Hobbit heaven in Pembrokeshire

In a couple of tiny old stone cottages sunk deep among shrubs and trellices, flowers and vegetables, tubs and watering cans, toys and bicycles, dwell a small family of deep-green environmentalists. Their door is always open since they welcome visitors whether they are at home or not. You are invited to step in, make yourself a drink, read their books, inspect their artistic inventions and their inventive art, to share for a short time their unusual lifestyle.

The hamlet where they live is the end of the road - go much further and you will be looking over the sea to Ireland. You need a car to get here but the car this family uses runs on chip fat and has been put together from parts from 21 old vehicles - it's known as the Womble Truck.

Around and behind the dwelling are scattered old bikes and boats, sculptures made from 'rubbish', clapped-out machines and household items, pieces of metal, wood and plastic: all grist to this creative mill of invention and experimentation in radical living.

It's a place to stop and enjoy the peace, to listen to the water trickling and the chickens clucking and the bees buzzing, to ponder and to wonder, to learn and to be inspired. You cannot fail to leave feeling refreshed and hopeful about the possibilities our world still offers. Even if we can't all live this way, or would not want to, it is important that some can and do. (You don't need to have hairy feet either.)