Anita Roy, an author who relocated from the bustling streets of New Delhi to the semi-rural Somerset town of Wellington in 2015, describes hope as a muscle: “The more you exercise it, the more of it there is.” Leaving behind a megacity of 28 million for a town of roughly 18,000 was a significant lifestyle change, one that surprised many of her friends who anticipated her moving to London instead. They wondered if boredom would set in in such a quiet place, but Anita found a wealth of grounded, traditional activities to engage in-from scything and apple pressing to foraging for rhubarb, quinces, apples and plums. These are practices reminiscent of pre-industrial times, now largely forgotten but lovingly revived.
Anita chairs Transition Town Wellington (TTW), a local group aligned with a nationwide movement aimed at environmental protection and climate change preparedness. Among its members is a national scything champion who has trained numerous residents in this ancient skill. Scything benefits the local ecology by allowing wildlife a safer refuge compared to modern lawnmowers and threshing machines. Anita recounts discovering a gleaming, unharmed slow worm in the meadows, a testament to this harmonious approach to land management.
The practice also helps maintain meadows in a state favourable to wild plants and flowers, unlike manicured grass which tends towards uniformity and offers limited value to wildlife. Iconic autumn activities such as apple pressing transform what might be wasted fruit into valued cider. Foraging for walnuts and blackberries locally provides a sustainable and plastic-free alternative to imported produce. TTW’s foraging map encourages residents to enjoy what nature offers freely, a simple yet remarkable concept.
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In Wellington, a rare resource flourishes: hope. While the community acknowledges the serious environmental challenges ahead, their optimism is grounded and proactive. “Hope with its sleeves rolled up” is a motto Anita lives by. This spirit fuels ambitious projects like a partnership with the Woodland Trust to plant 3,500 trees across 2024 and 2025, helping combat fears about floods, droughts and other climate impacts.
The newly planted trees serve as a living legacy, inspiring future generations. Anita envisions taking children by the hand to show them saplings that will one day tower over them. This community-wide optimism extends to local governance as well. When offered the chance to lease 65 and a half acres of land to create a ‘green corridor’ devoted to wildlife and biodiversity, Wellington Town Council enthusiastically embraced the opportunity, securing the lease for 150 years.
However, the town is not without its challenges. Infrastructure concerns linger, with some locals jests about queues at essential shops like Superdrug. Until recently, Wellington had limited pharmacy options for a population of this size, as two major chains closed in 2025. Fortunately, a new pharmacy opened earlier this year with considerable local fanfare, addressing a pressing community need.
Wellington also faces pressures from expansion. Patricia Dylan, secretary of Wellington Museum and a 55-year local resident, voices concerns about whether the town can support new housing developments alongside existing amenities, noting there is only one secondary school.
Despite such concerns, life in Wellington is viewed positively. The town embodies a robust form of hope-one that recognises problems and tackles them head-on. For Anita, the town’s success lies in its “perfect serendipity”: a place where “there’s always the right people with the right skills we need.”