Shepherd’s hut in the garden design

HILLSIDE HAVEN SHEPHERDS HUT

The picturesque shepherd’s hut has become quite as coveted a possession as the seaside beach-hut or the garden summerhouse, but this charming home from home also represents an essential emblem of our bygone rural heritage

shepherd’s hut design

There can be fewer more romantic images in English literature than that of the shepherd, Gabriel Oak, playing his flute on a crisp winter’s night in his cosy shepherd’s hut beneath a canopy of stars in Thomas
Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. In Hardy’s day, the sight of a shepherd’s hut nestling on a hillside
dotted with contentedly grazing sheep must have been commonplace; many farms kept several hundred
head of sheep, and would have required perhaps two or three shepherds to move the flock from meadow to
meadow, attend to the ewes during the lambing season and keep them safe from predators.

SHEPHERDS HUT ROMANTIC POSSIBILITIES

Over the past few years, shepherds’ huts have gained hugely in popularity. For some, these delightfully
portable, romantic hideways represent a useful garden office, an artist’s studio or an occasional spare room.
Others still may envisage a quiet place to sit and read on a summer’s evening, an Enid Blytonesque
playroom room for childhood make-believe games, a teenage den… the possibilities are almost endless.
Until fairly recently it had been thought that the shepherd’s hut with its characteristic rounded roof and swivel-axled wheels to enable it to be trundled about the countryside pulled by a horse, was an eighteenth or early-nineteenth-century invention.

However, Ian McDonald, a shepherd’s hut enthusiast from Norfolk who has set up an online archive and
runs a hut restoration advice service, has come across a volume from as far back as 1596, which describes
how ‘the Shepheard hath his cabin going upon a wheele for to remove here and there at his pleasure’.

A PRACTICAL PAST

Such cabins would have been simple, yet cosy affairs – a real home from home for the shepherd who led
a somewhat nomadic existence, following his flock from pasture to pasture, from season to season for
periods of two or three months at a time. Inside you might have found a small table and perhaps a stool,
a removable chest to store essential tools, a medicine cabinet, a lambing rack or cage where orphaned
or sickly lambs would be kept until they were sufficiently sturdy to join the flock outside, and a simple straw mattress atop this. The fortunate shepherd may also have had the benefit of a small wood-fired stove where he could boil a kettle and warm his hands on chilly nights, although, the hut being largely of wooden construction, this could just as equally have been a hazard as the frequent scorch marks in many restored huts bear stern testament.

Shepherd’s hut in the garden design

“These shepherds huts are part of our industrial heritage,” McDonald explains. Less than a century ago, the
English countryside thronged with sheep, which played an important and integral part in the agricultural cycle. Not only were the animals kept for their wool and meat, but just as important was a practice known as “folding” where large flocks were used to fertilise the land for growing crops. “In many downland farms, some fields would always have been inaccessible to the farm manure cart, so during the crop rotation process, the shepherd would drive his flock on to the land, which had been planted with a forage crop and, starting at the top of the field, the shepherd would fence a section off with hurdles, and over a period of time, as the sheep ate the forage crop, the shepherd would move the hurdles until the sheep had covered the entire field. Afterwards, horsedrawn teams with the ploughs would move in and plough in the droppings.”

SHEPHERDS HUT YEARS OF CHANGE

The advent of the first world war, however, changed this itinerant way of life forever. The realisation dawned that the large-scale production of ammonium nitrate used to make explosives could also be used as a cost-effective and more immediately efficient alternative to fertilise the land. With this came the widespread introduction of the mechanical tractor, along with the use of refrigerated transport bringing cheaper meat from abroad, thus sounding the death knell for all but the largest and most efficiently run sheep farms.

Since there was no longer any requirement for large flocks to be moved around the countryside, many shepherds drifted into other lines of work, whilst some, no doubt, lost their lives along with so many other poor souls in the trenches. While some shepherds’ huts experienced a temporary new lease of life during the second world war when they provided convenient and portable accommodation for land girls and the many prisoners of war enlisted to “dig for victory”, others were either commandeered for farm storage or simply abandoned to quiet decay in woodlands and hedgerows where they would eventually be forgotten, their former pastures having been put to the plough in a bid for wartime self-sufficiency.

Interior decorating of the shepherd’s hut

Mcdonald estimates that there may be somewhere in the region of 2,000 historic shepherd’s huts in existence around the country. “We have records of over 350 shepherds huts that have already been recovered,
however, large estates and farms would have had up to four shepherds’ huts. I regularly receive
telephone calls about huts that have been discovered in hedges, in old barns and in woodlands where they
have been perhaps used by gamekeepers for storage.”

SHEPHERDS HUT RESTORATION POTENTIAL

Many of the huts that McDonald encounters date from the 1890s and, despite languishing in the hedgerows for decades, few of these relics are totally beyond redemption. “One of the many things we have to thank the Victorians for is galvanised iron, which prevents the roofs from rusting and the walls from decaying,” he explains. “Before that, everything including the wheels would have been made from wood and canvas, both of which will eventually rot away.”

“One of the main reasons why so many of these huts survived,” he adds, “is that they were so versatile and portable.” Indeed it is that very simplicity of design and versatility that is the essence of their quintessential charm. For those with a yearning to experience a taste of this very English rural idyll without the cost and
commitment that scouring the hedgerows for the genuine article might entail, there are happily many
opportunities at hand for enjoying the romance that the shepherd’s hut embodies. A number of companies
now make modern reproductions endowed with all the charm of the original, plus the convenience of running water combined with modern cooking facilities – while others offer short breaks, holidays or hire facilities for a glimpse of a simpler, more innocent life – and one that is perhaps not so very far from the madding crowd after all.

BUYING A SHEPHERD’S HUT

Choose from a restored original, a newly built traditional hut or a design that has been adapted for modern living. Whatever your preference, you will need to consider the practicalities of access and delivery and think about services such as loos and cooking facilities. Planning permission does not usually apply to shepherd’s huts, as these are technically classed as portable agricultural buildings, however once you start installing services such as electrical power and  water, the boundaries of  what is permissible begin to blur so check with your local planning authority before going ahead.

NEW, RESTORED & BESPOKE HUTS

There are a number of companies that build and sell shepherd’s huts ranging from those producing authentic designs, to modern interpretations complete with electricity and en-suite bathroom facilities. Jane Dennison of Plankbridge Hutmakers suggests that although some contemporary huts are timber-clad, corrugated iron

is more practical and hardwearing: “An original hut would not have been insulated, however insisting on an insulated wall cavity will ensure a contemporary hut remains warm in winter.

On soft ground some form of hard standing is necessary; railway sleepers or paving stones set flush in the

ground are ideal.” The Plankbridge Writer’s Hut costs £9,450, plus VAT.

BLACKDOWN SHEPHERDS HUTS

Tel 01460 929774

blackdownshepherdhuts.co.uk

COURT & HUNT

Tel 01304 617282

courtandhunt.co.uk

HOLLOW ASH HUTS

Tel 01989 770057

hollowash.co.uk

THE IRON WHEEL

COMPANY

Tel 01798 860824

theironwheel.co.uk

PLAIN HUTS

Tel 07903 313922

plainhuts.co.uk

PLANKBRIDGE HUTMAKERS

Tel 01300 348414

plankbridge.com

RIVERSIDE SHEPHERD HUTS

Tel 01527 821848

riversideshepherdhuts.co.uk

THE SHEPHERD’S HUT COMPANY

Tel 01822 612 720

shepherd-hut.co.uk

THE SHEPHERD’S REST

Tel 01749 860066

theshepherdsrest.net

SOUTH DOWN

SHEPHERDS HUTS

Tel 01420 487425

southdownshepherdshuts.co.uk

TITHE BARN SHEPHERD HUTS

Tel 01788 510507

shepherd-huts.com

RESTORATION AND RECLAMATION

There is quite a demand for original huts. According to Ian McDonald, one can expect to pay £500-£1,000

for an original hut that may have been found in a hedge requiring a substantial amount of restoration work.

A clean hut on its original cast-iron wheels in need of some refurbishment will set you back between £3,500

and £7,000, while a fully restored hut could cost up to around £12,000. For more general advice on restoration visit shepherdhuts.co.uk

Although this hut remains untouched for 60 years, few relics are beyond redemption.

A wood-fired stove creates a cosy haven in this cosy hut from Mountain Lodge Holidays.

Many huts have survived the years due to strong, simple build quality and the versatility of uses.

THURGARTON IRON WORKS

Casting and restoration of axels, wheels and drawbars and complete restoration.

Tel 01263 768077

thurgartonironworks.co.uk

BRIDPORT FOUNDRY

Reproduction and restoration of cast-ironwork, axels and wheels.

Tel 01308 459040

bridportfoundry.com

FRANSHAM FORGE

New and original huts; full restoration as well as blacksmithing courses.

Tel 01362 687116

artist-blacksmith.co.uk

BUTTERFIELD IRONWORK

Restoration and reproduction of authentic nineteenthcentury huts using traditional craftsmanship and a

steam-driven sawmill.

Tel 01929 471277

butterfieldironwork.co.uk

An air of simplicity is evoked with a few nostalgic touches in this well built hut by Plankbridge.

Enjoy a nostalgic shepherd’s hut break in this beautifully fitted hut by Wriggly Tin in Hampshire.

TRY FOR SIZE ON A HOLIDAY

Rosalind Douglas of Butley Shepherd’s Huts bought two former shepherd’s huts at auction around thirty

years ago and, having renovated and decorated them, they are now available for delightfully simple and

romantic short stays and holidays. Gemma Woolnough of Best of Suffolk advises that, whilst you may not need planning permission to install a shepherd’s hut in a private garden, particularly if it is within the curtilage of the house, if you were thinking of using it to offer holiday lettings, planning permission may well be required as this would potentially be a change of use. Your local planning authority will be able advise both on this, and safety issues for holiday lettings.

SUFFOLK BUTLEY SHEPHERD’S HUTS

Pet-friendly stays of two or more nights in delightfully restored nineteenth-century shepherds huts in a

secluded Suffolk hideaway.

Tel 01728 638962

bestofsuffolk.co.uk/

butleyshepherdhuts.asp

CUMBRIA HERDY HUTS

Traditional-style “glamping” in a Lakeland setting.

Tel 01539 422 381

herdyhuts.co.uk

CORNWALL SHEPHERD CHIC

Luxuriously appointed traditional huts complete with antique and vintage fixtures and fittings.

Tel 01326 340627

shepherdchic.co.uk

HAMPSHIRE WRIGGLY TIN SHEPHERD’S HUT HOLIDAYS

Beautifully fitted-out huts built to an authentic nineteenth-century design set in a secluded meadow.

Tel 02392 632990

wrigglytinhuts.co.uk

ISLE OF WIGHT GODSHILL PARK FARM

Family and pet-friendly farm holidays in a beautifully secluded setting beside the Secret Pond.

Tel 01983 840781

godshillparkfarm.net

NORTH WALES MOUNTAIN LODGE

Delightful short breaks in an idyllic, hillside location.

Tel 01745 832242

shepherds-hut-holidays .co.uk

OXFORDSHIRE SHEPHERD HUT HOLIDAYS

Short breaks and holidays in a romantic, secluded setting on the banks of the River Cherwell.

Tel 07772 397999

simplyshepherdshuts.co.uk

WILTSHIRE CHURCH FARM

Stay in a beautifully restored hut set in an ancient wildflower meadow. A romantic setting for a country wedding – available for short stays, too.

Tel 01249 758444

churchfarmuk.co.uk

FEATURE JILL SHEARER PHOTOGRAPHS CHARLOTTE COWARD WILLIAMS; MOUNTAIN LODGE SHEPHERDS HUT HOLIDAYS; ANNE KNIGHTS; IAN MCDONALD