Dome Garden Faqs

Here’s some stuff we get asked a lot!!! Nearly all of it is contained in the links on your booking confirmation and the pre-arrival email so please check them first.

In no particular order…

Is my booking going ahead? I haven’t heard anything?
Yes. Unequivocally yes! We are still in business, we are very busy, there are lots of people having a lovely time. Whatever you booked is what we are going by. If there was a problem you would know because we’d have been in touch.

(And there isn’t, so we haven’t!)

What do you provide?
We provide a link on your confirmation about what’s here and what to bring, as well as a bunch of videos explaining how everything works. Follow the links and watch the videos. If there are still questions then fire away!

what is there to do?
Loads. Check this out

Are there places to eat or drink other than the Dome Garden?
Loads. Check this out

Is there linen?
Yep. All our beds have lovely white linen and they are all made up before your arrival.

Are there towels?
No towels.

Do we need a torch?
Yep. We try to keep our light pollution to a minimum so when it’s dark it is nice and dark. So do bring torches (but not the super-bright ones which blind you and everyone else and actually make things worse!!) You just need a little bit to help you find your way.

What food are you doing?
Normally we do lots of options – breakfasts, half boards etc etc. However we lost our fill-in chef over the last year and food deliveries are still pretty random. So, at the moment, we’re doing the best we can.

That means food is served when we can do it and if we, the owners, are here. Not very helpful we know but, until things settle down, it’s tricky. For busy periods we are doing our ‘build-your-own-pizza-workshop-nights” on Saturdays and Tuesdays (although there is a huge shortage of Italian flour now because of Brexit). We won’t do it if there are only two of you so check what the plan is when you arrive and we can sort everything out.

What’s so amazing about Pizza Night and do we have to book?
Almost everyone who comes here does “pizza night”, our build-your-own-Neapolitan-pizza-workshop. So you don’t have to book, as we assume you’ll probably join in?

It’s amazing because most people have no idea what a Neapolitan pizza is really like and the result is most people say they are the best pizzas they’ve ever eaten and they had no idea it was all so complicated.

And if Jonny is here you get to hear the same three jokes he’s been telling for years!.

Why does nobody answer my calls?
We rarely answer the phone because everyone’s details are always complicated and we won’t always have them to hand or we’re all out in The Garden hanging from trees or changing beds. Consequently things can easily not get written down and that way lies nightmares for all!

This year has been mad! Not only an unprecedented levels of enquiries but also nearly everyone double checking – sometimes several times – to see if everything is ok.
The answer is “Everything is ok. If it wasn’t, we’d have been in touch.”

Can we have an extra bed?
In most of our domes and rooms there is space for an extra bed or two (but sometimes only just). Sometimes we charge for them, sometimes we don’t, but that will all be on your booking confirmation. That’s why we collect all your information for the booking so we know what you need. Sometimes we run out of baby cots – but we’ll tell you if we need you to bring you own. And many babies (and parents) prefer their own baby sheets etc so often we leave that up to you.

Are there tables and chairs in the domes?
Yes. Enough for the maximum capacity of each dome.

Are there fridges?
No. But there is a clever evaporative food store. Flick through these stories to find the one about “What did the Romans ever do for us?” for details.

If you need properly cold stuff, pack a good quality picnic box and bring a bag of ice. Or buy lovely cold drinks from the bar!

Is there a bar?
Yes. We do have a small bar and the central area is a licensed premise. So we sell a whole range of drinks on the deck. All other drinks must be kept to your own domes.

Is there phone service and charging points?
No.
No service.
No wifi.
No charging points.
No electricity.
In fact it’s a bit of a No Phone Zone all round.

A relief for many!! Lots of people come here to literally unplug and escape from the world. So, if you really have to use your ipad or your phone, please do it discreetly away from everyone else. Nothing shatters the illusion of the natural forest more than a shouting facetime call in the middle of the compound!!

Remember. It is ok to be unavailable for a bit. And, rest assured, your phone will spring back into action as soon as you get near to town.

Should we bring a camping stove?
Definitely not. The rocket stoves outside each dome are not only a joy to use (once you get the hang of them) but are an exercise in many things relating to sustainable living, energy balance and efficiency, the health of developing countries and the links between heat and wood. It’s also a reason to make the kids go for a walk in the woods and actually see the amazing place you have booked yourselves into.

If you bring a gas stove, not only is it another hazard on site that we have to be aware of, it also means you don’t embrace the simpler, less constructed existence that we have been at such pains to create for you. The watchword here is “Not like it is at home…” Rocket stoves and storm kettles are part of that.

Do we really have to heat our own water?
Yep. But it’s easier than you think and more efficient than you can imagine.

What happened to the chickens?
Eaten by foxes just before lockdown no 1. Not replaced for now because of the obvious risk of spreading and cross contamination. Might be back next season.

Can you drink the water?
Wonderful mains water, straight from the welsh mountains.

Zip wire?
Yep. It’s back.

Swings?
Never went away!

Why has the money for the balance not been taken from my account?
This year we put a delay on the final collection of the balance for people’s stays in case more weird stuff came down the line from government. In 2022 it will go back to normal. Don’t worry though the money will be collected before you get here.

Why has money been taken from my account?
Kind of the opposite to the above. Because that’s what you set up when you paid the deposit. The balance is taken via of series of automated systems through stripe. The only thing we can control is the timing and even then not precisely.

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