Experience the Astonishing House of Metta

Is this the most extraordinary contemporary vernacular building in Britain ?

Discover the most unusual, unorthodox and extraordinary exterior design exhibited by an original, exotic, contemporary, vernacular, private domestic building in the British Isles. Nothing like it exists anywhere else in the United Kingdom. No other contemporary, vernacular house or domestic building in Britain exhibits such unusual, beautiful or exotic exterior aesthetics and such artistic originality. This house is totally and unequivocally unique. 

It is, indeed, a ‘Genuine First’ in British Contemporary Vernacular Architectural Art.

Described as a “strange exotic jewel” by one recent visitor, it provokes an immediate astonished response in all who see it for the first time. The house may only be modest in size but its visual sensory impact, artistic significance and potential cultural implications are positively enormous. A hand-crafted arcane ‘Villa’; archaic, organic and primitivist in nature, 

yet combining features, quiet incongruously, from the 20th century. 

Is it, in fact, an artistic masterpiece of original thinking, transformative vision and 

creative imagination ?

But who created it… and why ? What is this house trying to tell us ? What is its true meaning ? What are its hidden arcane messages concealed from us in the art ? Maybe the answers lie upon the huge primeval boulders which rise up from within its extraordinary, lush exotic garden ? What archaic symbols are encrypted within its precincts ? 

What secret wisdom can be found here ? What message for mankind ? 

Will simply seeing it open a door for your mind ?

The house is also the first example of Metta Architectural Art in the world. A unique and unprecedented merging of Art, Architecture and Nature; of the abstract, the symbolist and the surreal, in which the organic and the inorganic, the physical and the metaphysical, the past and the future, the microcosm and macrocosm, the real and the surreal ... become one.

Perhaps unlike any other building in Britain, this edifice seems to actually create and radiate its own primal, metaphysical pulse of benign and therapeutic energy, ... its own 'life-force' or etheric field, which is continuously generated by the building, seems to emanate from its walls and manifests an overwhelming presence of the numinous as it passes through the never-ending continuity of the re-occurring cycles of the eternal passage of time.

Like a living and evolving organism the house still is, and always will be, in a state of continuous Trans-Metta-Morphosis, for this is far more than a mere building – it is indeed… 

A Philosophy in Stone, ... and a manifesting Work of Art.

Formed originally around the shell of a simple, pre-existing, common, single storey dwelling, this building, is in fact, even more unique and all the more remarkable in that it was actually designed and created in its present form entirely by one single man, with his own hands, using largely self-invented techniques, ground-breaking design ideas, unique methods, revolutionary art concepts, traditional tools and hand-mixed paints, and whenever possible, 

recycled materials, 

and the entire project was completely self-funded.

But remember, this house may ask more questions than it answers, for it is a house of enigmas, a house of paradoxes, a house of mystery. A surreal and mystical edifice that would have intrigued and delighted Dali or Van Gogh.  

It is a house that may not be quite what it appears to be.  A place … “out of place”, 

and “outside of time”.  A Sanctuary for a Visionary.

The interior of the House of Metta is also completely original and unique 

in both its design and function. 

It has no bedrooms. Instead, it has Rejuvenation Chambers, which play a significant role in keeping the occupants permanently youthful and healthy. It has no kitchen, ... having instead 

a Nutritional Laboratory. It has no living rooms. Relaxation and Meditation Areas exist instead. In place of a bathroom there is a Purification Spa.  

Instead of a conservatory, a Botanical Collection is housed within an Art Gallery.  

The interior of the House of Metta is a unique crucible of original thinking, unprecedented design and innovative concepts of domestic existence. 

The small but fascinating garden contains many unusual plants, 

unique features and original art work. 

Although the Metta Garden is only modest in size, we try to encourage ecological bio-diversity and provide a home for indigenous life forms wherever possible. Therefore the more informal and wilder parts of this remarkable garden are purposefully managed 

as miniature nature reserves.

Another interesting fact about the Metta Garden is that it is specifically designated and managed as a micro-zoological garden. A garden in which the fascinating and often bizarre micro-fauna of insects, molluscs and other invertebrates are (with a few obvious exceptions, e.g. wasps) respected, appreciated, encouraged and studied. 

Why should gardens only be for plants ? Many insects which inhabit gardens and are regarded as pests are often, in fact, even more beautiful than the plants upon which they feed and should be regarded as honoured guests rather than as pests. Lily beatles and mint beatles, for instance, are both stunningly colourful and considerably more fascinating than their host plants.

In the Metta Garden snails are not poisoned or stamped upon. On the contrary, these gentle, quiet, delicate, beautiful, fascinating, hermaphroditic and peaceful vegetarians are respected and studied, not persecuted and murdered. Larger snails and slugs are, however, carefully removed from the Garden and relocated in the countryside because of the danger they pose to domestic pets from their parasites. The human race has a lot to learn from these serene and placid creatures who have dwelt on this Earth much longer than humans, yet have done no harm or damage to the Planet whatsoever. If humans were as gentle, peaceful, inoffensive and as rational as snails, this world would be a much better place.

The house of Metta and its garden is a private residence with no admittance to the general public.  Viewing is reserved only for online tourists, guests and other visitors who have made prior, pre-booked and scheduled appointments to visit us online or to meet Metta online or for those visiting the Art Displays or The Acanium.  Booking an online visit in advance (at least 24 hours) is essential. Viewing is by an online tour.  The price of the online tour is £120.  

Highly recommended for children, students and young people.  Recorded CCTV and security staff are in constant operation at The House of Metta and on the Premises at all times.

The World of Metta

A world at the limits of human understanding