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Holtsfield- a chalet community
In 1997, Undercurrents produced a documentary about the struggle to save Holtsfield on Gower, South Wales.
Undercurrents filming in Holtsfield in 1997
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The Story of Holtsfield
In March 1997 residents from Holtsfield on the Gower peninsula, South Wales. They undertook an epic 250-mile march to the House of Lords in London. They hoped for a legal judgment which would mark the end of an eight-year battle to save their self-built chalet community.
The Story
The poignancy of their battle against property developers Elitestone has caught the imagination and emotions of people from all over Britain.The House of Lords judgment marked a giant step forward. Despite the ruling, in 2012, many of the families are still unprotected and the community is still under threat from would-be "developer" Tim Jones.
Holtsfield is on the Gower peninsula near Swansea, situated on the upper end of Caswell Valley, adjoining Bishop's Wood Nature Reserve, southwest of Manselfield Road in Murton. It is a secluded semi-woodland setting of some 14 acres, it contains a seemingly random settlement of 27 small, single story chalets built during the interwar years. The picturesque and colourful chalets are each highly individual, no two being alike, each reflecting the character of the occupiers. They are built of timber and lightweight materials.
On May 1, 1990, Swansea City Council designated Holtsfield a Conservation Area in an attempt to safeguard its quality and restrict any redevelopment.
Originally built for holiday purposes, the chalets became the refuge for people whose houses had been bombed during the Second World War blitz and, over the years since then, they have became occupied on a permanent basis. The adult residents of Holtsfield, some of whom have lived there for more than 40 years, comprise some old age pensioners as well as a wide variety of different professions, such as the warden of the nearby nature reserve, a footpath officer, an architect, a merchant navy sailor, a nurse, a teacher, a manager of a care home, some students, a geologist to name but a few. There is also an exceptionally large number of artists living on Holtsfield, consisting of painters, sculptors, musicians, designers, a woodturner, a potter, and a photographer.
Holtsfield is on the Gower peninsula near Swansea, situated on the upper end of Caswell Valley, adjoining Bishop's Wood Nature Reserve, southwest of Manselfield Road in Murton. It is a secluded semi-woodland setting of some 14 acres, it contains a seemingly random settlement of 27 small, single story chalets built during the interwar years. The picturesque and colourful chalets are each highly individual, no two being alike, each reflecting the character of the occupiers. They are built of timber and lightweight materials.
On May 1, 1990, Swansea City Council designated Holtsfield a Conservation Area in an attempt to safeguard its quality and restrict any redevelopment.
Originally built for holiday purposes, the chalets became the refuge for people whose houses had been bombed during the Second World War blitz and, over the years since then, they have became occupied on a permanent basis. The adult residents of Holtsfield, some of whom have lived there for more than 40 years, comprise some old age pensioners as well as a wide variety of different professions, such as the warden of the nearby nature reserve, a footpath officer, an architect, a merchant navy sailor, a nurse, a teacher, a manager of a care home, some students, a geologist to name but a few. There is also an exceptionally large number of artists living on Holtsfield, consisting of painters, sculptors, musicians, designers, a woodturner, a potter, and a photographer.
Eviction
Undercurrents filming 'lock-ons' in Holtsfield
When, on October 19th,1995, the county court bailiff arrived, he was met by more than 300 local supporters and residents. The bailiff served the notices and then withdrew. Following the determined response of the residents, the High Court sheriff was appointed to carry out the evictions without giving a fixed date to the residents, but assuring them that the evictions would not be carried out until after 9am when the children would be in school.
However at 7.30am on November 22, 1995, the sheriff, his men and a private 'security' firm appointed by Elitestone, arrived on Holtsfield and immediately proceeded with the eviction in an unduly aggressive manner and in the presence of all the children.
The first two of the chalets were brutally cleared and boarded up by the security firm, but the third chalet, surrounded by supporters and the local vicar and some residents barricaded within, became the scene of a desperate battle for the next few hours. Some hours later, on the advice of the South Wales Police who were present in a monitoring role videoeing the events, the sheriff withdrew his men when it became clear that the residents and their supporters just would not move. In their wake they left shattered homes, shattered emotions and extremely upset people, especially the children who even now are trying to come to terms with the scars from that day.
People or Profit?
One day later, it became public that the Dandelion Trust, a charity dedicated to 'Care, Creativity and Conservation' had put in a £500,000 bid in an attempt to safeguard the Field and the future of its families. But after 'seriously considering the offer' Elitestone withdrew from the negotiations some weeks later and this new hope for the residents also collapsed. Fired by their anger over the evictions, the residents now directed part of their campaign against Barclays Bank which in contravention of its own stated environmental policy has been funding the persistently lossmaking Elitestone from the outset.
The residents began picketing the bank's regional branches, handing out leaflets, withdrawing accounts and encouraging others to do so as well. They also had a sympathetic meeting with Gareth George, the Wales director of Barclays Bank, but to no satisfactory end, even though Barclays holds a legal charge over Holtsfield.
In January 1996 the residents were granted leave to appeal to the House of Lords with regard to the case of Dai Morris who has also been granted legal aid for this hearing. In the meantime Elitestone applied to evict more residents, but were frustrated by the County Court Recorder Judge Bidder, who decided not to hear any further cases until the outcome of the House of Lords hearing. In Summer 1996, in a final attempt to resolve the situation out of court, the group of residents made Elitestone a formal offer of £350,000 for the Field (based on the independent valuations). It should be remembered here, that Elitestone originally bought Holtsfield for around £175,000. Elitestone declined the offer.
In 2021 Holtsfield is still under the threat of evictions. The developer seen in the film above, Tim Jones has since died and while some chalets are safe, others are at the whim of the developers company.
Read more on the story here
However at 7.30am on November 22, 1995, the sheriff, his men and a private 'security' firm appointed by Elitestone, arrived on Holtsfield and immediately proceeded with the eviction in an unduly aggressive manner and in the presence of all the children.
The first two of the chalets were brutally cleared and boarded up by the security firm, but the third chalet, surrounded by supporters and the local vicar and some residents barricaded within, became the scene of a desperate battle for the next few hours. Some hours later, on the advice of the South Wales Police who were present in a monitoring role videoeing the events, the sheriff withdrew his men when it became clear that the residents and their supporters just would not move. In their wake they left shattered homes, shattered emotions and extremely upset people, especially the children who even now are trying to come to terms with the scars from that day.
People or Profit?
One day later, it became public that the Dandelion Trust, a charity dedicated to 'Care, Creativity and Conservation' had put in a £500,000 bid in an attempt to safeguard the Field and the future of its families. But after 'seriously considering the offer' Elitestone withdrew from the negotiations some weeks later and this new hope for the residents also collapsed. Fired by their anger over the evictions, the residents now directed part of their campaign against Barclays Bank which in contravention of its own stated environmental policy has been funding the persistently lossmaking Elitestone from the outset.
The residents began picketing the bank's regional branches, handing out leaflets, withdrawing accounts and encouraging others to do so as well. They also had a sympathetic meeting with Gareth George, the Wales director of Barclays Bank, but to no satisfactory end, even though Barclays holds a legal charge over Holtsfield.
In January 1996 the residents were granted leave to appeal to the House of Lords with regard to the case of Dai Morris who has also been granted legal aid for this hearing. In the meantime Elitestone applied to evict more residents, but were frustrated by the County Court Recorder Judge Bidder, who decided not to hear any further cases until the outcome of the House of Lords hearing. In Summer 1996, in a final attempt to resolve the situation out of court, the group of residents made Elitestone a formal offer of £350,000 for the Field (based on the independent valuations). It should be remembered here, that Elitestone originally bought Holtsfield for around £175,000. Elitestone declined the offer.
In 2021 Holtsfield is still under the threat of evictions. The developer seen in the film above, Tim Jones has since died and while some chalets are safe, others are at the whim of the developers company.
Read more on the story here
Resources and links to other hut communities
Last Acre by Jacob Cartwright and Nick Jordan
https://aeon.co/videos/a-world-of-shacks-and-shanties-is-a-place-of-makeshift-beauty-on-englands-margins?
The Humberstone Fitties
https://youtu.be/SrC2eTib3oM
Judith Tucker's paintings of the 'Night Fitties' have been winning prizes. There is also an artists book with poems by Harriet Tarlo - Neverends
https://www.judithtuckerartist.com/paintings
Bob Stanley of St Etienne has written an elegant pop song about the Plotlands.
https://youtu.be/TSgW-L7d-0M
Carol Fenton has written a pulp fiction book 'Plotlands' which is well researched.
https://youtu.be/CoELiTy2qCA
Shannon Weeks 3 part doc on Jaywick, which seems to maintain a working class community spirit.
https://youtu.be/LeXlKGJhCAI
Rare found 8mm home movies from the 1960s Jaywick
https://youtu.be/IVOjid5NJVE
Hutters
https://hutters.uk
An amazing pool of 471 photos, which I hope will survive.
https://www.flickr.com/groups/plotlandsuk/pool/page3/
An article by Geoff Beacon re #plotlandsagain
http://archive.progressonline.org.uk/2017/02/24/the-return-of-plotlands-and-prefabs/
Bewdley plotlands, as featured in Jonathan Meades' classic "Severn Heaven", I have heard it is currently under threat from an unsympathetic land owner.
https://youtu.be/19yBeaTG2G4
Carbeth Hutters near the Campsie Fells in Scotland.
https://youtu.be/uBnxRlMDiiU
Old TV Documentary on Jaywick. Includes footage of the deadly 1953 flood. Shot by John Twining and Roger Bunting. Dir. David C Kenton 1970s?
https://youtu.be/sQ1LHzEHaNY
Books on Chalets
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/stefanszczelkun
Severn Heaven
http://meadesshrine.blogspot.com/p/shrine.html
https://aeon.co/videos/a-world-of-shacks-and-shanties-is-a-place-of-makeshift-beauty-on-englands-margins?
The Humberstone Fitties
https://youtu.be/SrC2eTib3oM
Judith Tucker's paintings of the 'Night Fitties' have been winning prizes. There is also an artists book with poems by Harriet Tarlo - Neverends
https://www.judithtuckerartist.com/paintings
Bob Stanley of St Etienne has written an elegant pop song about the Plotlands.
https://youtu.be/TSgW-L7d-0M
Carol Fenton has written a pulp fiction book 'Plotlands' which is well researched.
https://youtu.be/CoELiTy2qCA
Shannon Weeks 3 part doc on Jaywick, which seems to maintain a working class community spirit.
https://youtu.be/LeXlKGJhCAI
Rare found 8mm home movies from the 1960s Jaywick
https://youtu.be/IVOjid5NJVE
Hutters
https://hutters.uk
An amazing pool of 471 photos, which I hope will survive.
https://www.flickr.com/groups/plotlandsuk/pool/page3/
An article by Geoff Beacon re #plotlandsagain
http://archive.progressonline.org.uk/2017/02/24/the-return-of-plotlands-and-prefabs/
Bewdley plotlands, as featured in Jonathan Meades' classic "Severn Heaven", I have heard it is currently under threat from an unsympathetic land owner.
https://youtu.be/19yBeaTG2G4
Carbeth Hutters near the Campsie Fells in Scotland.
https://youtu.be/uBnxRlMDiiU
Old TV Documentary on Jaywick. Includes footage of the deadly 1953 flood. Shot by John Twining and Roger Bunting. Dir. David C Kenton 1970s?
https://youtu.be/sQ1LHzEHaNY
Books on Chalets
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/stefanszczelkun
Severn Heaven
http://meadesshrine.blogspot.com/p/shrine.html