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We are Liv and Bertie (both in our late thirties) and we live in the Welsh Marches - the borderlands of England and Wales. We live with our 2 year old daughter - Anouki - in a converted Methodist Chapel built in 1865 next door to an old tin tabernacle that was brought here many moons ago via horse and cart! We have both done workaways/woofing around the world before but this is our first time hosting. Bertie is in the midst of finishing off building a timber framed eco - shepherds hut in the garden in memory of Liv's mum who died 2 years ago. The hut was going to be her 'granny wagon', and is being built largely from locally grown timber and other environmentally friendly materials. We now want to make it into a place that refugees can stay from nearby cities (Cardiff is 2 hours away/Bristol 2.5, Birmingham 1.5) to relax and be nourished by the beautiful healing countryside air.
The garden is just less than an acre of wild meadow, vegetable garden, a small orchard and a very small coppice experiment. There are stunning views from all three buildings. The place is quite remote being 3 miles to the nearest shop. It is an incredibly peaceful and healing place. It has also been described as one of the best places in the country to stargaze (there is an observatory down the road that Steve Hawkings visited shortly before he died), the bird song is amazing, you will see rabbits, deer, squirrels, sheep, badgers, owls etc... most days!
We bought the place 4 years ago with my brother and sister in law but they have just decided to move as they need more space to raise a family so we have bought them out. We are now feeling a little overwhelmed with the to-do list and would love some support to be able to maintain this beautiful spot.
This is a snippet of the tasks we'd welcome help with:
Helping on the shepherds hut build
Re-building pizza oven shelter in the garden
Rebuilding and helping in the vegetable garden
Strimming/cutting grass
Pruning fruit trees
Replacing windows in the tabernacle
Building a veranda on the chapel
Restoring the floor in the chapel
Re-building the kitchen in the chapel
Painting/decorating
Childcare
Marketing/Social media
Ayuda en proyectos ecológicos
Jardinería
Proyectos de construcción y bricolaje
Cuidado de niños y juegos creativos
Cocinar para toda la familia
Ayuda doméstica
Mantenimiento general
Ayuda con ordenadores/Internet
Bertie is an experienced Timber Framer and carpenter who specialises in restoring traditional buildings. We moved to the area to live in the heart of where buildings are constructed in this old way. He has a great deal of knowledge to share and knows many other timber framers in the area.
Bertie is also a linguist. He is half japanese and speaks 6 languages. He would be happy to help people with language skills.
Liv is a qualified Yoga teacher, singing teacher and theatre maker. She currently runs Voice Yoga classes - a fusion of her work in music therapy and in meditation. She also runs songwriting workshops. Liv would be happy to share her yoga practise with interested workawayers and would also be happy to exchange singing/songwriting lessons for any extra help.
Bertie and Liv are both musicians (Bert plays: piano, accordion, guitar and violin and Liv plays piano, mandolin and sings) and would love to have music jams around the fire with anyone staying who also loves music.
We are both interested in eco-living and responsible and sustainable living, mindfulness, meditation, camping, reading, EATING, walking - we live near the Offas dyke trail and there are many stunning walks from our doorstep...
We know many people in the local area and will be happy to welcome you into our community. We also welcome more hermit type people who just want a peaceful time and to keep themselves to themselves outside of helping time - there is no pressure from our side to do tonnes of socialising. Whatever meets your needs and interests!
En este proyecto podría haber niños. Para obtener más información, consulta nuestras directrices y consejos aquí.
We are looking for a couple of people (can be an actual couple or friends who are happy to co-habit!) to help Bertie with: carpentry, building, gardening and Liv with marketing/social media, childcare (we have a two year old daughter Anouki), cooking and cleaning.
If there was a couple out there who were both carpenters/timber framers then that would be amazing! If not, there is plenty of other work e.g. we could also really do with a practical hands on type person to help with: decorating, tiling, gardening...
Liv would also really appreciate some help with creating and promoting a social media profile for our projects so that we can reach out to refugees/community groups when ready, so someone who is skilled at marketing/social media and is happy to help with that would be brilliant. And then there is also our daughter to play with, meals to cook and 3 buildings to maintain!
Idiomas hablados
Inglés: Fluido
Francés: Fluido
Italiano: Fluido
Japonés: Fluido
Ruso: Fluido
Español: Principiante
Turco: Principiante
Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
Happy to speak in different languages!
You would be staying in a tin tabernacle next door to where we live (a small converted methodist chapel). There is a mezzanine with a double mattress and a double sofa bed on the ground floor. There is a small bath (and hand shower), wood burner, veranda outside with beautiful views onto the garden. There is a basic kitchen unit for cooking evening meals.
We will eat lunch together every day in the chapel. And once a week we will eat dinner together too. Other days you will cook yourselves dinner in the tabernacle with vegetarian food that we will provide. There is a lovely local pub a beautiful 45 min walk (or 5 minute drive) away which serves typical pub grub for those craving a burger or fish and chips! And sometimes we will have a dinner party where we might cook local, organic meat. We expect everyone to take turns with cooking simple lunches and washing up.
In your time off we are happy to take you with us on our trips to local towns/cities (Hereford, Ludlow and Hay-on-Wye are all within an hours drive) or to our local towns (Presteigne or Knighton both 10 mins drive or 50 mins walk away). We would ask you to pay for fuel if these are trips we wouldn't be making anyway - but please also bear in mind that it may sometimes be difficult for us to find time to make a special trip to a city for you. If you struggle with being in the remote countryside, perhaps this is not the place for you!
If you want to go further afield for the weekend we would also be happy to drop you at a train station, as long as our timetables allow.
Locally, there are plenty of pubs, local shops, a pop-up cinema, gigs, parks, rivers (some stunning swimming spots), beautiful walks/bike rides (we have 6 bikes!), and lovely people and a friendly and active community who like putting on events. The area is an AONB and one of the most beautiful places to explore on foot in the country.
Acceso a Internet
Acceso a Internet limitado
Tenemos animales
Somos fumadores
Puede alojar familias
We have strong wifi connection and phone signal here
Este anfitrión puede proporcionar un sitio para autocaravanas.
Este anfitrión dice que acepta a viajeros con mascotas.
Más de dos
5 hours a day, 5 days a week