2. Produce a preliminary map of the site – show all permanent features. Use grid or graph paper. Send in a copy of the map and retain the original for later use. Discuss the plan in a manner similar to that in Appendix Three. Be aware of your responses to this method of design.
We have selected a site on Whitehawk Hill in Brighton, East Sussex. The site is currently part of a collection of council allotments for residences to grow their own fruit and veg. We physically lease a small portion of the 1000 m² (around 200 m²) and the rest of the site is taken from the surrounding area. It is situated on the eastern slope of Whitehawk Hill, the top of which reaches 250 metres (see Map 3 below) and slopes reasonably steeply down to one of the numerous valley’s (Deans) that the Brighton and Hove area are famous for.
The entire site is a simple rectangle(ish) shape. It is bordered to the south by residential housing, the north, east and west by productive allotment plots. Due to its location it has excellent access from the south east corner that travels west 2/3 of the way up the 1/4 acre site then turns 90 degrees to the north. The under-lying geology for this entire area is predominantly chalk (see Map 2 below), where drainage is pretty free. The summers in the Sussex area are warm averaging 19 degrees Celsius and the winters are very mild averaging 7 degrees Celsius. The average annual rainfall is 715mm with November through January being the wettest months with 91mm, 71mm and 71mm respectively. The moderating effect of the South Downs to the north of this area coupled with its close proximity to the sea keeps the entire area free of weather extremes, for the most part.
Planting guide - evergreens to the north for wind, privacy and frost protection and deciduous to the south for summer shade and winter warmth.
Much of the 1000 m² site has benefitted from cultivation and continues to be somewhat utilised in the production of a range of fruits and vegetables. More details pertaining to this can be found in the inventory later in Design Methodologies. Although it is on the east slope of Whitehawk Hill, it still benefits from good exposure to sun from sunrise to mid-afternoon at all times of the year, a more detailed look at this follows on the sector map.
An easterly slope is actually quite good – the ground warms up early in the spring and the slope is good for drainage. Westerly slopes can get VERY hot in the afternoon in the summer and northerly slopes are often damp, wet and unpleasant places to spend a lot of time in.
Map 2
Map 2 illustrates quite clearly the above mentioned composition of the whole of the Brighton area being dominated by chalk.
Map 3 illustrates the topography of the site and surrounding areas.
3. Produce a preliminary sector and zone plan of the site – show major information. Send in a copy and retain the original. Discuss the plan in a manner similar to that in Appendix Three. Be aware of your responses to this method of design.
Sector Map
In order to draft a highly accurate sector map, we would need to observe the sunrise and sunset angles not just times throughout the year. We can certainly update this though as we progress through the course. With that in mind, we have included 6 readings of sunrise and sunset times and the angle of sun in the sky; we will add the relative “compass” position of both sunrise and sunset later.
(www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunrise.html)
We usually tend to look at spring/autumn solstices but the real question is often “where is the sun rising/setting on the last day of killing frost in the spring and the first day of killing frost in the autumn (assuming that you have frost). These will be the dates that matter most for the property.
Zone Map
Zone 0
The residence in this instance is fictional as there will be no house built on this site. We will for the remainder of the course though assume there is a small two bedroom, one-storey property as indicated in the above zone map. For the exercise we have decided the best location was at the end of the top portion to provide good views and easy access. There will be a living (centre of activity) area, two sleeping areas, a parking area and food processing area.
Zone 1
This area is closest to the house to make easy access to the vegetables and herbs that we will use on a daily basis. Closest to the main dwelling on the shady side will be a storage area for bikes, gardening equipment, wood etc. There will be water collection points from the house and storage shed. We have also deemed swales necessary to help prevent too much surface run off of water. This will also be a recreation area along with herbaceous border and our own special thing, a bee garden.
Zone 2
This area is furthest from the home but is driven past to get to house so can keep an eye on it. This area will be orchard containing a variety of fruit trees, fruit bushes, nuts and some wild flowers. There will be some vegetables planted here like melons, corn and things that once planted won’t need much attention and usually have only a short harvest time. The fruit trees will be toward the furthest point as not to block sun from the main house. The wild flowers will draw in bees and other insects to the native plants to help then pollinate the garden. We also intend on introducing at this point our first animals, chickens.
Zones 3, 4 & 5
These areas all fall slightly outside our modest 1000m². But the majority of the land surrounding ours is mainly of Zone 1 and Zone 2 style. We have seen wild snakes, lizards, hedgehogs, frogs and toads and will offer any assistance to grow or at least maintain their habitats.
4. Begin inventorying your site. Use one sheet for plants, one for animals, one for structures etc. Bullet or point for is fine. Send in a copy and retain the original. Be aware of your responses to this method of design.
Structure Inventory
Existing
Main house with two bedrooms, open plan kitchen/diner, bathroom, utility/food processing area
Small outside shed for storage for tools, bike, and wood
Small poly tunnel for seedlings
Water to be heated by a solar water heater (http://www.reallygreenheating.co.uk/solar.html)
Heating by ground source heat pumps (http://www.reallygreenheating.co.uk/ground_source.html)
Wood burning stove (http://www.albioncanvas.co.uk/c44822/Wood-Burning-stoves.html)
Grey water collection system (http://www.greywater.com/treatment.htm)
Water collection from roof to be diverted to water containers, collection pond and swales
Fences are mainly natural hedgerows so will be mainly untouched
Composters are placed near to building
Wish list
Chicken pens
Worm bed
Beehives
Plant Inventory
Keep these lists handy and keep adding to them as you find new things of interest. Even if you haven’t got the resources to acquire them it’s a good idea to plan for them and leave space for things (animals, plants, facilities that you will want later).
Existing
Trees: Sycamore, Leylandii, Elder, Chestnut
Climbers:
Shrubs: Blackberry, Rose hip
Perennials:
Vegetables, Onion, Kale, Brussel Sprout, Garlic, Tomato,
Herbs: Rosemary, Lavender
Wish list
Trees: Apple, Hazelnut, Plum, Pear, Walnut, Quince
Climbers:
Shrubs: Mulberry, Goji Berry, Raspberry, Blackcurrant, Gooseberry, Tayberry, Loganberry, Hawthorn, Blueberry
Perennials: Strawberry, Grape
Vegetables:
Herbs:
Animal Inventory
Existing
None
Wish list
Chicken
Ducks
Geese
Animals are always a big issue – particularly if you have no prior experience with them – fowl are a real handful! Usually we add them to the mix last unless you are going to need them to condition the soil (such as using pigs to turn the soil over).
5. List your general observations and feelings about the site. Again, send in a copy and retain the original. Be aware of your responses to this method of design.
Initially it should be pointed out that we are imagining an accommodation structure on site as one does not exist. The biggest problem with living in an urban setting here in the UK is space. Over 60 million inhabitants on an island smaller then New Zealand (which incidentally only has about 4.5 million inhabitants) means that few are in possession of any sizeable piece of land. The only hope for most is to be allocated a local authority owned gardening allotment, the standard size of which is 250m². Compounding this is the fact that the Sussex coastline is a hugely popular place to live or visit. All available land is already owned, ear-marked or protected.
Most of the eastern end of Brighton, which encompasses our site, is made up of Deans (valleys) with predominantly chalk geology. Our site is located on the eastern side of one such dean which does in general offer a considerable amount of protection from the prevailing weather conditions, which in this part of the world are typically South-Westerly. The slope offers challenges, especially as far as water retention goes, but other than the slight inconvenience of this, it makes for a healthy workout getting to and from the site.
The entire area from the southern end of our site to the far northern end of the allotment complex benefits from years of diligent care and attention from allotment holders. Although a lot of the allotments have been utilised in a simple monoculture type approach, there has been attempts to add to the biomass of the site. There is certainly a need to continue with this pattern, as the under-lying chalk does not offer productive or fertile growing soil. An area of possibly one third of our site, to the eastern side, could benefit from the addition of biomass/soil as previously this has been scraped clean of soil in order to build up raised borders on it; which, quite frankly, was not the best idea by the previous allotment-holder.
The hedgerows to the western end of the site and along most of the northern border are not only edible landscapes, with blackberry and HUGE rosemary bushes, but offer habitat for a number of beneficial creatures (birds, hedgehogs, lizards, toads) that will add to the bio-diversity of our site. We have a number of mature trees which are not fruiting plants but will offer additional habitat for birds. There is reasonable access along a track on the eastern end of the site and another access track that follows the southern boundary and cuts across the site. This access is plenty big enough for a car to navigate.
With some attention this site I believe could be made extremely productive. Careful attention is needed in order to manage the water run-off in such a sloped location. But I think that with good composting technique and sourcing of other biomass sources, such as the local stables for horse manure can quickly improve the entire site into a viable and productive Permaculture venue.
