Re-Thatching The Cae Mabon Roundhouse ~ A Fundraising Appeal!
Pic by Nicola Smalley taken at Way of the Buzzard Retreat July 2022
Many of you will have attended events at the beautiful Cae Mabon Centre in Snowdonia. One of the central structures at the site is the fabulous Roundhouse, and now this wonderful building is in urgent need of re-thatching:
It’s been the heart of Cae Mabon for 28 years, the scene of countless convivial evenings of story, music, conversation, ceremony and magic. But the thatch is wearing thin and we need to do something to minimise the smoke inside. We’re planning to re-thatch it over three weeks starting in mid-October. But we need help to finance it. If you’d like to support the renovation of this exquisite ‘intangible heritage’, please read on:
The Story…The Roundhouse was our first structure here. We levelled the terrace in 1989. Over the following three years for one week each summer we built the wall. In 1994, under the guidance of Nick MacSmith, we made the roof with pine rafters, hazel battens and water reed thatch. For seven years it was used for sleeping, storytelling, music, weddings and ceremonies. It was a much loved place, the heart of Cae Mabon. But in 2002 a candle was left unattended. Wax dripped onto a wooden box, followed by a bead of flame. The box and interior furnishings slowly caught fire. Seven hours later the flames reached the thatch and it was gone in a matter of minutes.It was heart-breaking of course, but we soon realised we had to rebuild it. Over the next few weeks, with the help of Nick, many friends and financial support from those party to the blaze, we re-thatched it. We made improvements: put in a slate floor, lime-rendered the wall, built a bigger medieval-style porch, made the thatch thicker and tighter… Unfortunately this last ‘improvement’ turned out not to be so. The smoke from the fire found it harder to escape, creating a smoky atmosphere. Not good. In time we learned how to make fires to minimise the smoke. But it can still be problematic.
Carved by Keith Matthews. First painted gold by Stephanie Carr-Gomm.
Nonetheless in the last twenty years we’ve had numerous extraordinary times in the Roundhouse: ceilidh-like sharings of song, poetry and story round the fire; celebrations of Beltane, Samhain (Halloween), Midwinter and more; improvised drumming and singing; powerful all-night ceremonies; masked channelling of ancient deities; coming of age rituals; listening circles; weddings, conversations, jokes and laughter. It’s the sacred hub of Cae Mabon, a place of community, conviviality and creativity.
As one of the songs composed on a youth rites of passage event here says:
Now, two decades on, after all these shared riches, the Roundhouse thatch is wearing thin and leaking in places. Grass, lichen, moss, even little birch trees are growing on the roof. The time has come. It has to be re-thatched. The plan is to do it this October. The intention is to make it more beautiful than ever and to ensure that it’s not smoky inside. It is, after all, our ‘Temple of the Ancient Ones’. It needs to be right.To help us in this task dear Nick will be joining us once again. But we’ve also enlisted the help of Alan Jones, from Pembrokeshire, and his two assistants, Kerenza and Sara. Alan has built and thatched thirty roundhouses and a lot more besides. He was up here in August and we (t)hatched a plan.
The Cae Mabon Roundhouse is at the heart of what’s been called ‘a Welsh Shangri-La’. It’s a hobbit-like village in an idyllic location of forest glade, sparkling river, deep lake and great mountain. Nature spirits abound here. The Great Mother (Modron) and her Great Son (Mabon) are honoured here. We have sacred sculptures of Dragons, the Fool and the Faerie Queen.For nine months of the year people come to Cae Mabon week after week on a succession of creative, healing, educational, wellbeing, rebellious, sacred and shamanic gatherings. It is a magical procession of wonders. Many of the people who come are changed. It is a cauldron of transformation. The Roundhouse is at its heart.
As of 9th October 2022 we’ve raised £2449. Thanks so much to all who have donated already. But we’re still only a fifth of the way to our total. I hope if you’ve ever spent an evening in the Roundhouse, or think one day you might, you will make a contribution, no matter how small.Click here for the Go Fund Me page: https://gofund.me/43e6599b
With gratitude and appreciation for your support!
Mothers and Daughters group held at Cae Mabon in July 2022.