused land of this island; to build dwellings and live together in common by the sweat of our brows. We have one call: every person in this country and the world should have the right to live on the disused land, to grow food and to build a shelter. This right should apply whether you have money or not. We say that no country can be considered free, until this right is available to all.” - the Windsor Diggers

Nearly 800 years after the last event of any note to happen Runnymede* three weeks ago a group of activists began a project of land reclamation. Invoking the spirit of radical Civil War proto-anarchists the Diggers (themselves a mere 400 years adrift in history) the group aims to seize land and spark a debate on land ownership.

This Saturday marks a month since the group left their community allotment to, in the words of Digger ideologue Gerrard Winstanley, 'make the waste lands grow'. After a cat and mouse game with Thames Valley Police they settled on a piece of land owned by Brunel University, just outside the bounds of the M25 near Runnymede, Surrey, that has been empty for six years– the Leveller-headed bunch pitched up and raised their true standard, planting beans and starting the construction of a wattle and daub hut.

The development company who own one part of the land have gained an injunction against the Digger group. However the other half is owned by the National Trust, who don't as yet seem to be in any hurry to get rid of the group. So work continues.

On Saturday 7th July they're hosting an open day on the site - From 1 p.m -2 p.m we will be holding a ‘land rights and civil liberties’ open discussion and picnic at the Magna Carta memorial, Runnymede. Directions to the monument.

From 2.30 p.m – 5.30 p.m we will be holding a series of workshops at the Runnymede eco-village (10 minutes walk from the Magna Carta monument). Workshops will include: wattle and daub wall making for our timber frame long house, cob oven making, wild food identification and more.

For a map of the eco-village please go to www.diggers2012.wordpress.com

Ring 07963 475 195 or 07905 283 114 before you set off to get the latest news.

*The signing of the Magna Carta