News

Amazing eco-home costs family just £27,000

Published

10 years ago

October 28, 2016

The exterior: The eco home took four years to build (Pic. Grand Designs)

BEGINNING with just £500, Simon and Jasmine Dale built a three-bedroom family home made with recycled goods and reclaimed material that’s being called ‘the cheapest house ever built in the Western Hemisphere’.

Living in the sustainable community of Lammas, in rural Pembrokeshire, Simon and Jasmine’s eco-home has been featured on the TV programme ‘Grand Designs’.

The home, made with reclaimed materials including glass, timber and insulating sheep’s wool, encompasses the family’s dream of living off the land with their children, Elfie and Cosmo.

Lammas is a pioneering sustainable village and in return for the right to build on the open farmland, Jasmine and Simon will have to prove that they had become self-sufficient on the seven acre plot within five years. If not, they will be forced to move on.

Featured on Wednesday’s (Oct 26) episode of Grand Designs, presenter Kevin McCloud told viewers: “This won’t be a cramped hobbit house, but a spacious, solid, three bed, low impact family home.”

Simon excavated 12 feet into the hillside in order to build a retaining wall along the back of the property, made from sandbags filled with excavated earth.

The floors of the eco-home are made from rammed earth, polished and hardened with linseed oil. The structure of the building comprises of round timber poles grown locally. The trees were then felled, prepared and cut by Simon.

The same poles were used to construct the roof, which was then covered in a damp proof membrane and insulated with sheep’s wool. A layer of grass was then planted on top for further insulation.

Due to delays caused by Welsh winter weather, the construction of the ‘Hobbit home’ took four years to complete.

In 2012, Simon had to postpone work on the eco home due to the wet weather; however, in the spring of 2013, he begun again, constructing the retaining walls made from hundreds of yellow sacks bought from eBay for 7p each. The sacks were filled with clay, sand and fine stone.

Simon and Jasmine planned to move their family into the property by autumn 2013 but, due to requirements of living at Lammas, they first had to set up a small business.

The family made the decision to postpone the main building work whilst they constructed greenhouses. During this time, Jasmine ran horticultural courses and Simon took on consultancy work in order to increase their original £500 fund.

Four years after beginning the project, Jasmine and Simon estimate that their eco home cost £27,000 to build, including the costs of £5,500 on sheep’s wool insulation and £5,000 work of vegetables used to feed volunteers.

Following the completion of their project, Simon commented: “I don’t think I could quantify it, but I can feel it in my heart when I walk around at the end of the day and see the bats flying round and hear the birds sing.

“It’s been hard and I wasn’t asking for an easy life. I like challenge. To put in a hard day’s graft and be tired at the end of the day. That exhaustion is a nice feeling.”

News

Pendine cliff fall victim recovering after major emergency response

Published

8 minutes ago

June 10, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A 22-YEAR-OLD man who suffered serious injuries after falling from cliffs overlooking Pendine Beach is recovering well following emergency surgery.

The man was visiting Pendine with friends on a weekend break when the incident happened on Saturday afternoon. Emergency services were called to the scene after he fell from a cliff edge above the beach, sustaining significant chest, facial and pelvic injuries.

A major multi-agency response was launched involving the Welsh Ambulance Service, HM Coastguard, Dyfed-Powys Police and the Wales Air Ambulance. Personnel from Pendine Community Council also assisted at the scene.

After receiving emergency treatment, the casualty was airlifted to Cardiff for specialist hospital care, where he underwent surgery.

An update released with the consent of the injured man and his family confirmed that he is now recovering well.

The young man, his family and friends have expressed their gratitude to everyone involved in the rescue effort, treatment and ongoing care.

Special thanks were paid to local resident Michaela Dance, an Emergency Nurse Practitioner, who was first on the scene and provided immediate assistance before emergency crews arrived.

The family said they were extremely thankful for the professionalism, skill and compassion shown by all emergency service personnel and those who helped during the incident.

Despite the seriousness of the injuries sustained, the outcome has been positive, with family and friends acknowledging that the situation could have been far worse.

Pictured are the injured man’s friends with Michaela Dance, presenting her with a gift as a token of their appreciation for the assistance she provided following the incident.

News

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

16 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A HAKIN motorist has been banned from driving for three years after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Mark Briskham, 53, of Waterloo Square, Wellington Road, Hakin, was stopped by police on January 5 as he drove a Ford Kuga along Steynton Road, near Milford Haven.

Blood tests carried out at the police station showed he had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 64mcg of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.

Briskham pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years, taking into account a previous drug-drive conviction from 2020.

He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.cr

Crime

Begelly man remanded over alleged May Day assault

Published

16 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged May Day assault against a woman in Begelly.

Tomas Baker, 34, of Ty Dee, New Road, Begelly, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, at an undisclosed location in Begelly on May 1.

Baker appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week by video link from Swansea Prison.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 22.