12 Facts About Tim Smit

Sir Timothy Bartel Smit KBE was born on 25 September 1954 and is a Dutch-born British businessman who jointly helped create the Lost Gardens of Heligan, and the Eden Project in Cornwall, United Kingdom.

Tim Smit was educated in England at Vinehall School, East Sussex, and Cranbrook School, Kent, before going on to study archaeology and anthropology at Hatfield College, Durham.

Tim Smit worked as an archaeologist before working as both a songwriter and producer receiving seven platinum and gold discs.

Tim Smit was appointed an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2002 New Year Honours and awarded the Kilgerran Award of the Foundation for Science and Technology in 2003.

Tim Smit has been outspoken in his views on issues such as social enterprise and entrepreneurship.

Tim Smit was the subject of This Is Your Life in 2001 when he was surprised by Michael Aspel at the Eden Project.

Tim Smit was appointed Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in January 2011 in recognition of his services to public engagement with science.

In November 2016, Tim Smit was awarded an honorary Doctor of Education degree by Bournemouth University.

Tim Smit is one of the backers of the Eden Westwood project, a joint project between the Eden Project and developers Westwood to build a 175-acre leisure and tourism destination at Junction 27 of the M5 in Devon.

In January 2021 Tim Smit submitted plans for a development in Lostwithiel consisting of an orchard with 3,000 fruit trees, a pottage garden, a multi-use building with cookery school, microbrewery, distillery, cider press and 20 accommodation units.

In 2008, Tim Smit agreed to sit for sculptor Jon Edgar in Fowey as part of his Environment Series.

In February 2022, Tim Smit criticised what he regarded as the backward-looking tendency of some Cornish people.