Straw Bale Huts

We have constructed several small straw bale huts down in the woods; four in Tir Ysbrydol and one, the den, close to the roundhouse. These are all known to the planners, have been subject to enforcement orders, etc, and the subject will come up again when we apply for a low impact settlement in July 2006. This page is to show a few pictures of them and to show in brief how they are made, since they are warm, natural and very cheap to build (£80 for the cheapest; £700 for the most classy). Each was built in a short space of time (about a month or less) by a group of volunteers/course members/campers/friends.

Jane in the den the start of the den - 25 pallets and first course of straw bales. 60 were used in all. space for door. note upright support posts tied thru bales, and wall plate of oak branches on top bale coach window is inserted in space for window, resting on oak plank for sill. Note roof rafters. the reciprocal frame roof is tied with baler twine while being erected, before final adjustment Ceiling of hut showing slab wood as radials, covered by blankets. (On top of this is straw/wool mix, silage plastic in two layers, and turf.) Chimney double flue is wound with fibreglass blanket and metal gauze where it penetrates the roof. raw wool and straw mix placed on roof under membrane for insulation Mud mix of clay, sand and horse manure is spread as plaster on walls the walls of the den are protected with cedar bark the finished den from the south Emma's hut Ken outside the little hut. This hut is immune from enforcement as it was up for over four years before coming to the attention of the planning authority the Big Hut at Tir Ysbrydol

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