Secret eco-village tribe living off the grid in wales

Secret eco-village tribe living off the grid in wales

www. dailymail.co.uk

For five happy years they enjoyed simple lives in their straw and mud huts.

Generating their own power and growing their own food, they strived for self-sufficiency and thrived in homes that looked more suited to the hobbits from The Lord of the Rings.

Then a survey plane chanced upon the 'lost tribe'... and they were plunged into a decade-long battle with officialdom.esterday that fight, backed by more modern support for green issues, ended in victory.

The eco-community in the Preseli mountains of west Wales was set up in 1993 and lived contentedly away from the rat race round a 180-acre farm bought by Julian and Emma Orbach.

In 1998, it was spotted when sunlight was seen glinting off a solar panel on the main building, which was built from straw bales, timber and recycled glass.

When the pilot reported back, officials were unable to find any records, let alone planning permission, for the mystery hillside village surrounded by trees and bushes.

(visit the link for the full news article)

They have a homepage!



[edit on 18-9-2008 by bringthelight]

Seems like thee people have the right idea. I wonder what their essentials consist of. I live outside of Boston and would love to go find a place that no one inhabits and give this a shot. The simple life is what its all about. Good fr them I say!

www. dailymail.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 18-9-2008 by bringthelight]

Here is a pic of one of their houses.

I wish them all the luck. A noble task, i wonder how long it will take for bureaucratic machines to chew them down. Maybe it is different in UK though.

I agree, these people have stopped waiting for their governments to change and create clean energy. They have taken responsibility for themselves and I think its great. instead of complaining on message boards, why aren't more people taking action? If you hate your government so much, start living off the grid! I bet it is so gratifying living the simple life like they are. I think im going to go for it.

another one

I agree it is a noble task and who doesn't want to beat the stranglehold of society but i seriously doubt i cud do with out my tech.

reply to post by bringthelight


I live in California at the moment, and quite a few people whom I have met are already planning similar tribal, off-grid, lifestyles. Not many people would want to give up what they have in this technologically advanced world, as it is all they know. They would fear something like this, but I am all for it.

Communism doesn't work on a large scale, but in a small tribal-like environment, it thrives.

I watched a few videos on their website and they do have solar panels. One guy was even designing his website in his hut on a laptop. I dont know how they have internet out there but they must have found a way. I dont think i could live without my computer either!

A few of them make money by teaching sustainability classes and designing furniture. I have lived on the grid my whole life and would love t try living off of it for awhile.

reply to post by bringthelight


looks nice
i wouldnt last a few days without my HDTV,SKY,ps3 and other junk
so that kind of lifestyle isnt suited for most us thanks to all the gizmos we get shoved infront of us

I think its pretty cool, as technologically advanced as we are... even these old timey made of earth structures are better suited for living in. It is about time people started taking initiative in doing the thing that will save our planet... .0004% at a time.

I wish I had the knowledge to do what these folks are doing... my luck I would build a house that falls over on me while im on the Throne Reading maxim. Suitable punishment lol

This guy actually wrote a book on how to build these houses...looks pretty cool. Doesn't look like its that hard to build with a couple of people helping. I wonder how it would hold up in a snow storm tho...

How to build a round house

[edit on 18-9-2008 by bringthelight]

I'd love to live there.

Tribal societies should be what this world lives in.

This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. And it is exactly what I planned on doing soon, But only to see if it is even possible and whether I have the mettle needed to accomplish this at this scale. Wow just wow! Good for them.

Well looks like I found the plan for my new home! Its the second house pic that I uploaded and it seem pretty easy to build. Now I just have to find some land.





buiding plans website

I've been thinking about living of the grid for a while now. I've practically got everything I need to do so, plus I own a modest boat I can always use as a place to stay.

I know it would give me so much freedom and happiness, but I guess I just don't have the balls for it.

Plus I rent my house, and if I give that up, I'll never get it back, and it's a great little place to live.

Yet something in me screams: "just pack up and leave".

I don't know, maybe it's just preminition, we could be forced to living these sorts of lives in the near future, if were lucky enough to even be able to do so.

I know I'll be ready and in the right mindset.

If I learned anything over the years, it's that you don't need much to be happy.

Yeah I always had dreams about living in America around colonial times. Before there were cities and you could actually see how beautiful America was in her prime. Just seeing open farmland or historic preserved sites reminds me of these dreams.

I think someday we will be living in places like these and now I have my instruction manual on how to build one!

Originally posted by bringthelight
I think someday we will be living in places like these and now I have my instruction manual on how to build one!

I hope you don't follow those plans too closely - there's no bathroom...

Originally posted by bringthelight

I've got to admit it looks like a nice place to live though.

Hahaha I could deal with out a bathroom, as long as I had some TP. I just think these places are so cool looking. Ive never bee a fan of city living or being cramped. I know it would be a lot of hard work but i think it would be worth it at the end of the day.

I am sure they have an outhouse... no plumbing remember?