There's a rich smell of cedar and smoke inside

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16: If a young child was to draw a picture of a house, it would probably look very similar to the settler’s cottage in St David’s.

It is simple and sturdy in structure and topped with a thick head of dried palmetto leaf hair.

There is a front door, two windows and giant chimney sprouting up the eastern end of the building.

And this particular cottage boasts a spectacular view over the airport runway that extends beyond Castle Harbour.

As you walk into its cosy confines the rich smell of cedar and smoke hangs in the dimly lit
air.

Directly in front of you is a large wooden table in the centre of the room with twin benches.

While a deep cavern of an open fireplace juts out to your left.

The chimney has been fitted with an iron lug pole so cooking implements and cauldrons can dangle above the flames.

The ceiling is a tangle of bronze palmetto leaves and dark cedar beams.

Some of the leaves have been wrapped around the beams while others have been woven in between the rafters.

While, behind the clay and lime wall plaster, cedar branches of all shapes and sizes reinforce the structure.

If the wooden skeleton was laid bare this little cottage might appear a slightly haphazard collection of raw materials.

But the skill and precision that has gone into its construction ensures every piece of timber fulfills a vital role and can survive gale-force winds.