Toby Jones, Adam Frost, Martha Kearney and Dame Fiona Reynolds become patrons of the John Clare Countryside project — bringing fresh national attention to the landscapes surrounding Helpston and the wider Tribland area.
For generations, the countryside surrounding Helpston has quietly inspired those who know it best.
The open skies over the limestone villages. The winding lanes connecting communities such as Barnack, Maxey, Bainton, Castor and Ufford. The hedgerows, meadows and field edges that still carry echoes of the landscape once celebrated by England’s great rural poet, John Clare.
Now, however, the wider country is beginning to take notice too.
This week’s announcement that acclaimed actor Toby Jones, BBC Gardener’s World presenter Adam Frost, broadcaster Martha Kearney and conservation leader Dame Fiona Reynolds have all agreed to become Patrons of the John Clare Countryside project represents a significant moment — not just for the project itself, but for the growing profile of the wider Clare landscape.
The appointments bring together voices from broadcasting, conservation, literature, gardening and theatre behind an ambitious long-term vision for the countryside west of Peterborough.
At its heart, the John Clare Countryside initiative aims to create a large-scale and accessible heritage and nature landscape stretching from Peterborough towards the A1, and between the Rivers Nene and Welland. The project combines wildlife recovery, sustainable farming, heritage preservation, improved countryside access and cultural celebration under a single shared vision.
Importantly, this is not simply about conservation in the traditional sense.
The project reflects a growing national recognition that rural landscapes are not static museum pieces, but living environments which must balance modern pressures with long-term stewardship.
As housing growth and infrastructure expansion continue across Peterborough and the surrounding villages, questions about how communities preserve identity, biodiversity and quality of life are becoming increasingly important. Traffic levels continue to rise. Villages face growing pressure from development and changing travel patterns. Green spaces, footpaths and quiet roads matter more than ever.
Against this backdrop, the John Clare Countryside project offers something refreshingly positive.
Rather than simply opposing change, it seeks to shape it intelligently — creating wildlife corridors, restoring habitats, encouraging sustainable farming, improving access to nature and ensuring that local heritage remains central to future planning.
It is perhaps this balanced and hopeful vision that has attracted such high-profile supporters.
Toby Jones, one of Britain’s most respected actors, has a particularly personal connection to John Clare. His father played Clare in a BBC production in 1970 and Toby himself later appeared in another film about the poet’s life. Over the years he has continued to champion Clare’s work, including recording online readings of the poet’s writing.
In comments released alongside the announcement, Jones spoke warmly about the “profound and unexpected influence” John Clare’s life and poetry have had upon him, adding that he was “excited and proud” to support the project and its ambitions for the wider community.
Meanwhile Adam Frost’s involvement feels especially fitting for local residents. Frost spent many years living and working in the heart of Clare country and remains deeply connected to landscape, gardening and the relationship between people and place. His popularity through BBC Gardener’s World and Chelsea Flower Show success brings a different but equally valuable audience to the project.
Broadcaster Martha Kearney, well known to BBC Radio 4 listeners, has also spoken of her long-standing love for Clare’s poetry and the landscapes that inspired it.
Perhaps most significant of all is the involvement of Dame Fiona Reynolds, former Director-General of the National Trust and one of Britain’s leading voices on countryside and heritage issues. Her support gives the initiative considerable national credibility.
Dame Fiona described walking through the fields around Helpston and Barnack whilst reading Clare’s poetry, speaking of the emotional connection between landscape, history and literature that still exists within the area today.
And that, perhaps, is the real importance of this story.
For many local residents, the countryside is simply part of everyday life. Yet projects such as this remind us that what surrounds our villages has cultural, historical and environmental value far beyond our immediate communities.
John Clare wrote not about dramatic mountains or distant wildernesses, but about ordinary rural life — footpaths, birds, fields, seasons and changing landscapes. The fact that people of national prominence continue to find inspiration in these same surroundings more than 160 years later says something important about the enduring power of this landscape.
The John Clare Countryside project will undoubtedly evolve over many years. Like all ambitious rural initiatives, it will face challenges and debate along the way.
But at a time when so many communities feel disconnected from nature, heritage and place, the idea of creating a greener, quieter and more connected countryside on Peterborough’s doorstep feels both timely and important.
And for those of us lucky enough to already call Clare Country home, perhaps it also serves as a useful reminder not to overlook the extraordinary value of the landscape just outside our own front doors.
