Stephen Grendon's acting career began at a young age, when he was chosen to play a young Laurie Lee in the 1975 television movie adaptation of "Cider with Rosie" while still in school at the age of six.
After completing his education at Thomas Keble School in Stroud, where he achieved seven O' levels, Grendon's acting career was short-lived. He instead found occasional work as a gardener and took on various odd jobs in his local area.
Grendon's peripatetic lifestyle led him to travel to Europe, where he hitchhiked through France and learned to speak the language fluently. He would often return to France for several months each year to work as a fruit picker.
In the 1990s, Grendon's life took a dramatic turn when he joined a group of New Age travellers in Gloucestershire and began living in the grounds of Penshore College of Agriculture under a tarpaulin.
Thirty years after his starring role in "Cider with Rosie", Grendon made national headlines again in 1994 when he purchased a tract of land in woods near Brimpsfield Common in Gloucestershire, England. Two years later, after the breakdown of his marriage, he began living in a small storage shed, originally intended for use as a gardener's store for nearby allotments.
Grendon's woodland shelter, which he named "Hermit's Corner", was a humble abode with no running water, bathroom, toilet, or television. The 4.25 metre by 5.8 metre structure featured a wooden veranda, a sleeping platform at one end, and a sofa at the other. Grendon lived in this unconventional home for over a decade, from 1994 to 2006.
In 2006, Grendon received a notice of eviction from the local council, citing that his makeshift home did not have planning permission as a residential building. After taking the case to the High Court, the judges ruled that his home was not officially a "dwelling house" by law, and he would be evicted.
Despite having struggled with depression and mental health issues, Grendon has spoken fondly of his unconventional lifestyle, stating that he values the simplicity of his life in the Cotswold Valley.
