A new structure has been completed at Bwlch Corog, which will be used to provide shelter for activities, crafts, games, meals, and relaxing for groups spending time at the site. We’re calling it the Education Shelter.
This seasonal shelter is a covered, open-walled space which offers shelter from rain and shade from the sun during the hottest part of the day so that groups participating in events and courses at Bwlch Corog can still benefit from spending time outdoors in all but the worst weather.
Framed from larch felled just a few hundred metres away, extracted by horse and its bark peeled off using hand tools, the carbon footprint of the shelter is extremely small. Thanks to its high resin content, larch is naturally resistant to decay and can be exposed to the elements for many years before it will need replacing, without needing chemical treatment. No timber lasts as long in the ground as above it, but eco-friendly methods have been used to prolong the life of the shelter’s uprights, which are sunk into the ground for stability. These sections have been treated by burning their surface – a technique often known by the Japanese name shou-sugi ban – and set into holes lined with stone. The charred surface forms a protective decay-resistant layer on the outside of the timber. The stone, again sourced a very short distance away within the site, allows rainwater to drain away and keeps the timber much drier than if it were in contact with the soil.
The Shelter during construction
The structure has a double-pitched roof and is topped with two tarpaulins – one new and one repurposed, having been the roof of the orginal education shelter that this one replaces. These tarpaulins will be removed over winter when the weather is harshest and when particularly high winds are expected during summer. However, their design will allow moderate winds to pass between the pitches and through the structure while still providing shelter and shade.
We think this new shelter is beautiful, and it’s already proving its worth as a useful, adaptable space that allows groups and event participants to experience being in nature whilst being protected from the elements. Many thanks to Chris and Sven for their work erecting the shelter, and to our wonderful volunteers for peeling all the poles and carting the stone for setting the uprights into.
Remember that Bwlch Corog is open to be explored at any time, so if you’d like to see the new shelter for yourself, have a look at our Visiting Bwlch Corog page to see how to get to the site. Please note that when there are groups on site you may be asked to keep away from certain parts of the site, including the Education Shelter, so do check the calendar before visiting.
And if you’d like to explore it without making the journey to Bwlch Corog, have a look at the video below.
This project is funded by the The Woodland Investment Grant (TWIG) scheme. It is being delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with the Welsh Government.
