Build yourself a low impact woodland home..

[JonnyP]

This guy with little building experience and little money made himself a Hobbit house in Wales, and lives in it now with his family. All with permission from the Council..

http://simondale.net/house/index.htm

[bigzee]

That's the kinda place I like - organic with no right angles in sight. An Antoni Gaudi-esque abode - well done that man!

[Ashley Cawley]

This guy with little building experience and little money made himself a Hobbit house in Wales, and lives in it now with his family. All with permission from the Council..

http://simondale.net/house/index.htmahar! Glad you've posted this - I've had a couple of tabs open with this been meaning to post it for a while.

Here is another article about the same house/chap, shows more photos and rough plans etc. - http://ciracar.com/build-a-house-for-less-than-5000/

[GwersyllaCnau]

WOW he finally got it finished. Good on him.

[comanighttrain]

must suffer terribly from dampness?

[Ben Casey]

Thats really cool :)

[happybonzo]

I'm surprised that he got planning permission

[JonnyP]

must suffer terribly from dampness?
It should not suffer from damp. Its all breathable and insulated and raised off the floor..


I'm surprised that he got planning permission
It was done as part of a project..
"The Lammas Project is a voluntary organisation that has been working to promote low impact development for the last three years. It was involved in the development of a Low Impact planning policy in Pembrokeshire, the first county in the UK to introduce one. This policy allows low impact building and living where it is tied to working the land for a simple livelihood. Lammas has since, with others, been lobbying for similar national policies. A Wales-wide policy is now in public consultation and English agricultural planning guidance is going in the same direction.

Meanwhile Lammas has managed to get permission for a settlement of nine 5 acre low-impact smallholdings under Pembrokeshire's policy.

The Tir-y-Gafel settlement is well underway. Much of the infrastrucuture is now in place and the buildings are starting to go up. Thousands of trees have been planted, and gardens have been started and homes are being built. To find out more about the settlement check out the Lammas website.

Lammas also provides advice and solidarity to those pursuing low impact living elsewhere. For more details about the project see www.lammas.org.uk "

[JEEP]

This must be one of the most awesome houses I have ever seen!

[Ben Casey]

I would love to live somewhere like that :)

[happybonzo]

It . This policy allows low impact building and living where it is tied to working the land for a simple livelihood. Lammas has since, with others, been lobbying for similar national policies. A Wales-wide policy is now in public consultation and English agricultural planning guidance is going in the same direction.
www.lammas.org.uk "

I wish them every success. I just wush that it does come to something.
The barriers put in one's way for any building , as a dwelling, on your own land in England are almost insurmountable

[Ashley Cawley]

... For more details about the project see www.lammas.org.uk (http://www.lammas.org.uk) "I picked up on the Lammas community videos/podcasts a couple of years ago thanks to the A-Z Bushcraft (http://www.azbushcraft.com/) videos, they're done by the same media charity Undercurrents (http://www.undercurrents.org/) , looks like they've done some other similar stuff:

- EcoVillage Pioneers - a DVD self builders (http://www.undercurrents.org/ecovillage/index.htm)
- Roundwood Timber Framing DVD - Building naturally, using local resources (http://www.undercurrents.org/benlaw/index.php) (Ben Law)

I was out solo camping one night and the weather came in foul so I got in under my Tarp & in my hammock, no books luckily I had my iPod and ended up watching all the lammas videos for a couple of hours :) They really struggled for the permission to use the land how they wanted, took them years but they got there.

Pathetic that you should have to fight so hard to build a more environmentally aware building.

[JonnyP]

I picked up on the Lammas community videos/podcasts a couple of years ago thanks to the A-Z Bushcraft (http://www.azbushcraft.com/) videos, they're done by the same media charity Undercurrents (http://www.undercurrents.org/) , looks like they've done some other similar stuff:

- EcoVillage Pioneers - a DVD self builders (http://www.undercurrents.org/ecovillage/index.htm)
- Roundwood Timber Framing DVD - Building naturally, using local resources (http://www.undercurrents.org/benlaw/index.php) (Ben Law)

I was out solo camping one night and the weather came in foul so I got in under my Tarp & in my hammock, no books luckily I had my iPod and ended up watching all the lammas videos for a couple of hours :) They really struggled for the permission to use the land how they wanted, took them years but they got there.

Pathetic that you should have to fight so hard to build a more environmentally aware building.
I agree mate, but not everyone does.. Have a look at the comments on this same thread on BCL

[Realearner]

Sorry what's BLC ?

[Realearner]

BCL :ashamed:

[JonnyP]

Sorry what's BLC ?
Bushcraft Living.. Linky to my thread there.. http://www.bushcraftliving.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12033

Others are worried about this type of housing taking off and we lose all the woodland in this Country..

[Ashley Cawley]

Bushcraft Living.. Linky to my thread there.. http://www.bushcraftliving.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12033

Others are worried about this type of housing taking off and we lose all the woodland in this Country..
Sorry I didn't see your post sooner Jonny, I've posted a reply over @ BCL - http://www.bushcraftliving.com/forums/showthread.php?p=152727#post152727

And as for posting links to other forums bud; people ask me all the time before posting links to other forums, as if it'd be a problem!.. It isn't I actively promote it so if you post elsewhere feel free to cross-post here :)

All the best,

[WombleWill]

This house is Stunning :D would be my dream house!! Might have to get myself 5k.

Will.

[Ashley Cawley]

This house is Stunning :D would be my dream house!! Might have to get myself 5k.

Will. Unfortunately I think finding the £5K would be the easy part! Acquiring the right land and permission would be the pain in the ass (and cost more than the build) :(

[WombleWill]

Oh yeah most definitely, but im still going to dream xD is this the only one like it then or is there more?

[paul standley]

As a 'comming to it late' newbie to green wood working and woodland management I've learnt this year that planners generally don't allow structures to be built in woodland except for 'temp: use by 'seasonal' forestry/woodland workers and there is a whole lobbyist sub-culture on the topic in the UK.

For the most part, the bushcrafters (and others) dream of buying a piece of UK woodland and building a home in it is sadly just a dream as I've found out myself this year.

I'd heard about Pembrokeshire's forward thinking and the Lammas project and think it's great but it's a two edged sword because without the planning regulations, there would be even less accessable woodland around than there is now, so a bit of a dilema really...

[happybonzo]

There is a sort of joke in Local Government about Planners. If you need another one, you take the most boring / dull / unimaginative person from Accounts and make them a Planning Officer...

[Ashley Cawley]

Oh yeah most definitely, but im still going to dream xD is this the only one like it then or is there more?Yes there are plenty more, Google lammas community and find their video podcasts.

[Ashley Cawley]

As a 'comming to it late' newbie to green wood working and woodland management I've learnt this year that planners generally don't allow structures to be built in woodland except for 'temp: use by 'seasonal' forestry/woodland workers and there is a whole lobbyist sub-culture on the topic in the UK.

For the most part, the bushcrafters (and others) dream of buying a piece of UK woodland and building a home in it is sadly just a dream as I've found out myself this year.

I'd heard about Pembrokeshire's forward thinking and the Lammas project and think it's great but it's a two edged sword because without the planning regulations, there would be even less accessable woodland around than there is now, so a bit of a dilema really...It's a good point, a frustrating catch22 in a way and something my recent post on BCL (http://www.bushcraftliving.com/forums/showpost.php?p=152727&postcount=10) touched on as the general view on the topic over there seemed a little negative.

I appreciate it's an awkward topic, wouldn't be so if we hadn't already over-populated & deforested our Island but that's reality atm! :(

[Oakenwise]

That is awe-inspiring, it really is. Brilliant work. I've bookmarked the site.

[aman]

I do love the Simon Dale house and dream of living is such a beautiful building and surroundings

The grand dad of such structures in modern Britain has to to be Tony Wrench. Check out his website (http://www.thatroundhouse.info/)

He has written a very good book on the subject as well. I have read it cover to cover a couple of times. Book info (http://www.thatroundhouse.info/how.htm)

I think if certain covenants were put in place to stop it becoming a free for all then it should be made easier for people who want to live this sort of life to do so.

If you made it so the house cold never be sold. If you sell the land you tear down the house. No utilities to or fro the land so you have to be selfe reliant in energy, water and sewerage. Maybe a minimum acreage per house so you can't pack them in.

I don't know. Maybe the struggle to get planning is what makes it worth while in the end

[Oakenwise]

I do love the Simon Dale house and dream of living is such a beautiful building and surroundings

The grand dad of such structures in modern Britain has to to be Tony Wrench. Check out his website (http://www.thatroundhouse.info/)

He has written a very good book on the subject as well. I have read it cover to cover a couple of times. Book info (http://www.thatroundhouse.info/how.htm)

I think if certain covenants were put in place to stop it becoming a free for all then it should be made easier for people who want to live this sort of life to do so.

If you made it so the house cold never be sold. If you sell the land you tear down the house. No utilities to or fro the land so you have to be selfe reliant in energy, water and sewerage. Maybe a minimum acreage per house so you can't pack them in.

I don't know. Maybe the struggle to get planning is what makes it worth while in the end

I find the Dale house more aesthetically pleasing, but that one is great, too.

[aman]

Agreed

Simon is an artist when it comes to making a simple structure look fantastic. I like the simplicity of Tony's house though although I would make it lighter and tidier inside.

[Fraser]

That has blown the wife and me away! What a beautiful wee hoose. I think we are going to have to look into this much further that house and web site has been a real inspiration to us.

[OakAshandThorn]

Wow - that is indeed incredible. :D
Now all we need is for Ian McKellin to stop by as Gandalf ;).
Reminds me a lot of Cody Lundin's sustainable home.
Very beautiful design. :)
Thanks for posting this T^

[surplus 6]

Very interested in this. Good site. Thanks for posting