The journey from searching for my own woodland to creating a new way to own land together
For years, I had a simple dream: to own a small piece of land where I could escape the noise of daily life. Nothing fancy, just a quiet spot where I could sit under the trees, breathe in the fresh air, and feel connected to nature again. I imagined doing a bit of bushcraft, taking the family camping, and giving my kids the chance to explore outdoors without screens or schedules.
But as I thought more about it, I realised how much more land could offer. I’ve always loved off-road adventure and motocross, and I could picture trails running through a woodland. I love paintball too, and the idea of having enough space to create experiences like that, safely, privately, and in nature, felt exciting.
Owning land wasn’t just about having somewhere quiet. It was about freedom, creativity, and the kind of simple joy that’s hard to find when you live in towns and cities.
The Search: Counties, Councils, and Dead Ends
I started looking locally, contacting councils, posting on Facebook, and searching for woodland or meadow plots across the nearby counties. I wasn’t looking for farmland or anything with commercial value. In fact, scrubland or low-grade plots would have been perfect.
For months I checked listings, sent messages, asked questions… but the reality quickly hit me:
even the poorest-quality land in Oxfordshire is surprisingly expensive.
The supply is tiny. Prices are high. And anything that did appear was far beyond what I could justify buying alone.
The Unexpected Spark: A Message from Someone Like Me
Then, unexpectedly, a guy on Facebook messaged me. He was searching for land for the exact same reasons: peace, nature, somewhere to enjoy on weekends.
He asked, “Would you be interested in jointly owning a piece of land?”
My first reaction was hesitation. Owning something with a stranger? What if they didn’t care for the land the way I would? What if our expectations didn’t match?
But after thinking it through, it suddenly made perfect sense. Buying land with like-minded people might be the only realistic way for ordinary people to own a woodland.
With the right structure, clear agreements, and shared values, co-ownership could be not only possible, but better.
Because land is something you share naturally: space, nature, quiet moments, weekends away, new memories for your family. Why not share the cost too?
From Personal Realisation to a Bigger Idea
Once the penny dropped, the idea wouldn’t leave my mind.
Surely there were others out there in the same position as me:
- Wanting a woodland or meadow of their own
- Unable to buy outright
- Willing to share ownership with the right people
Yet when I searched online, I found nothing.
- No community.
- No marketplace.
- No service designed to bring people like this together.
So I thought — why not build it myself?
That idea became SharedAcres:
A way to connect people who want to co-own land, organise joint purchases safely, and help create small communities of respectful, nature-loving owners.
Yes, there are ways this could be monetised, commissions, service fees, solicitor coordination, but for me this is a passion project first.
I want to own a woodland. I want others to experience that too.
And if SharedAcres helps even a handful of families enjoy nature for generations, it will be worth every hour spent building it.
What Comes Next
I still need to validate the idea, build the community, and find the right plots. The model has to be practical, safe, and legally sound. But the vision is clear:
- To make land ownership accessible for people who would never have imagined they could afford it.
- To help strangers become stewards of something beautiful.
- To give families places where memories can grow, campfires, picnics, adventures, quiet mornings, all on shared ground.
SharedAcres started as my personal search for peace.
Now it’s becoming something bigger.
Something shared.
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