The East Sussex village is home to a community of 300, all of whom don’t own anything
What if I were to tell you that there was a place were you could live safely, debt-free, and guarantee a roof over your head, all without earning a salary?
No, it’s not some wild fantasy – it’s a village located in East Sussex.
It’s a place where children don’t watch TV or use social media, and don’t even have phones.
The village is home to 300 people, and they have spent almost half a century living away from mainstream society.
Darvell is located near the town of Hastings, and all of its inhabitants are part of a group of radical Christians called The Bruderhof.
Its population consists of families and singles as part of a self-sufficient community where they run their own farm and orchard for food, among other things.
They run their own kitchen, schools, and even a business that makes toys for children, as well as furniture. Oh, and it’s worth millions of pounds.
People here live as disciples of Jesus and relinquish their belongings, money, and status if they choose to join the group.
The British community chooses to live their lives based on early biblical text, and as expected, there are non-negotiables when it comes to divorce, same-sex relationships and even what you can wear.
A normal day starts at 6.00am, with school and work running from 7.30am to 5.00pm with a two-hour break in-between, reports The Mirror.
Fashion of any sort is prohibited, with simple traditional dresses with headscarves a common choice.
Loose shirts, plaid dresses, and skirts are also acceptable.
When it comes to life choices and decisions, jobs and where you live is decided for you, and while this sounds alien, there are actually 23 more Bruderhof settlements across the world.
This means there are thousands of people who follow this way of life, which was founded in Germany in 1920 as a pacifist movement.
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Bernard Hibbs is one of the residents at the village, and lives in Durvell with his wife Rachel and their three children in a shared house with other families, including his own parents.
They usually eat their meals with other residents in a communal dining room, where they also sing and worship as a collective.
The 38-year-old revealed it all began with people that wanted to ‘follow Jesus completely’, though the community had their property confiscated by the Nazis at the time.
“We fled to England and were accepted here – in fact a lot of English people joined us,” he explained to Wales Online.
“The vision those initial young people had is still alive today, we are simply trying to follow the teachings of Jesus in our daily lives.”
Bernard was just nine when he joined, and said he cried every time he left the community.
“It might sound hard, but once you do it, you realise how happy you can be living a life where you own nothing,” he insisted, while emphasising that it’s not a cult.
Admitting that some people that have visited have expected the community to be a cult, he revealed: “When they come, they find we are far too normal to qualify – there are no UFOs, no weird rituals, no secret handshakes.”
He added that people can come and go, explaining that nobody is forced to think one way, saying: “We disagree amongst each other on almost everything, from Brexit to how often we should mow the grass.
“We are of course occasionally accused of being a cult, but that is to be expected. In our experience, if people visit and see for themselves those concerns are easily answered.”
Bernard is the outreach director, so he is one of a handful with a computer and smartphone, highlighting: “I have no worries, no fears, no mortgage, I don’t own anything,
“There are 10 cars for 300 people. If I need a pair of shoes, I’ll ask for it and get it. Same-day shopping,” he pointed out.
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Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening.
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