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?!!!

Two permaculture workshops were held at Cae Mabon (when it was still ?Muriau Gwynion?) in 1987 and 1988. Then in 1989 the first, pioneering ?men?s rites of passage? was held here. The original bender and tipi were erected that year and the ground was broken and a terrace built on what was to become the site of the Roundhouse.

In 1990 work began on the stone wall of the Roundhouse. It took three years, just working one week each summer. Then, in the summer of 1994, with the help of ex-thatcher Nick MacSmith, Jake Keen of the Ancient Technology Centre in Dorset and many other volunteer helpers, the roof was completed. The roof raising party was held in September 1994.

The completion of the Roundhouse catalysed things here.In 1995 the shell of the barn (roof, floor, walls) was built, followed, the next year, by the beautifully designed doors and windows. In 1997 the ?state-of-the-art twin-vault dry-composting Loo-with-a-view? was designed and built, followed by the thatched Shower Hut.

1998/9 were the years of building the straw bale and reciprocal frame roofed Hogan. In 2000 we built the pagoda-esque shed and acquired the Geodesic Dome. 2001 was a quiet year when we established a couple of new terraces and acquired the Mongolian Yurt and the Iranian Shavan. Then, in 2002... !