SAWA Homestead, Powys, Wales
a place for living, growing and being
Nestled in a valley in Powys, among rolling green hills, winding streams, and the quiet calls of red kites, is The SAWA Homestead, at No. 2 Tyn Y Graig Cottage, the house on the rock. Home to Ed and friends, this place holds a vision of weaving together land, learning, and community in a way that nourishes both people and place. The land serves not only as a home but also as a living permaculture classroom. It is a teaching ground for permaculture workshops and courses, and a gathering place for natural building, growing, yoga, art and meditation. It is a place where the soil becomes our teacher, our shelters are shaped by our hands, and moments of stillness invite mindful introspection.
Vision Sketch
a place for a home for living, growing space for food, built with natural materials and above all a place for meditation.
The homestead project is open the valley and potential collaborations, creating a space where people can come together to learn and share. This includes hosting Permaculture Design, Tiny House, Natural Building, Embodied ecology, workshops and courses. It is through embodied hands-on projects we really knowing arises to inform how we live and work with the land. Alongside this, a small dhamma community is growing, with regular meditation practice and an interest in living simply within the land.
The property comprises of a 3 bed cottage, a 1/2 acre fo land and a large old stone barn. Since Ed arrived in March 2024 a impermanent structures have been arisen on the site: Shepherds Hut, Poly tunnel, Deck and Compost Loo. The land has been planting up of a annual veg garden, perennial food forest areas and edges, and mixed native hedges. The project has been the benefactor of a successfully landed a Eco 4 grant, giving the site 9 Solar panels, ASHP, 2.5Kw inverter, central heating system with 9 radiators and room in roof insulation.
House Renovations and Natural Building
The Cottage is built using natural design principles. Restoring vapour open materials to ensure water and damp does not penetrate. Focusing on catching and storing energy in the thermal mass of building with good insulation levels. Starting with internal wall insulation working room by room.
Utilising local suppliers and resources of natural materials clay, stone, sand, wood and lime. The structure makes use of the existing stone walls and oak frame structure. Appropriately designing in materials with good holistic performance such as slip straw, cob, cork, hempcrete, woodfibre and lime plaster. The goal is to create a functional and comfortable space that requires little energy to heat.
Fitting with its local context and surroundings as well as minimises global and local ecological impacts.
Veg Garden
The garden is a vital part of this homestead project, a prime showcase! of the permaculture principles, as layed out by David Holmgren…
1. Observe and interact 2. Catch and store energy 3. Obtain a yield 4. Apply self regulation and accept feedback 5. Produce no waste 6. Use renewable resources and services 7. Design from pattern to detail 8. Integrate rather than segregate 9. Use small and slow solutions 10. Use and value diversity 11. Use edges and value the marginal 12. Creatively use and respond to change.
2024
Year one Reports – Weather: mixed summer and wet winter, flood in Feb
Self sufficiency in Salad (Chard, Mizuna, Mustard leaf, Kale) for approximately the 11 months of the year. Growing seasonal veg in these approx quantities: tomatoes (beef golden and other types) 5 kgs , cucumbers, Courgettes 10 kgs, Marrows 10 kgs, Yacon 0.5kg, Beetroot 10 kgs , Parsnips 10 kgs, Potatoes 3 kgs, Sweet corn 1 kg, broad beans 1 kg, sugar snap peas 0.5 kg , aubergine x4 pieces, 1 melon plus various tasty herbs and flowers. Nasturtium over hall.
2025
Year two is looking similarly good… Weather Report: hot dry and warm year! March, May, July, August
Up on Potatoes 15 kgs, Sweet Corn 1kg, Squashes 5kgs, new Cabbage success and sauerkraut making 8 big jars! Down on parsnips:-(
Massive increase in soft fruit , blackcurrants 3 kgs , red currants a few punnetts, blue berries a hand ful , blackberries 5ksg plus, Chokeberries 0.5kg
Russet apples – about 15 apples
The Deck
Like all good permaculture projects, we love to stack functions. The deck is a multifuncitonal space for body breath movement, social gathering, sharing circles, yoga and meditation.
Decking Wellness Area Design
Permaculture Design Course
We hosted our first PDC in Spring 2025 with Mich Thrill from Social Landscapes. The Permaculture Design Certificate is a great opportunity to learn permaculture ethics, principles, design processes and implementation techniques. Many feel inspired to transform their lives for better wellness and relationships with the natural world.
Embodied Ecology Workshops
Mindful Land Art Creation Experiential Exercises
Take a time out from a busy world and drop into your body and the senses.
Practice the art of observation while develop your awareness of the world around you.
Take your shoes off and step into the land.
An opportunity to revel in the wisdom of the beautiful readily available materials of Earth and fibre. This community-spirited workshop will leave you both with theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in natural building techniques. You will get a chance to dive into why the championship of these materials is so important in the current climate, as well as trying your hand at wall plastering and making cob mixes among many other things!
The Area
Address: 2 Tyny Y Graig Cottage, Llanyis, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3HH.
Located on the Heart of Wales Line between Swansea and Shrewsbury. 30mins drive from Hay on Wye East, Brecon Beacons South, Eden Valley North and Welsh Wash Pools to the West.
Evolving Design Sketches
As ever things are in constant flux and flow, are ideas, visions and drawings arise and pass away. here are a few for tasters.
We are open to taking on interns for one month minimum stays. Basic gardening experience required. Appreciation of permaculture, regenerative culture, community living architecture and dhamma, as taught by SN Goenka, Vipassana Meditation (dhamma.org) is desirable.