This years OPD Open Week is taking place between 15th to 20th August. Twelve households in Cymru/Wales demonstrating sustainable, positive and innovative ways to live, work on and manage land with a low ecological footprint.
Details of venues, dates and tour booking info below:
What you need to know
Booking is required for all cars intending to park on site, and places are limited. Please do not arrive by car if you have not confirmed parking availability. Kindly respect residents’ privacy and generosity by staying with the tour, supervising children at all times, keeping dogs on leads, and requesting permission before taking photographs. It would be appreciated if you could arrive promptly as late arrivals may disrupt or miss the tour.
We suggest making a donation of around £5 to £10 per adult for each tour except where indicated below. Please bring cash as most are not able to accept electronic payment. Payment for the hosts’ time makes it viable to offer these tours, and contributes to meeting their OPD requirements.
One Planet Developments are also required to minimise traffic impacts: please car share where possible (use the Facebook event page to offer or request lifts) and this will also maximise the numbers able to attend. Please bring weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy footwear.
Toilet facilities in general are composting loos, of various levels of sophistication. If you have any accessibility requirements please get in touch before visiting.
Many plots have produce to sell and/or offer light refreshments, so do bring enough cash for that as well as to pay for the tour.
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FRIDAY 15th AUGUST
10am: Dôl-Wen, Tintern, Monmouthshire, NP16 7NX
We obtained planning permission in 2022, but don’t yet live on-site. We have planted hedges, coppice, orchards, a vegetable allotment and a food forest. We are currently building infrastructure, but have not yet started the house.
Please contact matt@mattjdunn.co.uk to book and receive full directions. Note that there are no facilities or running water on site (but there is a cafe nearby).
SATURDAY 16th AUGUST
11am: Hafan y Coed, Glandwr Pembrokeshire, SA34 0YD
Hafan y coed is a 4 acre Agro-eceological, agro forestry holding in its 5 year with a productive plant nursery, commercial crops and Willow production.
www.hafanycoed.co.uk Suggested donation £7 per adult.
Booking is not required. Please see Lammas Ecovillage website for further details and directions.
2pm: Maesgwenyn, Cilgwyn, Pembrokeshire, SA42 0QW
We are the smallest OPD 1.8 acres On the site we have 100 apple trees for cider and eating, a 60 blueberry bush fruit cage 13 raised beds for vegetables 1/3 acre wetland meadow We have been living in our off grid house for 18 months We keep chickens and ducks We sell surplus veg, cider and fruit.
Please contact sophie.wellan@virgin.net to book and receive full directions.
SUNDAY 17th AUGUST
10am: Tir y Tylwyth Teg, Llanycefn, Pembrokeshire, SA66 7QJ
Tir y tylwyth teg was granted planning for an OPD in October 2022, I
moved on to the land officially in September 2023, Tir y tylwyth teg is
in very early stages of developement, but growing both vegtables for my
own needs and plants to sell has been happening on the land since the
begining of 2020.
All are welcome… Please contact Stephen De-Waine wwsfa@hotmail.co.uk
or WhatsApp 07528281246 to book and receive full directions and for parking options.
Tir y tylwyth teg on social media: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GDM6qiGES/
2pm: Parc yr Odyn, Hebron, Carmarthenshire, SA34 0XT
Parc yr Odyn is owned by Ludka and Brendan Powell and we are currently in our fifth year of the OPD set up stage. We have built the first fully off grid passive house in the UK which has qualified as a finalist in the 2023 UK Passive House Awards. We keep bees, produce fermented vegetables, salads and plants for sale. We’ve also created an area of agro forestry, a new woodland and heritage cider orchard. Tour fee: £10 per adult (discount if you come by bike or on foot).
Please contact info@biggreenelephant.co.uk to book and receive full directions.
MONDAY 18th AUGUST
10am: Maes Digonedd and BrynWern, Penybanc, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, SA19 7TB
Maes Digonedd is a three-acre OPD. We gained planning permission about two years ago. We have nearly finished the dwelling (it’s taking a bit longer than we thought!!), we have set-up a no-dig horticultural area, are developing two food forests, and have planted about 8000 trees since we bought the land back in 2020! Next door is Bryn Gwern, another OPD in the making. We haven’t moved on to our 3.7 acre site yet, but have built one structure and are just beginning to build the dwelling. We can explain our journey so far, why we chose to buy this field and the timeline from the initial idea to being granted planning permission. This tour would suit you if you’re new to OPD, if you are debating whether to follow this path, or if you are looking for land and the idea for your management plan is just beginning to form.
Please contact maesdigonedd@gmail.com to book and receive full directions.
2pm: Perllan Herberdeg, near Pontyates, Carmarthenshire, SA15 5UQ
We’ve been on the land for a few years now, but did not apply for planning permission straight away, so our Caravan Act house is still being built. We’ve constructed large greenhouses, veg beds, cold frames, field crop areas, workshops and woodstores, all from repurposed materials and have also planted hundreds of trees, including Welsh fruit trees and short rotation coppice. We’ve just completed our Organic conversion and grow vegetable seeds for the Wales Seed Hub, and are starting to produce cider.
Please contact crmoody@phonecoop.coop for full directions – note that booking is required regardless of how you intend to travel.
TUESDAY 19th AUGUST
1pm-4.30pm: Rhiw Las (3 x plots) Llanboidy, Carmarthenshire, SA34 0LH
Dan y Berllan
Erica and Chris at Dan y Berllan keep bees, breed poultry, and are developing two acres of diverse young apple orchard. They have helped set up the Welsh Seed Hub, a cooperative of growers aiming to promote and develop vegetable varieties which originate in Wales or are well suited to our climate. They have two small children and have recently self-built a timber framed straw bale zero carbon house. Ask us about: non-hybrid seeds, beekeeping, zero carbon building, renewable energy, planning permission, multi-unit.
Swn y Coed
Peni and Stef at Swn y Coed are passionate about growing good food, connecting young people with their environment, and living gently on the earth. They work with people of all ages sharing skills from horticulture and music to woodwork and composting. You’ll view their productive veg gardens and polytunnels from which they are running a hyper-local Veg Box scheme. Ask us about: composting, growing, community connections, education, woodland, veg boxes.
Ty Gwennol
Silvie and Wyc at Ty Gwennol run a small-scale oat m*lk production business supplying local shops with a glass bottle return scheme. They are also working with Llafur-Ni to grow rare welsh heritage oats, so one day they can be used commercially again. Our main crop is rotated with a small flock of shetland sheep. There are also young hazel and elder orchards. Silvie makes natural skin care products using herbs that are sold locally. They live in a load-bearing straw bale house. Ask us about: grain growing on a small scale, oat milk production, sheep, botanical skin care, zero carbon building, OPD kids. www.tygwennol.cymru
There will be tea and coffee after the tours and produce will also be available to buy on the day including plants, veg, honey, apple juice, soaps and creams and other land based products.
Tour fee: suggested donation £12 per adult for all three tours together.
Please contact info@danyberllan.co.uk to book and receive full directions.
WEDNESDAY 20th AUGUST
10am: Pencoed, Llechryd, Cardigan, Ceredigion, SA43 2PB
Pencoed is a 12.6 acre farm with cultivated growing areas, wild meadows, woodland, ponds and wetland. The off-grid family home was completed in 2021. Household waste water is treated using possibly the first domestic scale WET system in the UK, featuring flush internal loos, external composting and a plant based nutrient recycling plant. Land based enterprise includes no till vegetable and orchard fruit growing, plant and tree nursery, basketry, and timber based craft products grown and harvested onsite. We recently invested in an EV car. This will run mainly from onsite solar power and can also be used to top up our household batteries in Winter. Vegetables, plants, prints and craft items will be available for sale: instagram.com/ffrwythau_pencoed
Tour fee: suggested donation £10 per adult.
Email: layingdownroots@gmail.com to book a place, check parking availability, get directions, or further details.
2pm: Green Apple, Cosheston, Pembrokeshire, SA72 4TZ
Rootstocks, orchard, Planted woodland, Hens, Bees, Veg and Fruit. Interest /experience in home education and circle dancing: www.greenapplecross.com
Tour and toilet facilities are fully accessible for visitors with limited mobility.
Please contact greenapplecross@yahoo.co.uk to book and receive full directions. Donations as you wish. Booking on 07791 654780.