Hilfield Friary

Hilfield Friary Hilfield Friary is set on the edge of the Dorset Downs with magnificent views across the Blackmore Vale – rural England at its greenest.

Hilfield Friary is an intentional community of brothers of the First Order of the Society of St Francis together with volunteers, who are committing themselves to share in the Franciscan life and work of the Friary. There have been Franciscan brothers living here in a collection of what were once farm buildings since 1921, providing refuge for the homeless, the experience of community, and a place

for prayer, reflection and renewal. Today at Hilfield there is a particular emphasis on living and promoting the Franciscan values of care for creation, working for peace and justice, and seeking respectful dialogue with people of other faiths.

At Hilfield we are blessed with amazing wildflower meadows. At this time of year there are many beautiful orchids, some ...
11/06/2026

At Hilfield we are blessed with amazing wildflower meadows. At this time of year there are many beautiful orchids, some of which are quite unusual. In these photos you can see:
A heath spotted marsh orchid
A butterfly orchid
A pyramidal orchid
A fly orchid
A bee orchid
Another heath spotted marsh orchid

If you are visiting the friary and would like to see the orchids, do ask one of our volunteers to show you around the field. This means you have the best chance of seeing many of the different species and also helps make sure the cut paths are used to protect the meadow from trampling.

*Animals of Hilfield*Meet Holly, the third of our Friary cats. She is the mother of Ivy and also lives with one of the f...
10/06/2026

*Animals of Hilfield*

Meet Holly, the third of our Friary cats. She is the mother of Ivy and also lives with one of the families. She's a good hunter, but less likely to come up to you for a stroke. She is the queen of a judgy look!

*Animals of Hilfield*The last of our farm animals in this series is our beautiful sheep! We keep two breeds of sheep at...
04/06/2026

*Animals of Hilfield*

The last of our farm animals in this series is our beautiful sheep! We keep two breeds of sheep at Hilfield: Poll Dorsets (white ones) and Castlemilk Moorits (brown ones). They are kept for land management and their grazing capabilities and we also get wool and meat from them.

While they get moved around different fields, they can sometimes be found on the field outside the guest and volunteer houses! Little baas is a lovely way to be woken up in the morning 😍

*Animals of Hilfield*Meet our pigs! We have 4 Oxford Sandy and Blacks in our pigsty this year. They are very curious and...
31/05/2026

*Animals of Hilfield*

Meet our pigs! We have 4 Oxford Sandy and Blacks in our pigsty this year. They are very curious and will often come to see what's going on when you come by their fence.

Pigs are the only animals at the friary that we keep only for their meat. The pigs are tended by Br Malcolm and Uriel, who both make sure they are well looked after.

A group from the friary recently visited Hazelnut Community Farm at their eco open day. Br Hugh and volunteer Amber bot...
29/05/2026

A group from the friary recently visited Hazelnut Community Farm at their eco open day. Br Hugh and volunteer Amber both had a go at natural dying with flowers. Hugh described Amber's art style as the Laura Ashley to his Jackson Po***ck. Can you guess which one is which here? 😆😆

*Animals of Hilfield* Meet Ivy, the youngest of the cats at the friary. She and her mum, Holly (post on her coming soon)...
28/05/2026

*Animals of Hilfield*

Meet Ivy, the youngest of the cats at the friary. She and her mum, Holly (post on her coming soon), belong to one of the families who call Hilfield home. She's more shy than Sooty but will still come over for a head stroke pretty regularly.

*Animals of Hilfield*Meet our cows!We keep shetland cows as part of our land management and conservation efforts. They h...
23/05/2026

*Animals of Hilfield*
Meet our cows!
We keep shetland cows as part of our land management and conservation efforts. They help keep the grass short in areas where we need it, which encourages more diversity in our meadows. We also get meat from our animals as an additional benefit of having them. They also provide excellent fertiliser for our gardens.

As part of our Rogation service earlier this month, Jonathan blessed our cattle and prayed for their work and lives at the friary.

*Animals of Hilfield*Meet Sooty, one of our Friary cats. She's lived at the friary for over 10 years after just appearin...
20/05/2026

*Animals of Hilfield*

Meet Sooty, one of our Friary cats. She's lived at the friary for over 10 years after just appearing here one day. She is very cuddly and can often be found in the courtyard at tea time looking for some attention. She's also a great hunter.

We love her very much!

As is tradition at Hilfield, guests and community were invited to sing in Ascension Day this morning from the roof of Fr...
14/05/2026

As is tradition at Hilfield, guests and community were invited to sing in Ascension Day this morning from the roof of Francis House! (or to join in the singing from down below)

Happy May day! Some of our volunteers ventured up to the Cerne Giant to see in the sunrise with Morris dancers and Dorse...
01/05/2026

Happy May day! Some of our volunteers ventured up to the Cerne Giant to see in the sunrise with Morris dancers and Dorset Ooser. We then attended a beautiful Celtic christian blessing at Augustine's well. A very early start but a wonderful way to welcome in the summer

Address

The Friary, Hilfield
Dorchester
DT27BE

Telephone

+441300341345

Website

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