Simon and Jasmine Dale spent six years building their home, which is now the subject of a crowdfunding appeal

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

An eco-home labelled the “cheapest house ever built in the western hemisphere” on the Channel 4 programme Grand Designs, has been destroyed by a fire.

The three-bedroomed house, which is based in the sustainable community of Lammas in rural Pembrokeshire, was featured on the TV programme in 2016 after its owners, Simon and Jasmine Dale, spent just £27,000 building it.

Friends of the couple, who have two children, have launched a Justgiving fundraising page and are asking people to donate so the house can be rebuilt. Almost £6,000 has been raised so far.

Jane Wells, who set up the fund, said the fire started on New Year’s Day and the house, which the family had built themselves, was destroyed. Wells said: “Simon, Jasmine and their two children have been residents at Lammas eco village, Pembrokeshire since the start of the project. They have been working on their family home for the past six years.

The remains of the Dale family home; no one was injured in the blaze. Photograph: Just Giving

“This beautiful building was featured on Grand Designs. Sadly, a fire started on New Year’s Day and their beloved home was burned to the ground.”

She added: “Luckily, no one was hurt but, as you can imagine, the family are devastated.”

Firefighters spent six hours at the scene trying to extinguish the blaze but the house, which was made with reclaimed materials including glass and timber and insulated with sheep’s wool, could not be saved.



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Dai Swan, group manager for Mid and West Wales fire and rescue service, told the Western Telegraph: “It’s utterly heartbreaking for the crews seeing how much workmanship has gone into these [house] frames.



“Each piece of this building is bespoke, it’s done to a beautifully high standard and to see it damaged by fire is just heartbreaking.”

Posting on its Facebook page, Lammas community hub said it was a suspected electrical fire.

The post continued: “Their huge greenhouse escaped, as did Simon’s workshop, and their little roundhouse is still fine too. Huge amount of work that went into the creation of the building, and the kids rooms, all destroyed. Thankfully no one was hurt, which is a miracle.”

The Dales began building their dream home with just £500 in the bank and moved into it in October 2013.

On the popular housebuilding programme, presenter Kevin McCloud told viewers: “This won’t be a cramped hobbit house, but a spacious, solid, three-bed, low-impact family home.”