Where women and girls can learn how to heal and care
for themselves and the land
Coming soon to Weston Farm, Oxfordshire
Our Vision
Her Land aims to give women and girls the skills needed to heal and care for both themselves and the land. Together with women and girls, we plan to slowly and sensitively restore and repair a derelict, heritage-rich farm in Oxfordshire, Weston Farm, by learning about and using regenerative agriculture and building practices, such as permaculture, agroforestry and the Living Building Challenge. We plan to create a biodiverse, accessible landscape with educational and event spaces inside unique heritage buildings, a hub with cafe, edible food forests, growing plots, play areas, and camping. Our aim is to become a unique regenerative development where women and girls gain the skills to heal both themselves and the land, for a healthier, regenerative world for all.
Why?
It is vital for building and agriculture practices to change to respond to the climate emergency. Regenerative building and agriculture practices go beyond sustainbility and being 'green' and instead repair, restore and nurture the land and create a positive impact on people and nature. Her Land aims to educate women and girls so they can become the much-needed 'regenerators', helping the land to recover from the degenerative and extractive methods which have contributed to climate change. The restoration and repair of the site's unique heritage buildings - including a Heritage at Risk walled garden and an early eighteenth-century threshing barn - will not only give women and girls important regenerative and heritage building skills which can be used to gain employment, but also ensure that the site's unique heritage assets become accessible, inclusive, valued spaces for the community now and in the future.
Her Land will also provide women and girls with the opportunity for personal healing. In Oxfordshire, females are more likely to be victims of domestic abuse (69% female compared to 29% male), and in the year ending 2020 there were a recorded 1,383 victims of domestic abuse in South Oxfordshire alone (Oxfordshire's Overarching Domestic Abuse Strategy 2022-2025). On average, two women a week are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales, and one in four women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime (Refuge, 2023). Her Land aims to give women and girls important life skills and provide them with supportive, safe spaces to help them heal from abuse and trauma.
How?
We will achieve our aims in different phases over several years
1Learn (2024)
Learn about the site and its rich history, ecology and wildlife by conducting activities and research on the site to listen to the land.
2Gather (2024)
Form a collective of women and girls to co-design and restore the site with. If you would like to get involved please get in touch.
3Restore & Regenerate (2024 - 2027)
Restore and regenerate the site with women and girls by learning about and using regenerative farming and permaculture practices. We are working with EDGE who will show us how to grow food using the ancient yet forward-thinking method of syntropic agroforestry. We are speaking to other possible partners who can show us how to restore heritage buildings using natural building methods and build in a regenerative way. If you would like to become a partner please get in touch.
4Empower & Educate (2026 onwards)
Once restored, Her Land will become a restorative, healing space which improves the health and wellbeing of women and girls. The restored buildings and landscape will be used for activities, events and workshops focusing on our aims.
The Farm
Walled garden
A rare early-eighteenth century formal walled garden, which will become a unique outdoor events and growing space
Threshing barn
An eighteenth-century threshing barn, which will become a space for talks, workshops and activities
Barn
A barn adjoining the walled garden, which will become spaces for talks, workshops and activities
Farmhouse
A farmhouse, parts of which date back to medieval times,
which will become an educational space with accommodation
Our Plan
Below is our masterplan for the site, created with IDK architects.
About us
Clare Freeman
Clare grew up on a farm in Oxfordshire and inherited the land at Her Land from her father who farmed the land at Weston farm all his life. She is passionate about social enterprise, addressing the climate emergency, and empowering, supporting and inspiring women and girls. She is the Founder and Director of Brightside Publishing which produces seven free community print magazines across East Kent. She has also previously worked with women and children who have been trafficked into the UK with the Medaille Trust, and was Trustee for POW Thanet, a festival for women and girls in Thanet, East Kent. She is also very passionate about regenerative building and agriculture practices and is a member of the International Living Future Institute. She has a degree in Sociology and a Masters in Psychology and is a mother to her three-year-old daughter Beth.
Becky Reid
Becky Reid started her working life on a volunteer gap year living in a hostel for young, homeless girls, providing them with support to gain life skills, employment, and permanent accommodation. This led to paid employment as a Housing Support officer in a female-only unit, housing refugees and homeless girls, before she moved into managing a Youth Centre. Becky’s current role is ‘Environmental Project Officer’ at Thame Town Council. She leads on environmental and sustainability issues, coordinating the delivery of a Green Living Plan for Thame – ensuring stakeholder engagement from local government, community groups, schools, churches, and businesses. Becky is passionate about social justice, and would love to live in a world in which everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive, and, as she raises her own daughter, is especially keen to see this happen for women and girls.
Contact Us
We want women and girls to be at the heart of the design and creation of Weston Farm, so if you would like to get involved please do get in touch by email (clare@herland.co.uk or becky@herland.co.uk) or visit this page to register as a volunteer.
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