Support our Community Cob Oven Project

At the end of May, a community cob oven will be constructed by volunteers from the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens who have kindly agreed to support the construction of the oven itself as a training project.

However, to protect the oven from the worst of the Welsh weather we need a shelter. So we thought we’d build something that embodies our principles and looks beautiful in the landscape. The shelter will be a traditional roundwood timber-frame design made completely from locally sourced, sustainable wood by a local co-operative of craftspeople. It will provide a valuable long-term resource for our site and the community with lots and lots of yummy pizzas and fresh bread for visitors of all ages.

The oven will be available to use by visitors to Denmark Farm at all kinds of events in the future. We’re aiming to run ‘cook and eat’ training days, volunteer social events, open days and kids parties.

So, What Is Cob?

If you’re asking this very question then we suggest you head over to The Fabulous Cob Oven Company website where Matthew Lloyd, who will be lending his expertise to the build, says:

“Cob is a material with a clean conscience. Using the clay from under our feet, mixed with sand and straw, it has been a staple building material to millions across the globe for millennia. In the Americas they call it adobe. No energy-hungry cement is used in the mix, and no machinery is required for construction. This is a truly accessible and sustainable method of building that connects us to our environment, and nourishes both our soul and our body.”