Large veg & fruit garden plus 7 biodiversity fields

Pembrokeshire

Large veg & fruit garden plus 7 biodiversity fields

30 reviews • Updated 1 month ago

Here is essentially a place of sanctuary for nature, and people - it's in the land itself which is nestled within an ancient sacred landscape. Within that I've been protecting and creating more habitats and biodiversity, and growing healthy food. There are now organic vegetable, fruit, flower gardens and a rather overgrown forest garden with chickens in this area. About a thousand trees have been planted in the fields and as shelter belts, and many more allowed to grow now. A large and small pond have been dug, and there is conservation grazing by a few ponies in some pastures for late summer/autumn/early winter. I'm keen to work with nature and nurture respect for all life here. My daughter, partner and 2 young grandsons (5 & 8) now live here too, though not so involved in growing. The gardens and fields remain peaceful and restoring, and there is now the added energy of the playfulness and brightness of children (when they're not in school). We currently share 3 evening meals together, and eat independently the other half, so there's quietness and family life. Lunches I generally share with wwoofers, and breakfast and the remaining suppers we mostly prepare separately. We eat a lot organically and the majority of veggies grown here. There is a lot to do here and we generally start around 9.30 finishing around 3.30/4 with an hour's lunch break, and 2 days off. This time of year is pretty busy outside, and the kind of things you're likely to be involved with are: preparing veg beds, weeding and planting, pruning and clearing overgrowth, mowing (and scything if you can), composting making, possibly wood chopping, and other things which arise. There's learning to be had both in whatever is being done, but also in observing how everything is done here, and I'm willing to share my experience and knowledge. Accommodation is in a small caravan on the edge of a field, beside a stream and woods. It is off grid, with a woodburner, rechargeable lamps and a gas stove for cooking. It's across the field from a standing stone radiating positive energy. Tent/s are also available for more people, in warmer weather. There is an outdoor compost loo, outdoor hot or cold shower in summer and indoor shower limited to 3 x weekly in colder weather. Wifi is available in the house for limited periods. I encourage a less virtual/screen based time here. Generally you need to be happy in your own company and in nature, as I also enjoy spending time alone especially in the evenings. We are in a small village without shops, in a rural location. It is a beautiful area of the Pembrokeshire National Park, close to the Preseli hills, rich in sacred sites, stone circles, dolmens and standing stones (including a few here). There are many beautiful walks throughout the area. The nearest shop is the garage in Eglwyswrw about 2-3 miles away and has the nearest bus stop; buses go to Newport with beaches and shops, or to Cardigan with more shops. My daughter drives into Newport twice daily during term time and there are trips regularly to Cardigan for shopping and weekly 5 rhythms dance, and you're welcome to join on days off. Organic methods used here: generally no dig; compost made and used, currently a new system to make fast compost with microbes and minerals being trialed; mulching; nettle and comfrey teas; flowers amongst veg; windbreak using brash + young trees/shrubs; habitats for slug predators; allowing some veg to flower and self-propagate + collecting some seeds; new trial of electroculture, and growing green manure overwinter; adding sea minerals and microbiome innoculant to soil and compost; veg available from the garden almost all year; rotted down compost loo used around fruit trees; pee and ash used on compost heap; conservation grazing in fields; communication with nature.

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Poultry farming

Forestry

Wild foraging

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Seed saving or production

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Beer, cider, wine, or juice making

Bakery

Methods or systems

Biological pest control

Biodynamic agriculture

Holistic management

No-till farming

Permaculture

Regenerative agriculture

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

3.2 Hectares | 8 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Camper / RV

Campsite

Cabin / Mobile-home

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

1 day (local)

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Janie

Member since 2014

Languages spoken: English Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 2 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Pembrokeshire

Haverfordwest/Fishguard - then take T5 bus to Penfro garage, Eglwswrw, to be picked up.

Reviews

Misha

United Kingdom • November 2025

staying with janie was a truly lovely experience. such a wonderful and caring host and that can be felt in the land, the animals, the family and everything you interact with. a variety of tasks kept me busy and interested for the 6 weeks i was there and its a really great pace of life. the surrounding area is also stunning, a real treat. highly recommend!

Reply from Janie

Thanks for the lovely review Misha. I'm sorry I forgot to include all the fruit bushes you transplanted - blueberries, apples, currants, gooseberries and strawberries - what an omission! Maybe someone will look here and see that I've said that, as I'm unable to edit my review now both ours have been published.

Hannah

Germany • July 2025

I spent the first three weeks of June at Awen Sanctuary and had a wonderful time at this truly special place connected to nature. From the very first day I was warmly welcomed by Janie and the family and was very kindly integrated into family life. I am particularly grateful to Janie for giving me the opportunity to work with her, even though I am still relatively young at 16 (I was not previously accepted at some farms because of my age). I really enjoyed working in the beautiful garden. Janie explained the work steps to me very well and I learnt some new techniques. My tasks included feeding the chickens in the morning, preparing beds, weeding, mulching, planting, sowing, mowing and watering. The accommodation in the caravan was very cosy and I really enjoyed the variety of cooking for myself and eating with the family. I also enjoyed the opportunity to go to Newport on some afternoons and spend time on the wonderful coast. I would highly recommend Awen Sanctuary to any other wwoofer as Janie, Lucia and Tom are really special people, so friendly and always willing to help, and the boys are cheerful and fun too. I would love to visit them again!

Andrew

United Kingdom • May 2025

I enjoyed staying with Janie and her family very much. They’re all such lovely people and I felt very welcome in their beautiful family homestead. The caravan was very comfortable and well equipped and the surrounding land provided peace and sanctuary. I enjoyed the work and the balance of time with the family and time alone. Janie’s garden is abundant and is testament to her work there, in harmony with the natural world.

Isobel

United Kingdom • February 2025

What a magical time I had at Awen Sanctuary during the two weeks I spent there. I was made very welcome with generosity, friendliness and care from Janie and her family. Janie's relationship with her land and nature was incredibly inspiring, and I appreciated that this was part of the gardening experience; we had lots of interesting and engaging conversations. During my time at Awen I learnt about planting and moving fruit trees, managing a forest garden, how to be resourceful with what's already on the land, problem solving and persisting. [...] Staying in the caravan was also an important part of the whole experience - I really appreciated how cosy and homely it had been made, and the ritual of using the woodburner (it got surprisingly toasty inside.) Hearing the stream which runs behind it, bird song, and owls and foxes at night made me feel immersed in nature; I really valued having this space of calm solitude to return to. I ate very well, with plentiful tasty fresh veg grown by Janie. There are some fantastic walks and adventures to be had in non-gardening time, with Pentre Ifan just half an hour away on foot, moorland and rare woodland habitat, as well as the coast not too far away. This was a very genuine exchange in which I learnt a lot about approaches to land, resources and gardening, as well as very special feeling of peace and wonder in nature - I hope to return in future.

Joel

United Kingdom • November 2024

I had a great time wwoofing with Janie. The basics were all perfect, and it's worth mentioning why: - accommodation was excellent for me. Private, quiet, warm, clean, and safe. The caravan is small - but it was big enough for me (a very tall person) to rest very comfortably. - food was nutritious and joyful. An abundance of vegetables from the garden, plus eggs from the hens. I felt great on this diet. - Janie made sure the work was appropriate, interesting, useful, and varied. She explained tasks clearly; supplied the right tools; and worked more closely with me on some of the trickier jobs. I learned a lot! For these reasons and more, I had a wonderful time here! I slept better than I can ever remember. I felt purposeful and content. And although i had my own space, i was very happy to have Janie and her family for company. (They are all very friendly and welcoming). I could go on! I hope to go back for another visit early next year. Janie is an excellent host, with a deep and inspiring passion for the natural world. Many many thanks for this experience!

Gerard

Netherlands • October 2024

We spent three weeks at Arwen Sanctuary in August. We performed a variety of tasks, mostly weeding, but also mulching, mowing, harvesting, preparing compost, and helping another WWOOFer build a chicken run. We were also on a rotating cooking schedule, some days we cooked for everyone, some days the other WWOOFer did, and other days Janie cooked. Most of the ingredients we used were from the garden, and even though most of the ingredients were common/similar between the meals we always had diverse and delicious food. Although quite small, the caravan was cosy and functional, and it was good for the small amount of time we spent there. It had a small bed and a sofa, some storage cabinets, a wood burner, a 4-burner gas stove, and big windows. It does not have running water and electricity, but electrical devices can be charged at the house, and water can be picked up next to the compost toilet 1 minute away from the caravan. The caravan was placed under a wooden structure to keep it isolated and dry, and to have additional space to wash, sit and hang some clothes to dry. The fields in Janie's property are beautiful and very peaceful. We could freely walk around the property, and Janie even gave us a tour and recommended spots to visit. There are also nice hikes around the property, such as walking to the Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber, the Carnedd Meibion Owen, and hiking around the Tŷ Canol National Nature Reserve, which we did in one day.