Life in the round

The eco-community of Brithdir Mawr occupies some 85 acres of wooded valley and hillside where "peace comes dropping slow". Today as I meandered among the traditionally-managed fields and copses, along flowery paths and through handmade wooden gates, the trees seemed greener, the birdsong louder and the air sweeter than anywhere else.

At almost every turn you may come across a turf-roofed dwelling, a yurt, a tipi or a gipsy-style encampment. A trio of goats peered from their own sustainable structure, two black and white heavy horses drowsed under a tree waiting for the next stint of log-hauling and a herd of cows grazed knee-deep in a paddock.

I dropped in for a chat and a glass of water at this very special dwelling place, a low-impact roundhouse that was formed (one can hardly say built) 15 years ago from wood, turf and recycled materials, all sourced locally at very low cost. It took only 10 weeks to construct and is still going strong, increasingly embedded in its natural surroundings. The couple who occupy it are deep green environmentalists who grow vegetables and work in wood. They live off the grid, using solar and wind power only, with a compost toilet in another small structure nearby. Inside the dwelling is a cosy and well-appointed living space with a wood stove, kitchen, bath, bookshelves and all the usual impedimenta of domestic life.

Despite its (literal) low profile the roundhouse became a cause celebre among enviromentalists when it was discovered by the planning authority from the air - it is invisible otherwise, far from the road and camouflaged by its very construction. Planning permission had not been sought, and was retrospectively disallowed. The dwelling was sentenced to demolition but at the last minute a posse of eco-warriors arrived to defend it. There were meetings and protests, occupations and marches. In the end the discussions, legal wrangles, court cases and appeals stretched over a decade but in 2008 permission for what had become known as That Roundhouse was finally granted.

(The links I have supplied tell the story and describe the community in much more detail and with lots of photographs. You can camp, volunteer or attend courses at the eco-community with which the roundhouse is associated.)