How to Build a Hobbit House for £150( $250)

Blimey! I wondered what that cacaphony was and it was you spiraling down out of cyberspace. Mind the coffeepot when you land, eh! I'm really glad you dropped in. Coffee's freshly roasted and brewed and the selection of virtual treats is in its usual splendour so help yourself. Y'know, Nong and I are waiting for The Hobbit to come to the bank of theatres near us. I believe it is in 3-D and we are both anxious to see it. I remember reading Tolkein's book many years ago. Speaking of hobbits...

At a time when housing rates are hitting the roof, an English farmer has built a house for almost nothing. 59-year-old Michael Buck spent a measly £150($250) to construct a small, yet cozy house in the garden of his Oxfordshire home in England.

The former art teacher drew plans for the house on the back of an envelope. He didn’t need any special planning permissions since it was classified as a summer home. Buck spent two years gathering natural and reclaimed materials for construction. It took him eight months to construct it with his bare hands; he didn’t use any power tools at all.

To make the base, he learned the ancient technique of cobbing from a book. The technique comes from prehistoric times and involves a mixture of sand, clay, water and earth. Clay based subsoil is mixed with sand, straw and water and then ladled onto a stone foundation. Workers and oxen then trample upon the mixture – a process known as cobbing. The layers of cob gradually build up and harden over time.

For the 300 sq. ft. floor space, Buck rescued the floorboards from a neighbor’s unused skip. He retrieved the windscreen of an old lorry and converted the glass into windows. The walls are painted with a mixture of chalk and plant resin. The roof is a simple wooden frame thatched with straw from nearby fields.

Talk about a D-I-Y! So there you go, eh. Get yourself a piece of cheap land somewhere (if there is such a thing anymore) and get to it... or build one in your backyard. Ours, well, I'm not sure it's big enough. Garden shed, maybe but a Hobbit House? Nah. Still...I think it is a marvelous project. Teachers... there's an excellent combined History and Science project for you!

See ya, eh!

Bob