The shepherd’s hut goes global, as Plankbridge reports increase in exports

Once a commonplace sight on Victorian Britain’s rural landscape, the shepherd’s hut has experienced a rapid revival in recent years and is now attracting interest from every corner of the globe. Dorset-based master hutmaker, Plankbridge, has reported a surge in orders and enquiries from overseas, with its distinctly British boltholes now stationed everywhere from Wisconsin in the USA to the sun-drenched southern coastline of Portugal.

Painted in a light citrus yellow to blend elegantly into its natural surroundings in the Algarve, the 14’ Island Bothy hut features a full-size double-bed, wood burner and lots of cupboard space, to allow its owners to make the most of their homely hideaway. With temperatures often exceeding 30°C in summer, the hut’s 75mm insulated cavity also helps keep the interior cool, providing a space for respite and relaxation as the sun beats down.

Constructed using a breathable carbon-neutral material made from 80% recycled bottles, the insulation is just as effective as the temperature drops, a welcome feature in a pair of Plankbridge huts that have made their way to the French Alps. Cosy and warm under their snow topped corrugated iron roofs, the huts offer guests a sauna in one and a massage treatment room in the other, quite a contrast to the Victorian originals which provided shelter for shepherd’s during lambing season, as they tended their flocks on remote farmland.

At home in its natural surroundings around the world, the shepherd’s hut’s timeless 12’ by 6’6” footprint has proved to be endlessly adaptable, with Plankbridge now exporting offices, studios and extra bedrooms to customers as far away as Australia and the USA. Recent orders include huts being shipped to Denmark, Switzerland and New York, as this quintessentially British symbol of rural heritage continues to help people across the globe to get one step closer to the great outdoors.

For more information about Plankbridge Hutmakers, please visit www.plankbridge.com.