Hilfield Friary, Dorset
Hilfield Friary is a Franciscan intentional community, welcoming guests and managing their land for the benefit of wildlife on the edge of the beautiful North Dorset downs.
The Hilfield community shares life together in North Dorset. The aim of the Friary community is to grow in the knowledge and love of God, to learn to serve and nurture God's creation, and to seek peace, both among people and with every part of the created order.
The community work on the Friary land, gardens, and smallholding, and offer hospitality to people of diverse backgrounds and needs. Each day is shaped by a pattern of prayer, meals together, work, reflection and recreation. The Friary’s land, on the edge of chalk downland, is a haven for wildlife, and the community continues the long legacy of the Franciscans’ care for the earth working for best practice in sustainable forestry and conservation grazing.
Moth Trapping. Photo by Sam Woodhouse
Bottom Field and the Pump House. Photo by Jimmy Holden
The Friary is a haven for local wildlife in a heavily agricultural area, and is participating in the Target Ten Programme with a focus on house martins and honeybees, both of which benefit from the longstanding management of wildflower hay meadows. New nest boxes await the martins when they return in the spring. Hilfield Friary are looking for Volunteer Community Members with an interest in conservation and sustainable living, and also have opportunities for day volunteers who would like to get involved.
For more information or to arrange a visit, please visit their website www.hilfieldfriary.org.uk or call 01300 341 345