ONE of the last examples of community living in Devon may come to an end if Grimstone Manor, within the boundaries of Dartmoor National Park, is sold to a private buyer. Grimstone, near Horrabridge, has been a leading centre in the UK in the field of spiritual and personal development since 1980, when its work began under the stewardship of Tony and Jean Whieldon. Since 1990 it has been continued by the Grimstone Community, which was founded by majority share-holder Chris Layton, who, at 75, is the only surviving original member. Chris said it felt ?quite magical, almost euphoric? when it started, with everyone having to sell their homes and start again. Most of the challenges had been in relationships, he said, likening community living to ?being married to six or seven people?. Over the past 16 years many members have come and gone. Last year several key members decided it was time for them to move on and as a result it was felt the time was right to hand over the stewardship of Grimstone to others. Every effort has been made since last November to sell it privately as a going concern, but a suitable buyer has not been found and the property has now been placed for sale on the open market with Jackson Stops & Staff of Exeter. Former teacher John Neville, who joined the community with his wife Jean two years ago, said there was a mixture of feelings about the move. ?We would all prefer it would carry on being used as a centre for the work we have been doing, but if it is not to be, so be it. Some are ready to move on, but others will let go with a lot of sadness,? he said. John also insisted they were not all ?hippy-dippy?. ?A lot of people would regard it as staid!? The courses run at the manor include yoga, tai chi, meditation, shamanic, personal development, dance, counselling and psychotherapy. In the past few years individual community members have developed projects as varied as a local community composting scheme, an eco-psychology network, a community choir and a monthly acoustic music café raising money for local charities in West Devon. Long and short term volunteers and woofers ? members of Workers on Organic Farms, who are mainly young people who travel around offering their services in return for bed and board ? also help at the community in various capacities, including working in the walled gardens. Members themselves buy in to the venture and get paid by the hour, based on the minimum wage. Additional factors in the decision to sell are that members are growing older and they have been unable to attract younger people, and health and safety rules and regulations had also made life more complex. Anyone wanting to buy the magnificent Georgian manor with its detached, stone-built mews house and 27 acres of gardens, pasture and woodland on the edge of Dartmoor National Park and save its hard-working community will only need to find in the region of £2 million!