Garden Features
The Garden is a great space for picnics, parties and events. It has flower and vegetable beds, paved and grassed areas for weekend sunbathing or for simply reading a book. Below are a range of features which have been developed over time to give the garden its special and unique feel:
The Yurt
A yurt is a tent based on tribal dwellings in Mongolia. The garden yurt was made in Somerset by Avalon Yurts. It is a beautiful wooden structure from ash and hazel with an oak door. Covered in canvas it has trellis walls, a domed roof and a wood-burning stove. The yurt is used for all kinds of meetings and events. At one musical evening it accommodated over 50 people seated on the floor. It can comfortably accommodate 25 people for a meeting or a yoga class of 6-8 people.
Cob Oven
The cob oven was built as a workshop in 2007 led by Rebecca Beinart. It has a beautiful round shape. It has been successfully used for baking scones, potatoes, roast vegetables, pears and pizza. The oven has thick walls. Once a fire has been allowed to burn fiercely inside for about an hour, the embers are scraped out and the oven retains baking heat for the following hour.
Compost Toilet
The Compost Toilet was made by Jody Varney (Garden Turbines). Human waste is separated so that liquid (which is sterile) is separated into a storage tank for use as a compost accelerator. Solid matter is mixed in a drum with wood shavings and ash. Heat generated ensures that this will become usable compost within 2 years. There are two toilet chambers. One can be accessed by ramp with rail. Unfortunately this is not wheelchair accessible. We do however have a portaloo and toilet tent which can be set up for wheelchair use as needed.