Birch Cottage has a new website of its own
Visit the Birch Cottage website to bookWelcome to Lackan Cottage Farm
We’re Steve and Claire Golemboski-Byrne, we live here off grid with our daughter, our dog, cats and horses. We make all our own energy using wind and solar, grow as much of our own food as we can (it varies widely) and have used permaculture design principles to help us create a great place to live.
Here on the website you’ll find stories about the projects we’ve undertaken – what works, what doesn’t. You can come stay in our guest cottage – Birch Cottage and we will show you round, or maybe you just want to find out how to do some of this stuff. Either way, welcome.
We did it! The Northern Gathering was a success.
After months of preparation and planning, last weekend saw the first Northern Permaculture Gathering happen at Oxford Island. Permaculture legend Suzie Cahn started the gatherings off, some eight years ago, and has been central to their organisation ever since. Suzie...
Birch Cottage makes the Guardian Top 15 Off Grid places to stay
Birch Cottage features in the Guardian's 15 of the best places to stay off grid in the UK - 'Off grid living with creature comforts'. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/apr/27/15-best-off-grid-places-to-stay-in-uk-cottages-huts Since then we've improved the...
The Truck in the Times Top 20 Off Grid places
It's always nice to be recognised, and this week the off grid horsebox appeared on The TImes Top 20 off grid places to stay in the UK list. Introducing people to the idea of living more simply, whether off grid or on grid has always been our aim, and because we lived...
Wild Horses with Joe Rocks
Musician Joe Rocks and his partner came and stayed in our off grid horsebox earlier in the year, and recorded this version of 'Wild Horses' during their stay, which they've very kindly shared with us. It's always lovely to see that people enjoyed their time here....
A filming day, and the garden makeover continues
There is definitely an increase in the whole idea of sustainable living, living off grid, permaculture, tiny homes - all the things that are part of the 'how do we survive the next 20 or 30 years' mix. On Wednesday it was the turn of Jon, filming for a ten minute...
More seven year improvements
So having got the house to the point where it behaves itself - we have charged batteries, far more hot water, and considerably less chance of it raining inside the house, as well as not having lit the fire for some time now; we have finally been able to turn our...