9 Reasons to Dream of Having Your Own Shepherd's Hut
Who could resist one of these dinkily-proportioned rooms on wheels, full of vintage charm... not you? Then read on!
Shepherds’ huts are suddenly everywhere, whether being used for promotional purposes, being positioned in famous owners’ back gardens (David Cameron and Liz Hurley both have one) or hired out as rustic holiday rentals. Modern uses for these weeny structures, which have a long, rural history and generally require no planning permission, include turning them into spare rooms, posh sheds, writing dens, home offices and country retreats. What would you choose yours for?
For the Shaker styling opportunities
Though the original huts wouldn’t have had a kitchen anything like as swish as this handmade design (shepherds would have had a stove for cooking and heating and not much more), nothing says country kitchen like solid wood cupboards and worktops, tongue and groove, and a copper pot. It’s the Shaker kitchen dream and works wonderfully in the compact confines of a shepherd’s hut like this, where the petite proportions just make everything 10 times cuter.
You can also steal a trick from this one to max storage in any small kitchen; pare back your cooking accoutrements and keep only the best-looking or most-loved. Attach wall hooks and rails to store them on to free up valuable cupboard space – this rail is covetably simple in design and could be used to store cutlery and plates, as here, but also nice napkins, knives, cooking utensils and even double as a little picture shelf for a small framed artwork or sepia photo with a suitable vintage vibe.
Love Shaker-style kitchens? Check out this one in a new-build barn
Though the original huts wouldn’t have had a kitchen anything like as swish as this handmade design (shepherds would have had a stove for cooking and heating and not much more), nothing says country kitchen like solid wood cupboards and worktops, tongue and groove, and a copper pot. It’s the Shaker kitchen dream and works wonderfully in the compact confines of a shepherd’s hut like this, where the petite proportions just make everything 10 times cuter.
You can also steal a trick from this one to max storage in any small kitchen; pare back your cooking accoutrements and keep only the best-looking or most-loved. Attach wall hooks and rails to store them on to free up valuable cupboard space – this rail is covetably simple in design and could be used to store cutlery and plates, as here, but also nice napkins, knives, cooking utensils and even double as a little picture shelf for a small framed artwork or sepia photo with a suitable vintage vibe.
Love Shaker-style kitchens? Check out this one in a new-build barn
For the romance
Surrounded by wild flowers and birdsong, in your own miniature hideaway, accompanied by your nearest and dearest companion, only the hard-hearted could resist a surge of amour in such an intimate space. Shepherds’ huts are popular couples’ glamping accommodations for just this reason.
In an ideal world you’ll have a great big garden (this is all about fantasy, remember) or even a field or two. In it you can position your beautified hut and deck it out as a tastefully decorated love nest. Just tuck it into a secluded corner, let the flowers grow tall, and add pots and hanging baskets to help the sense of privacy.
Surrounded by wild flowers and birdsong, in your own miniature hideaway, accompanied by your nearest and dearest companion, only the hard-hearted could resist a surge of amour in such an intimate space. Shepherds’ huts are popular couples’ glamping accommodations for just this reason.
In an ideal world you’ll have a great big garden (this is all about fantasy, remember) or even a field or two. In it you can position your beautified hut and deck it out as a tastefully decorated love nest. Just tuck it into a secluded corner, let the flowers grow tall, and add pots and hanging baskets to help the sense of privacy.
For a self-contained ‘room of one’s own’
Daybed, check. Vintage-style radio, check. Writing desk positioned under window with idyllic pastoral view, check. That prizewinning novel inside you would surely get its moment if you had a space like this in which to work on it. Which is exactly what Britain’s former Prime Minister David Cameron plans to do in his new shepherd’s hut, painted stylishly in Farrow & Ball shades chosen by Samantha (obvs) and installed in the family’s Cotswolds garden.
With space tight inside these dinky boltholes, he’d be wise to follow the savvy example here and install a compact shelf desk. Make it a hinged one and you regain floor space once the day’s scribblings are done.
Daybed, check. Vintage-style radio, check. Writing desk positioned under window with idyllic pastoral view, check. That prizewinning novel inside you would surely get its moment if you had a space like this in which to work on it. Which is exactly what Britain’s former Prime Minister David Cameron plans to do in his new shepherd’s hut, painted stylishly in Farrow & Ball shades chosen by Samantha (obvs) and installed in the family’s Cotswolds garden.
With space tight inside these dinky boltholes, he’d be wise to follow the savvy example here and install a compact shelf desk. Make it a hinged one and you regain floor space once the day’s scribblings are done.
For the spare room you could have in your garden
Hankering after a spare room, but can’t or don’t want to extend your home? The beauty of a shepherd’s hut is that you can gain that extra room – whether a home office, a guest suite or space for the teenagers in your life – without the need for planning permission or upheaval of major building work. There are certain provisos so do check with your local authority, but in most cases you can simply put it in position. Job done.
You will, of course, need the space – but not that much. Sizes vary but they typically start at around 3.6m x 2.1m and can go up to around 5.4m long. Costwise, go for the most basic structure with no fittings in a small size and you can find them for around £3,000, while £35,000 would get you something much larger and totally bespoke with every home comfort you could want.
If you’re serious about getting one, click onto any of the photos here and most will take you through to the profile page of a company that makes or supplies them.
Hankering after a spare room, but can’t or don’t want to extend your home? The beauty of a shepherd’s hut is that you can gain that extra room – whether a home office, a guest suite or space for the teenagers in your life – without the need for planning permission or upheaval of major building work. There are certain provisos so do check with your local authority, but in most cases you can simply put it in position. Job done.
You will, of course, need the space – but not that much. Sizes vary but they typically start at around 3.6m x 2.1m and can go up to around 5.4m long. Costwise, go for the most basic structure with no fittings in a small size and you can find them for around £3,000, while £35,000 would get you something much larger and totally bespoke with every home comfort you could want.
If you’re serious about getting one, click onto any of the photos here and most will take you through to the profile page of a company that makes or supplies them.
For the cosiness
Because space is limited in these teeny wheeled homes, the provision of comfortable sleeping space requires some creativity. Folding, pull-out or multi-purpose (see the next hut along) is one way to go. But if you cherish sleeping on a thick mattress, atop a proper bed, a bed built into a raised nook positioned across the width of the hut and tucked up one end may suit you better. You’ll have around 2m of length for your bed, so even tall guests will just about fit in.
Even if your shepherd’s hut will only ever be just a dream, this is also an idea you could employ if, say, you need to fit a sleep space into a boxroom. Raise it up so you can fit deep drawers or cupboards underneath the mattress and fit steps, or strategically position a sturdy box, to make it less of a leap. Go extra cosy by building narrow stud walls either side to create a nook, and add a thick curtain to pull across at night.
Because space is limited in these teeny wheeled homes, the provision of comfortable sleeping space requires some creativity. Folding, pull-out or multi-purpose (see the next hut along) is one way to go. But if you cherish sleeping on a thick mattress, atop a proper bed, a bed built into a raised nook positioned across the width of the hut and tucked up one end may suit you better. You’ll have around 2m of length for your bed, so even tall guests will just about fit in.
Even if your shepherd’s hut will only ever be just a dream, this is also an idea you could employ if, say, you need to fit a sleep space into a boxroom. Raise it up so you can fit deep drawers or cupboards underneath the mattress and fit steps, or strategically position a sturdy box, to make it less of a leap. Go extra cosy by building narrow stud walls either side to create a nook, and add a thick curtain to pull across at night.
For the fun of furnishing one
If you relish the challenge of decorating a small space, the opportunities for getting creative with flexible furniture are plentiful.
This bench/spare bed with basket storage beneath is very pleasing. And what about that soft, vintage-style fabric? It might not be something you’d be able to make work in your house, especially if your look is contemporary, but a space like this gives you licence to let the sweet rustic structure dictate the décor. Hello faded country florals!
The best ideas for small spaces from people who’ve been there
If you relish the challenge of decorating a small space, the opportunities for getting creative with flexible furniture are plentiful.
This bench/spare bed with basket storage beneath is very pleasing. And what about that soft, vintage-style fabric? It might not be something you’d be able to make work in your house, especially if your look is contemporary, but a space like this gives you licence to let the sweet rustic structure dictate the décor. Hello faded country florals!
The best ideas for small spaces from people who’ve been there
For that coffee shop you’ve always fantasised about opening
Renting a high-street shop is a costly endeavour – but could a mobile shepherd’s hut be a more achievable way to realise your latte-serving dream?
Gather a list of suitable farmers’ markets or events locally and talk to your council about retail opportunities for mobile cafés. The Nationwide Caterers Association also has a really handy guide and links to help you find locations.
If you can stump up the cash to buy a hut of your own, and plan to move it around a lot, talk to the company making it about wheel options; they come as standard with iron wheels but you should be able to get it configured to roll on more modern but non-standard wheels that will be able to withstand the transportation.
Renting a high-street shop is a costly endeavour – but could a mobile shepherd’s hut be a more achievable way to realise your latte-serving dream?
Gather a list of suitable farmers’ markets or events locally and talk to your council about retail opportunities for mobile cafés. The Nationwide Caterers Association also has a really handy guide and links to help you find locations.
If you can stump up the cash to buy a hut of your own, and plan to move it around a lot, talk to the company making it about wheel options; they come as standard with iron wheels but you should be able to get it configured to roll on more modern but non-standard wheels that will be able to withstand the transportation.
For the views
In such a small structure, once the windows are open you’re connected very directly to the great outdoors. Wonderful if you have views like this to enjoy, straight from the end of your bed.
If your urban garden doesn’t quite cut the mustard, make your next weekend away a shepherd’s hut holiday. There are heaps of campsites, glampsites and holiday rental companies that specialise in huts in glorious locations. Go on, treat yourself.
Do you hanker after a hut of your own? How would you decorate it and where would it live? Share all in the Comments below.
In such a small structure, once the windows are open you’re connected very directly to the great outdoors. Wonderful if you have views like this to enjoy, straight from the end of your bed.
If your urban garden doesn’t quite cut the mustard, make your next weekend away a shepherd’s hut holiday. There are heaps of campsites, glampsites and holiday rental companies that specialise in huts in glorious locations. Go on, treat yourself.
Do you hanker after a hut of your own? How would you decorate it and where would it live? Share all in the Comments below.
What isn’t totally irresistible about a weeny hut-with-history perched upon iron wheels? Especially when it has been beautifully restored, its corrugated metal or wood-clad exterior painted in heritage hues and its interior reconfigured for comfort, all the while respecting its great vintage.
Shepherds’ huts have been around since as early as the 14th and 15th centuries, according to David Morris, author of Shepherds’ Huts & Living Vans (Amberley Publishing). Morris also owns his own hut, and not just any hut but the one said to have inspired Thomas Hardy’s depiction of such a structure in Far From the Madding Crowd. These little shacks were originally used as very basic homes for shepherds as they watched their flocks; in Hardy’s book, such a shepherd, Gabriel Oak, falls in love with his employer.