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The northernmost part of Dordogne in France is a beautiful forested area with many lakes and it was to here that we came eight
years ago, having done the classic Brit thing of falling in love with an old stone farmhouse in need of TLC and buying it without
giving much thought to what we'd do when we got there!
Soon after our arrival we discovered a leafy overgrown lane nearby where, hidden among the trees, was a little lake. Right from
the start, it had a sense of calm and of being untouched by the modern world. The woodland was full of brambles like Sleeping Beauty's
forest and - here we go again! - we knew we wanted it to be ours. A few enquiries led us to the owner and a deal was struck, and then
a few months later we became the proud owners of not only the lake and 6 acres of woodland, but also a rather ugly breezeblock
construction with a corrugated-iron roof.
To be honest, we thought about demolishing this eyesore, but further inspection revealed it to be solidly built and then, somewhere
along the line, the idea of transforming it into a cabin was born.
I'm lucky to have a talented husband who's fortunate enough to have his own sawmill and woodworking workshop, so he set about it,
using windfall timber from our newly purchased woodland. In my mind's eye, I could see ourselves hanging out at a cute little cabin
but, as much as I love nature and the great outdoors, I'm not a 'pee in the woods' type of girl. So I made it clear that it would have
to have modern conveniences!
The problem (as we saw it at the time) was its lack of an electricity supply. To lay on a new supply was not affordable or feasible,
and so began our adventure into the world of alternative energy where, after many a trial and error, Bob came up with the ingenious
solutions that make our cabin the warm, cosy, functioning little home it is today.
Of course we ourselves were delighted with the result but when friends suggested we could rent the cabin I was sceptical. Would
anyone (apart from us) even contemplate life without tv, computers, and electric light? We decided to set up a website and see! How
wrong I was to have doubts! Our cabin's lack of mains electricity had become its best asset. It seems many people feel our cabin is
exactly what they're looking for - a 'back to nature' experience, but with home comforts, and, in keeping with people's increasing
awareness of ecology issues, we seemed to have touched a nerve. Two years on we've had many happy renters and that's why we decided
to take the plunge and build another cabin.
First, we had to find another lake. This wasn't as easy as it sounds, because it had to have good access, running water (for
electricity generating purposes) away from noisy roads, but not too far from town, (for cycling to the baker's for croissants
purposes!) I won't go into the nightmare of French planning but suffice to say, it took time to find the right thing and in January
this year we started to build Fisherman's cabin.
Bob had made the oak frame from local timber as a kind of kit, and it went together like a dream with the aid of a rubber mallet
and some wooden pegs, despite the rain, which started to fall almost as soon as Bob had unpacked his toolkit! Our construction
coincided with a very wet springtime and at times it seemed like it would rain forever. At one stage we even thought about converting
the design to more of an 'ark' shaped project! Ever the optimist, Bob pointed out that all this water was the very thing we needed to
make our waterwheel 'turn like the clappers' and produce electricity!
Gradually the little cabin took shape and our thoughts turned to the interior and how to make it work. Much of the alternative
energy gadgetry that you can buy online or in shops doesn't suit our needs - often it has to be adapted or made from scratch.
Lots of Internet research and headscratching overcame most problems, Bob does all the 'techy' stuff - whenever there's a hitch I
put the kettle on and pretend to understand - somehow I know he'll work it out! I help with all the interior stuff, painting and
tiling. I'm in heaven rummaging around brocantes and junk shops and I do all the upholstery and sewing.
When the sun finally did come out, sitting on our little deck overhanging the water, surrounded by the forest, more than made up
for being frequently soaked to the skin. Even watching the raindrops bounce on the lake was kind of mesmerising, and there's always
something to see, whether it's a kingfisher flypast or dancing dragonflies. It was easy to let time slip away: we must've had the
prettiest building site on earth.
The lake is often very placid and it's magical reflections change by the minute, sometimes I still have to pinch myself to remind
myself that we are the guardians of this wonderful place!
It's been exciting to see it all come together, and know we've done everything ourselves. And so satisfying when people like what
we've done. In addition, this project has heightened our awareness of how much energy we waste at home. You learn just how much
effort it takes to produce a kilowatt when you're off-grid. 'Oi, put that light out!' is now a common refrain in our household.
Next we're planning to build our very own little eco-house . . . | 
