About Us and Ty'r Philip Evan Farm
Tanya - Toolboxtan
Channel 4 - Britains Best Woodworker
Channel 4 - Britains Best Woodworker
Living my dream is the simplest way to describe life on the farm. After nearly twenty-five years as Head of Product Design, specialising in woodwork, I followed a long-held calling toward a more hands-on, land-led life.
I first fell in love with the Usk valley while filming Britain’s Best Woodworker in 2022 at the Glanusk Estate. Just a f
Living my dream is the simplest way to describe life on the farm. After nearly twenty-five years as Head of Product Design, specialising in woodwork, I followed a long-held calling toward a more hands-on, land-led life.
I first fell in love with the Usk valley while filming Britain’s Best Woodworker in 2022 at the Glanusk Estate. Just a few months later, a farm came up for sale only two miles away, above the town of Crickhowell on the Llangattock Escarpment — it felt like fate. From the farmyard you can see straight across the valley to where the programme was filmed.
Since arriving, I’ve built everything here by hand. The workshop barn and the cabin have been created using traditional craft skills and sustainable methods wherever possible, always with deep respect for the land. The workshop barn is a place for adults to come and learn, to slow down and make with their hands. The hand-built cabin is a place to stay — designed for switching off and becoming fully immersed in the landscape.
Channel 4 - Britains Best Woodworker
Channel 4 - Britains Best Woodworker
Channel 4 - Britains Best Woodworker
Our Story
Our Story
Our Story
We’ve been on the farm since 2023, but the road that led us here was a long one. It took years to find this place, and many miles driving the back roads of Wales. Then came the day we turned up the lane, the kind of drive that makes you slow down without meaning to. As soon as we stepped out of the camper van, we knew. Truly knew.
That old
We’ve been on the farm since 2023, but the road that led us here was a long one. It took years to find this place, and many miles driving the back roads of Wales. Then came the day we turned up the lane, the kind of drive that makes you slow down without meaning to. As soon as we stepped out of the camper van, we knew. Truly knew.
That old saying—when you know, you know—rang true in a way we’d never felt before. The farm felt ready for us, and we were ready for it. Since then, we’ve given this place our time, our hands, and our hearts, working with the land to build something lasting. A farm with stories in its bones, and a future worthy of the life it’s always held.
Lucy
Our Story
Our Story
An engineer living in London and working largely in urban energy system decarbonisation, the last thing my friends and family thought I’d do is sell up and move to the country, but a growing awareness of our impact on nature left me with an overwhelming desire to up-sticks, buy a bit of land and try to make what difference I could. I’d ne
An engineer living in London and working largely in urban energy system decarbonisation, the last thing my friends and family thought I’d do is sell up and move to the country, but a growing awareness of our impact on nature left me with an overwhelming desire to up-sticks, buy a bit of land and try to make what difference I could. I’d never imagined we could strike so lucky: a slice of the beautiful but still-rough-round-the-edges Bannau Brycheiniog National Park with seven fields of unimproved grazing and even an acre of ancient woodland. Since we became the latest guardians of the land I’ve been learning as much as I can about how to enhance the agricultural and biodiversity value of the holding (which has been the best and biggest surprise of our move to be honest) as I believe the two can and must work together for our flora, fauna and food production to be sustainable and flourish. When not roaming our fields you can also find me up to my elbows in lime mortar, repointing our longhouse, or wielding a scythe, which will both keep me busy for a few years to come!
Book an experience at Ty'r Philip Evan Farm
Book a workshop.
An open Dutch barn once used for tractors and hay, now hand-crafted and restored by Toolboxtan to host bespoke workshops.
Book Cabán Tarren.
Cabán Tarren has been hand built by Toolboxtan with sustainability and the environment at its heart.
Some sneeky peeks of inside the Cabán.
walking distance from the farm
Crickhowell
The Llangattock Escarpment
The Llangattock Escarpment
English
Set in the heart of the Usk Valley and at the gateway to the Black Mountains, Crickhowell is an ideal base for exploring Bannau Brycheiniog. With independent shops, local food, walking routes, and a vibrant community, the town and its surrounding villages offer something for every visitor.
Cymraeg
Wedi’i lleoli yng nghanol Dyffryn
English
Set in the heart of the Usk Valley and at the gateway to the Black Mountains, Crickhowell is an ideal base for exploring Bannau Brycheiniog. With independent shops, local food, walking routes, and a vibrant community, the town and its surrounding villages offer something for every visitor.
Cymraeg
Wedi’i lleoli yng nghanol Dyffryn Wysg ac wrth borth y Mynyddoedd Du, mae Crughywel yn fan delfrydol i archwilio Bannau Brycheiniog. Gyda siopau annibynnol, bwyd lleol, llwybrau cerdded a chymuned fywiog, mae’r dref a’i chyffiniau’n cynnig rhywbeth i bob ymwelydd.
The Llangattock Escarpment
The Llangattock Escarpment
The Llangattock Escarpment
The Llangattock Escarpment is a dramatic limestone cliff face within Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons), rising above the Usk Valley in south-east Wales. Shaped by centuries of quarrying, the escarpment is known for its striking rock faces, far-reaching views, and extensive underground cave systems, including Ogof y Daren Cilau and E
The Llangattock Escarpment is a dramatic limestone cliff face within Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons), rising above the Usk Valley in south-east Wales. Shaped by centuries of quarrying, the escarpment is known for its striking rock faces, far-reaching views, and extensive underground cave systems, including Ogof y Daren Cilau and Eglwys Faen.
Now designated a National Nature Reserve, the area offers rugged walking both along the plateau of Mynydd Llangattock and beneath the cliffs themselves. Paths reveal the remains of historic quarries, rare limestone flora, and a wild, challenging landscape that attracts walkers, cavers, and nature enthusiasts alike.
Key Features
Limestone Cliffs
Towering quarry-cut faces that support rare plants, including nationally important whitebeam species.
Quarry Heritage
Visible remains of 18th- and 19th-century limestone quarrying, with excavated cliffs, spoil mounds, and scattered boulders creating a stark, otherworldly terrain.
Cave Systems
Beneath the plateau lie some of Britain’s longest and most complex cave networks, with entrances such as Eglwys Faen(Stone Church) and Agen Allwedd.
Views
Extensive panoramic views across the Usk Valley to the Black Mountains.
Mynydd Llangattock
The rough, boggy gritstone plateau above the escarpment, offering remote walking and a true sense of exposure.
The journey of how the spaces have been on at Ty'r Philip Ev
Workshops at Ty'r Philip Evan Farm
About Toolboxtan
I run small woodworking workshops focused on essential skills, drawing on 25 years’ experience as a Head of Product Design teacher specialising in woodwork, and as a contestant on the television show Britain’s Best Woodworker. This experience inspired my move to the town of Crickhowell in South Wales. With a maximum of four students, you’ll have your own bench, full access to tools, and my personal guidance throughout. Each workshop concludes with a finished creation you can take home.
Plan for 2026
I’m constantly designing and making new projects. All the furniture in the cabin has been designed and crafted by me. Wherever possible, I use wood from the farm or source sustainably. I also run bespoke workshops, where you can create something you’ve always dreamed of, or even a piece you’ve fallen in love with from the cabin.
Workshops run at weekends and can also be arranged midweek — I’m keeping things flexible - so please get in touch to discuss your plans. For all workshops you have the option to enhance your experience with a farm stay. You can pitch your own tent, park your campervan in the yard, or book the cabin, all while enjoying this stunning location.
Message me to discuss your complete package and craft a truly unique experience.
To enhance your experience
In the workshop I have tool walls of restored vintage tools that I have worked on. You can buy them from me, so if during the workshop you fall in love with that lovely little axe or hammer you can buy them to take home. It's definitely worth a look, especially if you are starting out and need some good tools for your own toolbox.
Contact Us
Do you have a question about booking the Cabán Tarren, attending a workshop or the land & woods. Send me a message, or give me a call to start arranging your time here on the farm.
