Introduction--List of homes and gardens--Dates of open days--Location map--Products, builders and suppliers--Our sponsors--More on eco-renovation

Summary

Wendy Cox and Jeff Brewster’s sustainable lifestyles extend to cycling when possible, using a car adapted to run on waste oil when necessary, spinning, weaving and clothes-making using recycled fabrics and yarns, and bottling, pickling and jam-making. They are still adapting their two-bedroomed cottage in order to save energy, and plan to install solar photo-voltaics, as well as to increase insulation of their external walls.

Green features in the home

• Insulation of solid stone walls with expanded foam-backed plaster board
• Supplementary sheep’s wool insulation in the loft
• South-facing wall painted black and heated by lean-to greenhouse along its length
• Solar thermal system for hot water
• Wood-burning oven and stove for heating, cooking and additional hot water
• Treadle sewing machine and loom to recycle and remake clothing
• LED lighting

Green features outside

• Rainwater collected (capacity 3,000 litres) for the garden
• Grey water from bath and shower harvested for watering vegetables
• Growing of fruit and vegetables in beds and greenhouse
• Tree planting for nuts, fruit, and to encourage wildlife
• Planting and maintenance of mixed hedging for wildlife and produce
• Wildflower meadow for biodiversity
• Comfrey patch to provide plant feed
• Composting and recycling of wood ash to improve soil

Energy use

The average amount of electricity used during 2008 was 2 kilowatt hours per day.

Suppliers used and recommended by owners

• Navitron for the solar thermal system
• DPS for the thermal store
• The Spinning Weal, Clevedon, for loom and advice
• Charity shops for fabrics, clothing and yarns

To find out more

To contact the owners for more information about this property, email wendycox@onetel.com

Directions

If coming by car, from the centre of Shipham go along the main road towards Cheddar. After about 200 metres the road bends round to the left. Take the first left (small and steep) and the house is immediately on the right with a pull in parking area flanked by a woodstore. The 668 bus from Street via Cheddar runs two hourly on Mondays to Saturdays. Also served by Taxilink 7.

See the calendar for open days and times