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Summary

Set in nine acres of land, the original part of this house is a cottage, built in around 1860. Extensions were built in the 1970s and 1990s. The present owners, Nigel and Virginia Purchon, moved into the property when they retired, and for seven years have managed the land in a sustainable way, and created an impressive and very productive smallholding.
In January 2009, the Purchons installed a five kilowatt, mast-mounted wind turbine. The average wind speed on their land is over 6 m/second at 12 metres above ground level, so they hope the turbine will be an investment, and yield at least 10,000 kilowatt hours per year. Energy saving measures in the home include high insulation levels, wood-burning stoves and low energy lighting.
The Purchons could offer working holidays for people interested in running smallholdings or in particular aspects like keeping Hebridean sheep, bees, chickens, ducks and geese. As well as producing meat and other products for their own consumption, they sell their eggs, honey, vegetables and home-made flans at the country market, at the Cheese and Grain Hall in Frome on Thursdays.

As members of Somerset Wildlife Trust (a private nature reserve network), they also encourage wildlife, by hedge-laying, developing wildflower meadows, and minimal use of chemicals.

Green features in the house

• Two wood-burning stoves and an open fire which use wood created through hedge laying and pollarding
• Minimal use of central heating, and thermostats on all radiators
• Double glazed conservatory
• High levels of loft insulation
• Insulated cavity walls in the 1990s extension
• Low energy lighting (9 ceiling 45 watt bulbs were replaced with 9 LED lights, so reducing from 180 watts to 8 watts)
• 1.5 kW of photovoltaic (PV) panels have now been added to the system, for further electricity production

Green features in the garden

• 5 kw Fortis Montana turbine, mounted on a 12 metre mast (installed January 09), and connected to the grid
• Rainwater saved (total capacity over 5,000 litres in 5 water butts and 3 rainwater tanks)
• No chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides used
• Compost in 4 bays, made from horse manure (two ponies kept), garden waste and vegetable matter
• Free range chickens, ducks and geese kept for egg and meat production
• Hebridean sheep kept for meat, and to graze meadows and help maintain them as wildlife habitat
• Kitchen garden and herb beds
• Two bee hives (honey is sold in Frome)
• Fruit trees (including 8 varieties of apple), vines and bushes
• Log piles and twig stacks for wildlife
• Mature trees and hedges

Energy use

The Purchons use about 2,000 litres of oil over the winter months, and have no gas supply. All their wood is harvested on-site from tree-thinning and hedge-laying.

To find out more

To contact the owners for more information about this property, email nigel@purchon.com (put Mendip Open Homes in the subject so your email is not mistaken for spam) or see their website at www.purchon.co.uk/wanstrow.

Directions

Coming from Frome on the A361 continue towards Shepton Mallet across the roundabout at Nunney Catch; turn left just after Leighton; go past the Trinidad Works and over the railway; turn right up a green lane immediately after Mitchell's Elm Farm.

Coming from Shepton Mallet on the A361, turn right at the top of the hill after the Torr Works / Merehead Quarry and before reaching Leighton; go past the Trinidad Works and over the railway; turn right up a green lane immediately after Mitchell's Elm Farm.

Coming from Bruton on the A359 turn left at the crossroads by the Pub at Wanstrow (we are not actually in Wanstrow village.); go past the church and follow the road through Weston Town towards the A361; go under the power cables; after going under the railway follow the road round to the right and turn left immediately before Mitchell's Elm Farm.

See the calendar for open days and times