Hands on with Her Land
International Women's Day 2025
As Women in Construction Week begins and we approach International Women’s Day, we are pleased to highlight our involvement with Her Land.
Her Land is a women-led initiative focused on land restoration, regenerative building, and community participation.
The social enterprise was founded by Clare Freeman and Becky Reid. Clare inherited the site from her late father, Robert Freeman, a farmer, and developed the idea for Her Land. She later met Becky, an Environmental Project Officer for Thame Town Council, and together they began shaping Her Land into the initiative it is today.
Lucy White and fellow volunteers.
Lucy White, General Manager of Barr Kitchens and Barr Joinery, is one of those taking part in volunteer sessions at Her Land, working alongside others to support tree planting, pathway building, and site improvements. She is passionate about sustainability and eager to explore best practices in this area while contributing to the broader local community.
Alongside volunteering, Barr Build is looking at ways to donate surplus materials from its projects as they become available. Reclaimed wood, leftover aggregates, and surplus natural timber could help support Her Land’s ongoing restoration efforts while ensuring that useful materials are put to good use rather than wasted.
A trench prepared for tree planting.
Young saplings to support wildlife and ecological diversity.
Her Land is a long-term project focused on restoring Weston Farm in Oxfordshire. The aim is to create a biodiverse, accessible landscape where women and girls can gain practical skills in land management, ecological restoration, and regenerative building.
A collection of trees prepared for planting.
The medieval farmhouse will undergo careful restoration.
The project follows a phased approach, beginning with research into the site’s ecology, biodiversity, and heritage. A growing group of volunteers and partners are working to restore the land, using agroforestry, regenerative farming, and eco-conscious building techniques. Over the coming years, the site will continue to evolve, with restored spaces supporting learning, well-being, and community-led activities.
The farm includes a walled garden, an 18th-century threshing barn, and a medieval farmhouse, all of which will be carefully restored using traditional and sustainable materials. Her Land also provides a supportive and inclusive space, encouraging participation from a wide range of individuals, including those looking to build new skills or connect with nature through practical, hands-on work.
The classical portico, a striking feature of the site, will be restored.
The weathered wooden threshing barn.
Women remain underrepresented in the construction industry, yet initiatives like Her Land provide a way to gain hands-on experience in land-based construction, forestry management, syntropic farming and regenerative building.
For those who have taken part, volunteering has been a chance to contribute to a project with strong environmental and social values while learning more about sustainable land management in practice.
The historic walled garden. The 18th-century threshing barn is in the centre.
Leading out of the historic walled garden.
Rows of young trees protected by biodegradable guards.
Her Land runs volunteer sessions throughout the year. Those interested in taking part can join a session on Tuesdays from 9:30am to 11:30am or on the fourth Sunday of each month from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at Manor Farm, OX9 2HG.
To stay updated, visit www.herland.co.uk.