Penny is very much a green-fingered lady, she lives in the countryside and runs her own gardening business. Her garden is beautiful, as you’d expect from someone in the business, and she lives in a small cottage. With many friends staying with her throughout the year she needed an extra room but did not have the space inside to accommodate one….
Why did you decide on a Shepherd’s Hut?
“I live in a small cottage with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom but with many friends staying with me throughout the year I needed more room but did not have the space inside to accommodate one. So a Shepherd’s Hut in the garden was a great solution – it’s so nice to have a spare room with an ensuite.
What did you want from your Hut?
I use this one for personal reasons, although I am thinking about purchasing a second hut next year and starting up an Airbnb.
Why did you specifically pick Blackdown Shepherd Huts?
Very professional website. Impressive setup and nothing at the site was out of view for the customer. This told me everything I needed to know.
Did you come to our Show Garden in Somerset?
Yes, I visited the show Gardens. Extremely impressed and certainly made me enthusiastic to buy one. Loved the layout and all the different uses, they were demonstrated extremely well.
Which of our Huts did you choose and Why?
I picked the 14′ Self Build Tasker because of the price and size. A larger one wouldn’t have fitted into the space available in the garden.
What was our Delivery Service of your Tasker Selfbuild like?
Delivery was good. If slightly nerve-wracking when we looked at all the wood. Tim went through it all but would have been helpful to have had the pieces labelled. This was incredibly daunting for my friend Andy, who was doing the build. Something to bear in mind for another self-build person. I was lucky with Andy but I do know he would have felt more reassured initially that the right pieces were going where they should. But as you will see with the book I’ve done his work has been absolutely incredible. .
How do you feel now the Hut is finished and is in place, have you used it yet?
The hut or as I am calling it, Penn’s Folly, is absolutely beautiful. I am blown away by it. I have slept in it twice but bought the wrong mattress, so I didn’t want to sleep on it as wanted to sell it as nearly new! But so warm and cosy inside. Amazing how compact and yet spacious it feels.
What advice would you give to others considering a Shepherd Hut?
When considering purchasing a hut, definitely go for the biggest you can afford. Luckily for me, Andy suggested I get the 14′ as initially I had thought 12′ would be fine. Building one is a big project it took about 3 months of fairly solid 5-day weeks and occasional weekends.
Watch the Blackdown video! We had got a few days down the road before we did and that made a big difference. Take lots of photos as you quickly forget what it started like. I did a photo book and gave one to Andy, a great success.
Be creative with the decor – again I was incredibly lucky with Andy who is extremely creative and I gave him complete freedom to do whatever he wanted. The results speak for themselves. He also built a mini folly at the back with all the remaining wood offcuts to house the immersion heater.
Thank you so much for sharing your Blackdown Shepherd Hut story with us and the wider world.