Staff and students from Longlands travelled from the farm on the Hereford/Worcester border down to Roundwood Design, a specialist round-wood timber workshop in Bristol to see for themselves the frame taking shape for their new, much needed eco -headquarters.

The round house will form the new base for Longlands – a charity near Bromyard which provides alternative education and mental health support for teenagers. 

Founder and CEO Julia Evans tried her hand with a handheld planer, and was stunned by the size of the timbers and the beauty of the finished product.

Julia said: "We have outgrown our present kitchen, eating and meeting base, a former tractor work shop.

"We have been planning, talking about and fundraising for this new build for some time now.

“It’s exciting to see Tom transform these timbers from raw tree-trunks to this beautiful golden polished round wood frame. 

"We are all looking forward to getting involved with its construction back at Longlands."

The first stage of the timber frame should be on site within a fortnight, and the topping out is set for the end of October. 

They then need to build the walls with straw bales and cob, and cover the roof with Sedum, to complete a stunning Eco-Roundhouse.