Dalwood Hill House
- Posted on 26th February, 08
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Last Saturday was fascinating as Katie, her parents and I headed off into the Devon countryside to see what people there are up to with regards to sustainable living. We visited two places, Dalwood Hill House near Axminster and Blacklake Farm near Ottery St Mary. More about Blacklake Farm shortly, but right now I’ll write about our first visit.
At Dalwood Hill House we were shown round by Peter Addie who is an inspirational character. He has been living an incredibly low impact lifestyle for years now, and it was a joy to hear him explain how his little 1 acre small holding works. He and his wife Kit are pretty much completely self sufficient, growing 95% of their vegetables, 60% of their fruit and 75 % of their chicken food and creating all the energy they need for the house. The house is actually carbon positive which means that they are sending energy back to the grid, amazing in our world of today, but what really struck me was just how happy Pete and his wife were on their site, how innovative he is, and how his persistence has not only taught him new methods of working, but methods which work!
What Pete has done is mainly common sense, and if I remember correctly, his quote of “Its unbelievably simple but it works” sums things up nicely. What Pete has done for years is use what he has on site to maximise the resources he has. He uses only hand tools, has no car, just the incredible recumbant trikes he has developed, and the trains of course, and I have to say he looks very healthy on that!
His “gym” is cutting and working his coppice and cycling. Both which have a fantastic outcome. His pleasures are tending his land and seeing the fruits of his labour. I respect what Pete is doing enormously, he is content, healthy and always busy. We humans are supposed to be the most intelligent beings on the planet, Pete, I feel, is using his intelligence to the max, and as a result, has a lifestyle most people would only dream of!
His creations have included air heaters using the sun, pivoting solar panels which work the lights and freezer, recumbant trikes with trailers and a mobile chicken pen so he can fertilise any piece of ground.
I would be very happy being one of Pete’s chickens! They get great grub, fresh ground to scratch about on weekly, dry leaves from autumn for bedding in winter. Really healthy birds.
He composts everything, uses everything, and appreciates every resource he has. In the past as Pete admitted himself, he was treated as a bit of a “Good Life” (a UK TV series from the 1970s that featured a couple trying to live a sustainable lifestyle) character. But now, you’d be amazed how many people call at his house to not only see what he is doing now, but hear his experiences of doing this for years. If everyone was as happy and content as Pete we would be living in a different place, to me he was a real inspiration.
If you would like to find out more about how Pete has made his home sustainable, you can call him on 01404 831288.
) need to spread in formation as far and as wide as we can . Every little helps and anything you do or can do will help. Its as much about belief in oneself as it is reaching to your goals
Well I’m sure we would all love to be able to afford a life like that. However, back in the real world most of us have proper jobs, mouths to feed, a small garden if we are lucky and just enough money to get by. Back to square 1 then.