THE man leading the protest against the Blackwood bypass lives in an isolated cottage on the banks of the Sirhowy River. Helen Morgan met Carl Taylor and his family in the idyllic setting in St David's Wood.

Environmental campaigner Carl Taylor used to dream of life in a cottage when he was living in a terraced house in Fleur-de-Lys.

Eight years ago that dream came true when he and his wife, Pam, bought a secluded cottage, built in the 1790s, in Woodfieldside.

They had been looking for some time - and had considered an ancient Druid's cottage in Hollybush - then they saw their present home advertised in an estate agent's window. "It was a lovely picture and seemed just what we wanted, but the estate agent did warn us off because it needed so much work doing to it," says Carl. "They said it didn't look anything like the picture anymore!

"But we went up the lane in the summer to have a look ourselves, and even before we got to the cottage I knew I wanted it. I remembered coming up here to go fishing when I was a kid."

Once he had viewed the cottage, he immediately said he wanted to make an offer. The estate agent called him back within 24 hours and said the offer had been accepted. "Then he just called me mad!" says Carl.

The cottage stands yards from the banks of the Sirhowy River, and on a public footpath. The Taylors have the only vehicle access rights, however, so the only background sounds are bird- song and the flowing of the water.

The cottage had been empty for five years when the couple bought it, and it was completely derelict - ceilings had fallen in, and thieves had broken in and taken the hot water tank and even the toilet!

The couple say three months' work had to be completed before they could move in, and their first day in the house was New Year's Eve, when they were surrounded by bare walls.

"Our first meal in the house was New Year's Day breakfast," says Pam. They have since spent £35,000 doing the cottage up, aided by a council grant, and have done a lot of work to restore the house in a traditional style.

They laid flagstone floors, installed original doors, opened up a fireplace and put in an open staircase, as well as a course of damp-proofing.

"The cottage had been repossessed - and they couldn't sell it. It was so isolated," says Carl.

"A lot of women didn't like it here - when the electric goes out it is absolutely black, there is no street-lighting at all."

Pam, however, although uncertain at first, says she got used to the isolation quite quickly. "We like our own company and the quiet life with the animals and wildlife here. It suits us fine.

"We like it because it is secluded, and yet it is only five minutes' walk away from Blackwood town centre."

The Taylors also say they are not really that isolated - a lot of walkers come up and down the path, the Sirhowy Valley Walk, and sometimes up to 50 or 60 people go past in a day. Carl is now countryside warden for the surrounding St David's Wood, keeping the footpaths clear, cleaning up litter and generally keeping an eye on the woods. "We get a bit of rowdiness from the youngsters sometimes, but they have got nowhere else to go and we always tell them they can come here if they need to phone for help, if anything goes wrong.

"We ask them to put their rubbish in a bag and say that we will collect it later - and they do. In the summer they come up and camp here."

Carl's garden, which was completely overgrown when they moved in, has now been transformed into a haven for all wildlife.

A tiny mouse lives under the stone bird-bath, just outside their french windows, there is a bird nesting-box on the wall and we sat and watched a jay helping itself to a large chunk of bread from the bird-table.

And at the bottom of the large cottage garden there is also a wet area, with newts, toads and stickleback.

The couple have two children, Daniel, 21, and 18-year-old Gemma, who both live at home, and they are also about to become grandparents for the first time. When they first came to live in the cottage, the children were unhappy about the lack of television - the reception is very poor and the only time the family can get HTV is when it is raining!

But they have got used to it and say they have rediscovered the art of conversation - "and the art of arguing!"

They listen to the radio, read a great deal - especially newspapers, books about history and poetry - and occasionally rent a video.

"What we notice is when we go to other people's houses, 90 per cent of the conversation can revolve around what is happening on television - they talk as though it is real," says Carl.

They don't miss having people around them, however, saying they like their own company. "I don't like coffee mornings and gossiping - it's not me," says Pam. It was difficult to drag myself away from this peaceful environment on a warm spring afternoon...