The hobbit house

So I have spent most of this week writing my transfer-to-PhD report - a necessary evil if you want a doctorate degree. In all fairness, it's proving to be a very helpful process, and I'm eternally grateful I'm registered with the agriculture department who have a very practical and hands-on approach to such things.

However, sitting in front of a computer all day, while something I've spent far too much of my adult life doing, is not my idea of fun. This evening I've spent some time dreaming (granted, this began in front of a computer...).

In case you have not come across this picture of the 'hobbit house' before, it is the craftmanship of Simon Dale (www.simondale.net). The house was built using natural materials, and I think it's just plain beautiful. While I'm all in favour of the sustainable, chemical-free aspect of this kind of housing, it's actually the aesthetics that really sell it for me. No straight lines, no mdf, no crappy plastic fittings. I think I'd prefer to have the beamed stripped (bark-off, rather than bark-on) though, so I could keep them dust and cobweb free - I imagine gunk would accumulate fairly quickly on that ceiling!

Jon and I made a pinky promise to do this when we have some land of our own. I suspect it may come in the form of guest housing on the farm.