Another kind of space
creating ecological dwellings and environments
Samples from the 'personal stories' section of
the book:
Brithdir Mawr - the secret village
Alan Dearling (with Tony Wrench)
It was in 1998 that a pilot surveying the Pembrokeshire coast
in Wales spotted the reflection of a solar panel near the farmhouse
at Brithdir Mawr. His find led to the belated ‘discovery’
of a secret eco-village located in the Pembrokeshire Coast National
Park. It had already existed for over four years. It is home to
22 residents, who had quietly developed a sustainable intentional
community with its own wind generator, water turbine, solar panels,
water and fuel sources, organic gardens, horses for work-duties
and goats for milk and cheese. The National Park had originally
given permission for the renovation of the dilapidated farmhouse,
but had been unaware of the development of the other ecobuildings,
including a geodesic dome meeting house, a roundhouse with a turf
roof, and a straw-bale barn.
Tony Wrench is one of the key figures in the construction of
Brithdir Mawr. He says:
I’m struggling with the permanent feeling of being gutted
by the planning inspector’s decision that this roundhouse
must be demolished before July 2002. I put so much of what I believe
into this place, and I can increasingly see what a threat such
a harmless abode is to the established wisdom. No mortgage, no
bills, no car, no cement - what if everybody tried to live like
this?
Olwyn, a neighbour, wrote about roundhouse,
"It is an experimental structure built into a south-facing
bank at the head of a small valley. The bracken covered slope
was dug out using a JCB, and the building was set into the semi-circular
excavation. Visually it blends in well - it’s nearly invisible
from a distance."
It even incorporates its own miniature fruit farm, with strawberries
growing on the roof, four grapevines, fruit bushes and tayberries
around the base of the building. Power comes from a Siemens 50
watt photovoltaic cell, which charges two old 6 volt British Telecom
batteries for lighting and radio. Behind the roundhouse are yellow
flag and bullrush reed beds which clean grey water outfall and
nearby is a composting toilet. Cold water is piped from a spring
into a recycled cistern, which acts as a header tank. This in
turn feeds water to a wooden whiskey barrel, where it can be heated
by either a solar panel or a wood stove. Tony has written up a
detailed account of how the roundhouse was constructed by himself,
his partner, Jane Faith and their friends in Building a low impact
roundhouse (Permanent Publications, 2001).
 A
supporter of the roundhouse and the community is the Very Reverend
Canon James Cunnane of Cardigan. He eloquently sums up the situation:
It was hard to believe my eyes when reading the inspector’s
reasons for refusing consent: ‘...a harmful effect on the
natural beauty of the national park if it was allowed to remain.’
I went to see it and was almost upon it before spotting it. Has
the inspector forgotten it was only discovered from the air, and
then only because the spotter plane ‘caught the reflection
from a solar panel’?
The fact that neither I nor, I suspect, most of us would want
to live like Tony Wrench is irrelevant. His house is ingenious,
unique and the product of deep thought. I admire it. Contrasted
with those that the rest of us live in, its impact on the environment
is tiny. Let it be!"
 Life
at Brithdir Mawr
Tony Wrench told me that among the most important
aspects of Brithdir Mawr is, "...the synergy possible in
living on a community like this with others of a like mind."
Each family or single person has their own living space, and the
four teenagers have a personal ‘quarter’ - a bedroom
and a loft area to themselves. The members all arrived at the
community in an organic way. The community handout reflects this,
saying, "Paul and Erica arrived from Devon in a horse-drawn
Gypsy wagon whilst Tony and Jane arrived on a milk float from
their permaculture holding 20 miles away."
The primary purpose of the community is the care of the land.
The land is managed through an Environmentally Sensitive Area
(ESA) scheme which requires the care of woodland and wetland and
the restoration of features such as hedges, green lanes, earth-banks
etc. Over 6,000 trees have been planted, hay meadows enhanced
and ponds restored. The land has also provided the community with
a source of income through the selling of hay, baskets, furniture
and wood crafts, and the use of coppice wood for wood turning
and charcoal burning. This supplements the income received from
guests in their low-cost hostel accommodation in a converted barn.
In 1997 this won a prestigious Prince of Wales Award for being
an outstanding example of renewable energy in practice. The electricity
for the hostel is all generated from the sun, wind and water.
Heating depends upon keeping wood in the stove.The community also
welcomes camping. Bring your own sleeping bags and other bedding.
(Telephone: 01239 820164 or e-mail: brithdir@brithdirmawr.freeserve.co.uk)
Brithdir Mawr means Great Speckled Land in the Welsh language,
a striking and apt image for this 165 acres of mixed farmland.
The community which was formed in 1993, includes in its aims:
"...to demonstrate experimental building techniques using
locally-sourced and natural materials." Inviting visitors
to share in this experiment is central to this mission. The residents
say, "We have a constant flux of visitors and volunteers
who are encouraged to be as involved as possible. Preparing food
around the table is one great opportunity for conversation and
exchange of ideas. Although a constant stream of new faces can
be challenging at times, each new perspective that they bring
serves to prevent our own view becoming jaded."
More can be read about the roundhouse at www.thatroundhouse.info
Other samples from Another kind of space:
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