Residents of Brithdir Mawr, a Welsh off-grid community, are resisting eviction by the landlady, seeking a resolution.
Ninety percent of their food comes from their farm. They cut wood for fuel, and solar, wind, and hydro power the place, meaning they can’t use all appliances at once. The power source includes panels, a turbine, and a stream.
The night before, Gervásio cooked dinner for the nine people who live there. They also have goats, ducks, and chickens. Gervásio, who uses they/them pronouns and has a moon tattoo, made dhal with vegetables and aims to live very regeneratively.
Gervásio, 31, a dancer from Lisbon, sought a new way of life in Wales via other UK cities. They feel they strongly belong there, having first visited in June, stayed a month, returned in October, and remained there since.
They studied and danced in London, but city life felt overwhelming. Gervásio craved nature and a real connection to clear water and unprocessed food, where work is compassionate and respectful.
Julian and Emma Orbach started the community in 1993 and built buildings without permission until a plane spotted it in 1998. After a ten-year fight to keep it, they finally won, influencing Welsh eco policies and hosting events and workshops.
Gervásio feels a strong community connection, finding London limiting despite its safety for queer people. Getting around was expensive, and things felt temporary, unlike life at Brithdir, which feels permanent and brings constant joy.
The landlady, Rachel May, bought it from Julian Orbach and gave residents an eviction notice, wanting to create a healing retreat. Orbach had wanted to sell to the community, who thought they had until 2025.
Half the community left, fearing eviction, but about nine people remain, refusing to give up the land.
Will, an ex-teacher and activist who received an eviction letter, refuses to leave, saying it’s more than home. It’s one of the oldest UK co-ops with a 30-year history where people worked together and helped build it.
They thought they had until 2025 to buy it, but Rachel bought the land instead. They want to work with Rachel to find a solution.
Will arrived there accidentally while traveling the UK, staying far longer than two weeks. His activism skills helped the community, and he worked mostly with wood. Now, he is busy with the eviction.
Rosie, an expert, hopes for a good outcome, where the rent will be affordable because housing is hard in Wales, and growing food is also hard now.
Brithdir Mawr offers affordable housing where people produce food together in collaboration, with no one having power over others. One person should not control others.
They want to work with the landlady and see her point of view, ideally, she would find another place. They hope to find a solution.
Rachel May stated she offered negotiation, but that the current tenancy had to end first, so she felt she had to evict them when they were not interested. She has ties to west Wales, sold her home to invest, and says she is not a corporate landlord.