About The Woven Briar

Hello, I am Bec,  shepherd, spinner and weaver living a life that feels honest, ethical, kind and low impact.

I run a smallholding between the Quantock Hills and Exmoor. Alongside my husband Dru, I am creating a sustainable and wildlife-friendly space full of trees that we have chosen for wildlife habitat, for medicines and plant dyes, and food for us and our animals.

My flock of rare breed Portlands, Icelandics and Shetlands provides me with high-quality fleeces for spinning, weaving and other crafts, while my West of England geese and chickens roam free and provide my family with eggs and meat. 

Keeping these rare breeds improves the chance of the breeds surviving, in a world of commercial, fast growing breeds. My sheep are rotated through the smallholding, improving carbon capture and fertilising the soils. Their fleeces are shorn the traditional way, with hand blades. Not only does this improve the quality of the fleeces year on year, but it keeps them calm and happy, and it means they have a layer of fleece to keep them warm and dry.

Sustainable farming, regenerating soils, low stock numbers and outside lambing all form part of our values and daily choices on the farm; I am proud to produce high welfare, top quality fleeces and meat from the farm, supporting local food sovereignty, reducing food miles, creating textiles that are free from microplastics and can be composted back to the earth once they are no longer used.

We are planting trees and herbs for a variety of uses, many species have several uses. I use these for making natural inks, dying wool, culinary uses and of course for forage for our animals and wildlife.

We are creating more habitat through the planting of hedgerows, wildlife ponds, a food forest and orchard, and native woodland spaces. We regularly see deer, owls and kestrels, bats and other creatures grazing or hunting through the wildflower swathes and uncut meadow grass. We always leave areas ungrazed for the mice and voles that our barn owls feed from.

I have a workshop just outside the village of Ford where I teach heritage skills including spinning wool, weaving and natural dyeing, using fleeces and plants from our farm. I weave on a traditional four shaft floor loom made in the 1980's.

I am a member of the South West England Fibre Shed, the Natural Farming Network, the Shetland Sheep Society, Portland Sheep Breeders Group, and the Land Workers Alliance.

Follow me on facebook to see my flock, my workshop dates, and hand woven textiles and fleeces for sale.

www.facebook.com/thewovenbriar 

Recent media

Somerset Life Magazine, Autumn 2023

Country Smallholder, Autumn 2023