A space to plan, reflect and soak up the last of the evening sun

A Plankbridge shepherd’s hut at Elmley National Nature Reserve, by Robert Canis.

Mellow, misty and mild, Autumn is the perfect time to take a step back and take stock of the months passed from the comfort of a traditional shepherd’s hut, made by Dorset-based master hutmaker, Plankbridge. Following the busy months of frenzied flowering and foraging, this is the season to retreat to a cherished garden hideaway, as the scene outside transforms into a kaleidoscope of warming colours.

Whether trimming and raking to put the garden to bed for the winter or playing with ideas for the planting plan, a shepherd’s hut is a base designed to help home owners make the most of the great outdoors. Just as the Victorian originals provided a roof over the heads of shepherds as they tended their flocks during lambing season, the timeless 12’ by 6’6” hut with its corrugated iron exterior is now used by many in the modern world as a space to tend their gardens and embrace their natural surroundings.

Better still, as the colours fade and the familiar sound of crunching leaves becomes a distant memory, the shepherd’s hut converts into an idyllic winter hideaway. Allowing its owners to take in the joy outside their back doors all throughout the year, the humble hut is breathing new life into the gardens of Britain, just as Plankbridge’s master craftsmen have continued to reinvent this incredibly versatile Victorian design for the modern world.

A standard Plankbridge Classic Shepherd’s Hut, complete with painted windows and door (optional upgrade to English oak), a solid French oak floor and a Farrow & Ball painted interior, starts at £22,225.20 including VAT and measures 12' long. Longer and bespoke designs can be quoted for.

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