Tinker's Bubble

Tinker's Bubble is an intentional community located near Yeovil in south Somerset, England. It was established in 1994 on forty acres of land consisting of about 20 acres of woodland as well as orchards and pasture. The woods are mostly Douglas Fir and Larch but with patches of native species such as Ash trees. Much of the pasture is maintained traditionally using scythes for hay making. Tinker's Bubble earns a small income by selling organically grown produce at local farmer's markets and selling sustainably produced timber which is felled by hand, logged by horse and sawn by a wood-fired steam-engine driven sawmill. The community has a ban on the use of fossil fuels on site (with the exception of lighting such as paraffin lamps).

The buildings are temporary structures built with a very low environmental impact when compared to conventional housing. The community fought very hard for planning consent for dwellings on the site and now has permission for temporary dwellings with limitations such as to the number of vehicles owned by the community.

In light of the possibility of future environmental disasters such as peak oil and global warming the community has tried to demonstrate a way of life which is environmentally sustainable. Despite predictions that it wouldn't last the community has continued to thrive and inspire others.

The community are WWOOF hosts and accept working visits from WWOOF members as a chance to experience their way of life.

References

* [http://economads.com/log20020524-20020531.php Description on "Economads" site]
* [http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2004/08/23/living-with-the-age-of-entropy/ Article by George Monbiot]