This is why a man in his 50s built a mini mouse village in his back garden

A man who set up an adorable mouse village in his own back garden says it was essential to getting him up and out again while struggling with depression.

Simon Dell, 50, spotted a wild mouse in his South Yorkshire back garden in 2018 and was inspired to build it a house and photograph it.

From there, the log pile house has expanded to an entire village, featuring a pub, a book shop, and adorable Lord of the Rings-inspired Hobbit homes.

Simon’s garden has truly become a paradise for wild mice – and he shares the cute critters on social media where he’s gathered more than 150,000 followers.

He explained: ‘I was sitting in my garden and could see cats sitting just feet away from this little mouse at the other side of a fence.

‘I piled some small logs around a box as a home for the mouse and covered it with moss and straw to give him a little shelter.

This tiny general store provides the mouse village’s residents with everything they need (Picture: Simon Dell/SWNS)

Here they can stay up to date with the latest bestsellers (Picture: Simon Dell/SWNS)

Simon photographs the mice with the tiny props he makes and sets out for them (Picture: Simon Dell/SWNS)

Cheese! (Picture: Simon Dell/SWNS)

‘I then put some wire fencing around the fence so there was no way the cats could get to the mouse. We decided to name him George.’

After saving the mouse, Simon began to add more homes next door, and within days more mice had started to move in.

The wildlife photographer began adding more to the tiny houses, fashioning detailed dining tables, washing lines, motorbikes and even a weights set for the adorable rodents.

Now six years on, Simon says there are at least 20 mice – with possibly two family groups of mice around eight to 10 in each group.

He explained: ‘Since 2018 when I started the concept of a mouse village a lot has changed and the village has grown – lots of new houses have come and gone.

‘The only limit is my own imagination and skills at making the new buildings – as everything is made by hand from recycled bits of wood old logs or just about anything I can find in skips or the trash that could be given a new life.

‘They have two of my old boots converted in to mouse homes and lots of other types of homes scattered around the village.

‘In fact they have just about everything you would find in a village or even a town!’

There are about 20 mice living in the tiny village (Picture: Simon Dell/SWNS)

Simon has plans to add a train station, cafe and a theater or cinema to the village’s current amenities: a pub called The Log Pile Inn, a hardware store, and a large town house.

Simon said the mouse village has given him – and all of his followers – immense joy amidst personal struggles.

He explained: ‘As I have always suffered with depression, insomnia and anxiety, they are always there to support me in good or bad times and many find my photos and videos help make them smile daily and lift their moods.

‘That has always been my goal – to make others smile along with keeping my mind and body active.

‘Without photography and the fun of making little things for little things, I could soon sink back in to deep depression.

More Trending

Read More Stories

‘Photography gave me a reason to get up and out again and the mouse village gave me back my smile.

‘I hope it gives others the same joy it gives me.’

You can follow George the mouse and his log pile house on Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.