Site information

Overview Brook End is a 4-acre smallholding in Somerset, home to Ian Roberts, Michele Darnell-Roberts and Nicole Vosper. Ian and Michele moved in at the end of 2009 and Nicole at the end of 2010. Ian is a retired engineer, Michele a mental health nurse and Nicole is currently working full time on the land in exchange for rent. All three have lived in Somerset previously. The site is very diverse comprising of a 3bedroom house, an extension for Ians Mum, a large home garden, cabin, several outbuildings including an old piggery, summerhouse, car park and compost toilet. It has a large vegetable garden area with raised beds, ornamental areas, 7 greenhouses and a pollytunnel, orchard, 2-acre field and small woodland as well as a pond and stream. Location Brook End is in a village called Compton Dundon in South Somerset on the hinterland of Somerton, Street and nearby Glastonbury (5 miles). Behind the smallholding lies Dundon Hill, an iron age hill fort. It is the site of Great Breach and Copley Woods, a biological site of special scientific interest, managed by the Wildlife Trust. The parish was owned by Glastonbury Abbey and old maps show our land would have been part of the land cultivated by the Abbeys monks.

Utilities Include mains water, electricity connection in the house and out to the summerhouse. There is a telephone line and internet access in the house only. There is an electric oven at present, soon to be gas with a wood-burner in the house also for additional warmth. Access We have access through a track as shown on the aerial photograph but do not own the strip of land. By foot one can enter through the house. There is also an installed back door leading to a public footpath at the south of the field.

Water There is a stream flowing through the property which enters our land from under the road to the east, flowing down the hill. It follows the boundary of the property before changing into a larger brook. It is very slow flowing and has an abundance of watercress growing. It continues and flows to the north effectively surrounding us on all sides. We also have a pond approx 10 x 15m that is in a fairly unhealthy state at present. There are dry compost toilets built by Ian on the woodland edge and the house is connected to mains water. There are no rainwater harvesting systems set up at present. The map above shows our risk of flooding and highlights our dependence on Somersets established drainage systems. Climate change will be a a key design consideration however due to the drainage on our land with our brooks, we should be prevented from major flooding. Landform We are fortunate to have an extremely flat site, which is very easy to move around on. The only slope is that to the southern corner of the field, approximately 10 degrees. Structures Include the house - currently undergoing refurbishment and the building of an extension for Ians Mum (large project), bender, cabin, piggeries, summerhouse, barn/tool shed, wood store, oil store, garage, 7 Greenhouses, pollytunnel, chicken run, bridge and compost toilets. Hazards Include Hinkley Point, a local nuclear power station. Potential local fracking developments. Agricultural pollution and urban sprawl from Street or Somerton.

Boundaries The boundaries of our land are shown in red on the aerial photograph to the right. Our closest neighbours have a small garden that our land surrounds, they have three children and are very friendly. There is occasional noise from neighbours on the northern boundary, but nothing too challenging. The neighbours at the bottom of the field sometimes question our camping arrangements as they are selling their house. To the right the family own holiday lets and have an artificial lake. In general, the village is very friendly with a local pub opposite the front of the house. Most of our boundaries are lined with hedges and trees and our brook. Local Land Use The majority of the villagers work outside of the village, however there is a farming community and several retired enthusiastic gardeners. Surrounding Brook End are a small number of rescued farm animals, pony paddocks and some arable farmland further away. There is also a dairy farm locally. As we are aware there are no fields within our catchment that are using artificial fertilizers or pesticides.

Soils The image to the left is information from the National Soil Resources Institute. Our location in the village implies a slightly acid loamy & clayey soils with impeded drainage. This is certainly accurate. Our soils are naturally diverse but in the field and orchard they are particularly clayey with little drainage, hence the abundance of willow and other water tolerant species on our land. Our vegetable beds are a sandy loam as a result of being organically cultivated for several years but have a clay pan layer underneath the topsoil. See the soil management plan for more detail.

Views Detailed views are given in the more detailed component designs, however in general one can see to the south Dundon Hill and agricultural land, to the north Polden hills otherwise neighbouring home gardens. They are very attractive views.

Nicole Vosper, Wild Heart Permaculture 2011

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