From A Dell to The Dell – The Build

In April, prior to the camping season kicking off in earnest, Boycie the Bus and Ricicle our woodfire pizza oven horsebox had little idea of the plans that were afoot. For the previous few years, they had been stationed in a field adjacent to Cedar Valley’s main camping field, The Paddock, and had been the relief of the camping crowd, serving pizzas and acting as a hub for children to play conductor and fill the ‘honesty box’ with change in exchange for ice creams and soft drinks.

The plan. To voyage across from the shady spot and find a new home in a sheltered dell, a home from which we could operate a full restaurant, bar, and café and enjoy the sun’s glorious daily arc. The job though was a big one. This dell was nestled amongst a clump or roundel of beech trees on the top of the incline and was full of chalky mounds, rooted shrubs, weeds, large tree roots, and rock. We set about digging out the area whilst being exceptionally mindful of wildlife and the majestic beech trees. With the area cleared, it was time for rolling and rolling and rolling the ground.

Next, we filled the space with eight tons of the ‘black stuff’ (not Guinness sadly!), unused and broken tarmac. Then for more leveling and rolling. With the space now starting to look like a blank canvas, our kitchen container was hoisted in and the blueprints were drawn and the groundwork was made on the decking for the safari tent. The idea would be that our original safari tent would sit atop a brand new wooden beamed deck and face outward toward the rolling view. Stakes went in and the spirit levels were exhausted by a constant battle to maintain level. The wood was layered in a criss-cross and before long the floor was in and ready for the tent to be raised. Now that our tent was up, we built a brand-new pizza station at the back using Cedarwood, added a new wood burner, and found a home for an authentic pub bar to be eventually filled with refreshments, barrels, and taps.

Boycie was next. The problem though was that our vintage bus hadn’t started for a year and even if it had, a foray across the Bereleigh estate to be reversed into The Dell seemed a pipedream. After a fortnight of tinkering with batteries and engines and a jet wash, it was a copper coin and some three cans of Easy Start that got the Gardner engine turning. Boycie was alive and well and chugged its way across the estate, full of memories and nostalgia. Boycie was in. Ricicle followed with a tow and the site was ready to be wood-chipped.

The framework was in place and The Dell continued to be filled with all the mod cons, a new coffee machine for Boycie, planters with geraniums, flowers and herbs, fridges, freezers, picnic tables a crepe machine, and all sorts of wonderful produce.

It took just over a month and the work of two people and a number of interesting characters and machinery along the way but here we are, with a unique and brilliant new site. The Dell is here to stay and will continue to evolve as we meet and greet all of our wonderful guests.

From A Dell to The Dell

MORE ARTICLES