Cae Mabon - the Welsh Shangri-la.
Here are a few notes I made from the time I visited Cae Mabon in December 2016. I took lots of beautiful photos and would recommend that people just go see for themselves. This was part of a trip across North Wales, taking in Anglesey and Snowdonia, just enjoying life rather than my usual writing about it. Actual be-ing through an embeddedness in the good things in the world 'out there.' That said, I enjoy words too, and I hope that the words below convey some sense of the magic of Cae Mabon. It is an enchanting place. There is also a lot of hard work behind the re-enchantment of place.
Cae Mabon has been described as a 'Welsh Shangri-la.' It may well be. It has also been named as the number one natural building project in the UK. That point is worth underlining. It's an age of practical idealism. We are being called upon to find our way back home and play our part in the ceaselessly creative universe - to work with nature. That call is idealistic, but it is also practical and visionary in bringing us to true reality. It brings us to ourselves, to recognition of 'who' we are and to 'where' we are.
Cae Mabon is humble, the place hugs the ground and is warm and inviting, intimate and communal. This is a world of an active communing with nature, with each other, and with the other beings and bodies in the more-than-human world that enfolds, nourishes and sustains us.
Here is a place where peaceful waters flow. A place where you can be at peace with the earth, and with yourself. It's magical place which exudes earthcare and the value of attending. Feast your eyes, nourish your soul. But remember that there's a lot of skill and craft and care that has been invested in this place. The place is well-loved. It exhibits the union of head, heart, and hand denoting a loving engagement with the land.
It is a superb structure, a credit to all those who have been involved in building the dream and making it real. The work it must have taken is really impressive. That's what impresses about this place - the demonstration of practical idealism and how it turns the world as it should be turned - through intimate knowledge that proceeds from within. It's all of a piece with the land.
Cae Mabon looks like a fairytale world. It may be. But it's real. It has the internal music of true reality. The place sings and dances. But I like the loving engagement on the part of those singing and dancing in tune with the rhythms of nature.
Cae Mabin is so compact and yet so expansive. The place has space to wander and wonder.
Cae Mabon
Cae Mabon is an eco village set within a bewitching oak woodland close to Llanberis on the edge of Snowdonia, Wales. It’s been called the ‘Welsh Shangri-la.’ So imagine going off in search of the place. My friend and I hadn’t planned on anything specific. We were just making our way through Snowdonia after a wonderful stay at Trearddur Bay, Anglesey. We knew of Cae Mabon and count the wonderfully talented Eric Maddern as friends on Facebook, where we have exchanged pleasantries. It is worth noting that visits are by appointment only. We had no plans, just ended up in the vicinity and thought we’d drop in and look round. Sorry to have missed you, Eric Maddern, and we really should make an appointment. But we knew of this place, love what it stands for, and needed to see for ourselves. We couldn't just pass by and not visit. I will, hopefully, return one day soon. I can't drive and it isn't easy to get to for me. But Snowdon is a lovely part of the world, and Cae Mabon is a magical place, a place for practical idealists - that's what the age calls for, practical idealism.
Walking down a long, narrow country lane, winding our way into the natural surroundings down a narrow lane that seemed to get narrower as we went, served to build the sense of anticipation as to the magic to come. When we finally arrived at Cae Mabon we weren’t disappointed. We were met, and led in by, three free roaming sheep. It was quite enchanting. They appeared as if from nowhere and led the way in.
It’s a tranquil spot, a haven, a retreat, a little magic spot, an eco-village comprising hand built huts made from sustainable materials. If you like 'hobbit houses,' then this is the place.
Snowdonia is all around, mountains, looking over Llyn Padarn lake, breathtaking countryside all around, the town of Llanberis nearby, (nice pub, friendly locals and lessons in Welsh pronunciation (we were taught how to pronounce Cae Mabon properly) fresh air, natural light and magic, very refreshing, eco-aware buildings, experimental architectures and technologies, roundhouse and fireside gathering for songs and stories. It's the place to be I have written of for years!
It’s a place to nourish mind, body and soul together in one. A place to be – a place of healing, being, living.
I got a real sense of place grounded in nature, stories, practices. It is an enchanting place that exudes an eco-sensitivity with nature, allowing us to live within natural contours, not against or above them, being at one with the natural surroundings that enfold and sustain life.
Here are more words I’ve gathered from various places. Read on and explore further, because this is a really special place.
Where is it?
Cae Mabon nestles at the foot of Elidir Fawr in an oak forest clearing by a little river that cascades down to the nearby lake. The summit of Snowdon lies just five miles to the southwest as the crow flies.
At the heart of the village is a magnificent thatched Celtic Roundhouse where visitors can choose from an array of drums, tambourines and maracas to play around the central open fire. With a fire in its hearth and smoke rising from the thatch, the place has clearly been the home of many convivial evenings of song, story and chat.
Circling the Roundhouse is a family of seven elegant natural dwellings each with their own unique construction and characteristics – a strawbale Hogan, an oak and slate Longhouse, a cedar log Lodge, a cob Cottage, a redwood Chalet, a Hobbit Hut and a cedar Cabin. Each dwelling is unique, snug, and subtly lit by solar power. Taken together, they accommodate up to 30 people.
A renovated barn contains a fully equipped kitchen and a spacious eating and meeting room. There is a fine composting loo, a stylish washroom, a thatched shower hut and a luxurious hot tub located by a free flowing river.
It is easy to get carried away when describing the place. My words derive from actually going and seeing the place. Others who have stayed there say the same. Cae Mabon has been described as ‘insanely’ and ‘jaw-droppingly’ beautiful; a ‘fairytale village’; ‘a verdant retreat from the crazy world’. One couple said: ‘We arrived with the idea, an inkling, a fuzzy dream… but leave with clear minds, inspiration and the knowledge that dreams can come true.’
In 2008 Professor Tom Woolley, writing in ‘Sustain’ declared Cae Mabon the ‘number one natural building project in the UK’. He said:
‘Cae Mabon is a Welsh Shangri-La hanging on a steep hillside with stunning views across to Snowdon. Over many years it has grown organically … into a mini expo of handmade buildings using straw, cob, timber and thatch … Built initially without planning permission, officialdom has been won over by its charm and magic.’
In December 2011 John Thackara in his ‘Doors of Perception’ blog wrote:
‘Sites such as Cae Mabon are like the region's antibodies, playing a vital role in healing the crippling disconnection within Western culture between body, soul, spirit, and place.’
As I wrote, Cae Mabon is a place of healing, living, and being.
Nature Cae Mabon is intimate with the primal elements of forest, river, wind, earth and fire. We believe in the healing and inspiring qualities of Nature in all its beauty and vitality.
Beauty We endeavour to make our dwellings harmonise with each other, with the trees and the curves of the surroundings hills. We like to include aesthetically pleasing details in surprising places.
Creativity We value creative inspiration very highly, both our own and those who come to visit. We like to make beauty in song, story, dance, poetry, sculpture and many other ways.
Low Impact We try to minimise our ecological footprint on the Earth by using natural building materials, by composting and recycling, by using solar power for lighting. Soon we hope to generate waterpower. We are always looking for ways to be more sustainable.
Self-sufficiency We know we are a long way from self-sufficiency but nonetheless we are slowly working towards it, cultivating a vegetable garden, keeping ducks and bees…
Personal Transformation We believe in the possibility of personal transformation. Cae Mabon provides the space for people to thrive, to find spiritual solace, to awaken creative potential, to gain new perspectives and to celebrate their lives.
Positive Futures Cae Mabon is a meeting ground for diverse influences and traditions. We aim to value the best of the past, to celebrate the fullness of life now and to help create positive, sustainable, convivial and organic futures…
‘Cae Mabon offers shared accommodation for up to 30 people in seven individually designed, hand-made, permanent eco dwellings clustered around a central Roundhouse. This reconstruction of a Bronze Age dwelling, typical of this part of the British Isles, comes complete with comfy sofas set around a central hearth. It’s the perfect place for stories, music, poetry and songs to be shared, whilst in the warmer summer months, the Dragon Snug makes a good alternative for small gatherings.’
Cae Mabon - A Retreat Village Of Jaw-Droppingly Beautiful Low Impact Buildings In Wales Britain
Cae Mabon is:
# a work of art # a centre on the edge # a clearing in an oak forest # a place of creativity and celebration # an elemental retreat centre for healing and inspiration # a model of low impact, sustainable living # the lair of the ancient British sun god # grown on stories
‘The website has good descriptions of each dwelling and an abundance of information for anyone who is thinking about staying at Cae Mabon. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and can’t wait to return in the future. If you are looking for a fairytale holiday right here in the UK then this is the place to stay. It’s not luxury and it’s not immaculate . But it is cosy, it is magical and it is down to earth.’
‘In the summer of 2010 I visited a number of alternative building projects in Wales. Built out of simple natural materials and covered with green roofs, these houses blend into the lush landscape. The beauty and tranquility of the Welsh countryside, along with the hobbit-like buildings, created an enchanting atmosphere and made me believe that is possible to live in a fairy tale, even in our modern world.’
‘Sound Healing retreat this summer in the unique and unforgettable eco-sanctuary, Cae Mabon in Snowdonia. Four glorious days of sound baths, guided meditations, shamanic ceremony, healing drum circle, mountain walks, bonfires and delicious organic vegetarian food. Set amongst the most stunning scenery in the British Isles.’
‘Cae Mabon’ means the ‘Retreat of the Divine Youth’ or ‘Redoubt of the Ancient Sun God of Britain’.
It nestles at the foot of Elidir Fawr in an oak forest clearing by a little river that cascades down to the nearby lake. The summit of Snowdon lies just five miles to the southwest as the crow flies.
‘Cae Mabon is the ongoing project of Eric Maddern who stood near the entrance to a magnificent Iron Age roundhouse and greeted me as I approached. Shown to my cabin by the river I found myself running from building to building taking photos as if they might disappear like a mirage at any moment. The dwellings were recently photographed by an architect review magazine and just last week, to even Eric’s surprise, turned up on the front cover as the number one example of sustainable architecture.’
For more about Eric Maddern’s work:
‘The presence of forest, river, mountain and lake is very strong. The elements are everywhere. I wanted to listen to their promptings and to the people who came here, each with their own passion and perception. Ideas seem to arise when their time is right. Some possibilities are glimpsed years before they can be brought to fruition. Others flash in and are made flesh that day.
It's been good to feel that it doesn't all have to be done in one year or even ten. There's time - a lifetime, several generations perhaps - for the full potential of the place to be realised.
It's been important for me to create works of beauty, not the ostentatious beauty of the wealthy but the humble beauty of the simple and natural. The structures are what's known these days as "low-impact".
They are mostly made from timber, stone, reed, straw, grass, lime and clay. They blend in with their surroundings. They are special places to be. Not only that, many of them echo dwellings lived in by people in far away times and places.
There is a sense in which they honour our ancestors - tribal, Celtic, peasant - whilst at the same time being very much of the now. The Roundhouse is not part of a theme park about how life used to be. It is a living contemporary building, capable of being used in many exciting ways in keeping with our "post-modern" times.
I often think the two main gifts of Cae Mabon are "healing" and "inspiration". In many ways it doesn't matter what "workshop" or "event" you do here. The ever-present earth and river, forest and fire will heal and inspire you.
Some might wish to label that a pagan approach. But I prefer to think of Cae Mabon as a place that can hold and nourish many spiritualities. Yes we have Pagan and Shamanic groups come, but we also have Christian, Zen and Taoist groups, and others who just want to write or dance or sing or get married or celebrate a birthday or simply reflect deeply about their lives. One thing that is common to many groups is the creative use of ritual and ceremony. It seems that for many the old religious rituals do not serve any more. But they cannot dispense with ceremony entirely.
The impulse to ritual - the symbolic use of words and actions to intensify experience, to create meaning and to dignify the individual - is deep. In a place like this it is possible to devise rituals that pay homage to ancestors, that honour Nature, that appreciate beauty, that draw on traditions, that reflect the life stories and dreams of the people involved.
Ultimately such practices connect us to the bigger picture. And here the bigger picture is also about the Earth and how we can live more harmoniously and sustainably with each other and leave a better place for the generations to come.’
That’s the approach I take too
CAE MABON Meaning literally "Mabon's Field". Mabon is the "Divine Youth" of the "Mabinogion" (collection of early Medieval tales of Wales). Some say Mabon (or Maponus) was the Solar Deity of Ancient Britain to whom Stonehenge was dedicated. So "Cae Mabon" is the "Retreat, Lair or Hide-Out of the Ancient Sun God of Britain" or the "Home of the Divine Youth"!!!
The Roundhouse is based on the dwellings of Neolithic and Iron Age Britain. In Snowdonia there are many places marked on the map as "hut circles".
Usually they are rings of fallen stone overgrown with brambles and bracken. Once they were stone walled round huts with conical thatched roofs, the thatch made from water reed (fragmites), heather, rushes or even bracken. The Cae Mabon Roundhouse is a reconstruction of one of these pre-historic roundhoues, with the addition of a rather spectacular porch.
It's about six megalithic yards in diameter, the most common size for a Celtic roundhouse. Each roundhouse was a home for a family, providing space for cooking, weaving, storing food, sleeping and meeting.
STRAW BALE HOGAN The Hogan was initially inspired by the Navaho dwellings of Utah and Arizona. They are octagonal structures with log walls and a turf roof. In the end it turned out differently from its original model. It has straw bale walls clad in a lime/sand render (supplied by the highly recommended Ty Mawr Lime at www.lime.org.uk) and a reciprocal frame roof. Eight principle rafters are pegged on the lintel and rest on each other forming a series of strong inter-locking triangles with a space in the middle for a window. Through this "eye" can be seen the trees and sky!
In the summer of 2008 ‘Sustain’ (a glossy magazine for builders and architects), asked Tom Woolley (professor of architecture and expert of natural building) to nominate his top ten natural building projects in the UK. When the magazine arrived in October 2008 I was surprised and delighted to discover he’d chosen us as ‘the number one natural building project in the UK’, ahead of several other much more prestigious projects. He said Cae Mabon was like a ‘mini-expo’ where you could see a range of natural materials used in various ways all in one place. He described Cae Mabon as a ‘Welsh Shangri-La hanging on a hillside overlooking the mountains of Snowdonia’.
CONTACT Eric Maddern Cae Mabon Fachwen, Llanberis, Gwynedd. North Wales. LL55 3HB.