Dartington

Another few planned days turned into a week with our friends in Dartington. They are building a cob house and we were able to help. This was a fantastic stay on many levels. We got to lay cob for a few days, went to some beaches, shared lots of great food and warm human kindness. Ben acquired an older sister and younger brother while Jules and I spent the nights in their ‘74 VW campervan.

Ben was feted for his upcoming birthday. This included a crown, cake, songs and 12 hoists into the air. We’ve scheduled three family stops on the way home. Three more chances for birthday parties.

Their house is mostly made from the mud in their yard mixed with straw. It’s stirred by a large digger machine which then lifts it up onto the walls. The builders then spread it and stamp it down to almost three feet wide. After it’s dried, it’s pared back to about two feet wide. Any cob mixture that falls off gets reused in the next batch.

The pictures show Jules stomping down cob, Ivor the digger man with his dogs and brewing up a batch of cob.