New study finds 99% of people in Duchy communities have good access to nature

New study finds 99% of people in communities where the Duchy has significant presence have good access to natureNew study finds 99% of people in communities where the Duchy has significant presence have good access to nature

4th July 2025

The Duchy of Cornwall has partnered with Fields in Trust to understand access to nature across its estate. The new study indicated that 99% of people who live where the Duchy has a significant presence have good access to nature, with the average walking distance from their front door to accessible areas of nature is just 271 metres.

The Duchy of Cornwall’s estate extends over 52,000 hectares of land across 19 counties in England and Wales. As well as significant residential properties in its built communities of Poundbury and Nansledan, it includes homes for rent, commercial properties and farm holdings.

The Duchy partnered with Fields In Trust, who's aim is to protect parks and green spaces for good, to explore what nature means across its estate and examine what ‘good’ access is, alongside how the characteristics of rural areas compare to urban ones.

As part of the new study, Fields in Trust updated their Green Space Index (GSI), a unique data tool designed to track and analyse green space provision, to develop a baseline for measuring access in more rural settings.

Alison McCann, Head of Research and Policy at Fields in Trust said:

“At Fields in Trust, we develop new insight, data and solutions to promote the important role parks and green spaces can play in creating a healthier, happier society. This evidence helps us advocate for policies that protect and recognise the value of these spaces. Our experience in geospatial data analysis means we’re able to support organisations with bespoke insights to meet their requirements. We work collaboratively to understand the problem and provide a solution.”

David Cope, Executive Director for Purpose at the Duchy of Cornwall said:

“We understand just how important good access to nature is for people’s mental and physical wellbeing. Our sense was that most people who live and work around Duchy land and property had good access, and we have been working on improving that access, but we didn’t know for sure. We approached Fields in Trust because their Green Spaces Index is a hugely valuable way of measuring access to green space. They shared our curiosity , refining their analysis to take account of natural spaces beyond parks, making their methods more suitable for rural areas. We’re delighted with the result, it opens up discussions about the quality of access and what more we can do to improve further.”

Find out more about the work of Fields in Trust here.