Brithdir Mawr became a community in 1994 when Julian and Emma Orbach purchased the property together with the land at auction. The focus of the community soon evolved to meeting as many of our needs as possible from the land and we now grow most of our own vegetables and fruit, plant and coppice our own firewood and generate all of the electricity we use from the river, sun and wind.

Since the early days many people have come and gone, some staying for just a short time, some for as long as 20 years. During this time Brithdir Mawr has welcomed thousands of visitors including friends and family, volunteers, course participants, event attendees and students on Permaculture Design courses.

Most went away with very fond memories of this special land and having learnt something new about sustainable living, reducing their carbon footprint or growing food without the use of chemicals. We, in turn, have learnt from them and always seek to improve what we do here.

The original lease that the housing cooperative was granted came to an end in December 2019. The current owner generously granted the community a 6 year extension to the lease, giving us time to build our profile and raise the money needed to buy the property. The housing cooperative will continue to live and grow here on the land. We are planning a number of ventures and projects which are in the early stages of development. Through these projects we will create an income needed to support life here at Brithdir, to provide income both for members of the Brithdir community as well as for the wider community.

If you want to be kept informed of updates, if you want to talk to us about any of this or if you can help us out in any way please do send an email to visit@brithdirmawr.co.uk

Diolch yn Fawr!