New Teaching Space for HHWC

Let’s build something wild together – Rooting a Wild Dream at Altidore Castle

A new home for Hips & Haws Wildcrafts — and an invitation to help shape it

Dear friends,

Something beautiful is beginning to take root.

After years of teaching from borrowed spaces, forest edges, kitchen tables, and popup shelters, Hips & Haws Wildcrafts finally has a home—a wild and wonderful new teaching space nestled within the old stone walls and ancient trees of Altidore Castle, in Kilpedder, County Wicklow.

This land is rich with biodiversity, flowing water, and stories. It holds towering oaks, mossy paths, birdsong, and the quiet steadiness of something old and enduring. And now, together, we have the chance to breathe new life into (a small and beautiful corner) of it.

But here’s the thing: I need your help.

To bring this vision to life, I’m inviting you to join me in a series of Meitheal-style community workdays—where we come together, offer our hands and hearts, and co-create something meaningful. The old Irish tradition of Meitheal was never just about getting work done—it was about kinship, connection, and honouring the power of people working in rhythm with the land and seasons.

The dream?

To shape this space into a living outdoor classroom where we can gather under the trees to learn, craft, forage, feast, and remember the old ways of being in relationship with nature.

Some of what we’ll be creating includes:

  • A central fire circle and gathering space
  • A simple but beautiful outdoor kitchen
  • Compost loo
  • Raised garden beds and mushroom logs
  • A weatherproof shelter or teaching tent
  • Long shared tables and seating
  • A space for ceremony, for tea, for story, for song
  • And maybe even a hot tub made from a reclaimed cast iron bath (yes, really!)

The very first steps are now underway—and these Meitheal days are how I hope to make it happen.

Meitheal in the Wild – Community Workdays

Location: Altidore Castle, Kilpedder, Co. Wicklow

Time: 10am–5pm each day

Dates:

6, 7, 8 June

27, 28, 29 June

3, 4, 5 July

Come for one day or a few. Come with tools, or just your good heart and a willingness to lend a hand.

In exchange, I’ll cook a nourishing wild lunch, make tea, and guide a short foraging walk on the land.

We’ll build. We’ll share. We’ll plant roots.

Want to join us?

Please fill out this quick RSVP form so I can plan tasks, food, and materials:

RSVP FORM

Or feel free to reply directly to this post if you’d prefer.

Thank you for helping this dream become real. I truly can’t wait to welcome you to the land—to work together, laugh together, eat together, and begin something special together.

With wild gratitude,

Courtney

Hips & Haws Wildcrafts


Materials Wishlist for Community Support

Items to help bring the new Hips & Haws Wildcrafts teaching space to life

(Please let me know if you’d be willing to donate, lend, or temporarily share any of the following)


Tools

  • Shovels / Spades – good condition
  • Wheelbarrow – in working order
  • Cordless drill + screws – functional and charged

Shelter Materials

  • Stretch tent / marquee / bell tent – usable, weatherproof, clean
  • Wooden planks or pallets – good structural integrity for platforms, benches, or table
  • Canvas tarp or waterproof awning – large, durable, suitable for bus or shelter cover

Kitchen Setup

  • Outdoor-safe table or prep surface – stable and weatherproof
  • Rocket stove or gas hob – working and safe to use outdoors
  • Large cooking pots, grill, or kettle – suitable for open fire or camp cooking
  • Water containers or jugs – food-safe, clean, sealable

Fire Circle

  • Fire bowl or fire bricks / stones – fire-safe and suitable for creating a gathering hearth
  • Logs or stumps for seating – cut to height and easy to move

Toilet Setup

  • Compost bin or IBC tank – food-safe, clean
  • Toilet seat or basic loo structure – safe and usable
  • Wood shavings / sawdust – for compost toilet use
  • Simple canvas or wood screen/shelter – for privacy

Planting & Growing

  • Plant starts or rooted cuttings – wild herbs, perennial edibles, pollinator plants
  • Mushroom spawn or inoculated logs – for shade-loving mushroom beds
  • Water butt / rain barrel – for harvesting water onsite

Optional / Dream Contributions

  • Cast iron bath – for wood-fired hot tub project
  • Wood burner + chimney pipe – for outdoor bath heating
  • Small shed or lock-up – for secure storage on-site
  • Long wooden table + benches – for teaching, eating, gathering
  • Signage materials – wood, paint, fixings for creating handmade signs

If you have anything that might help—spare tools, scrap materials, or extra hands—please get in touch! I’m happy to collect, borrow, or coordinate drop-offs during our Meitheal days. Thank you for supporting this wild dream!

— Courtney

hipsandhawswildcrafts@gmail.com