Our story

Will and George

Hi, we’re Will and George and we started Blackdown Shepherd Huts in 2011, laboriously building our fi rst hut in Will’s garage, using our 20 years of carpentry and bespoke building experience. Since then we have been fortunate enough to work with some really lovely customers, growing the business along the way. We now employ a team of skilled craft smen in our 6000 sq. ft . workshop based near Ilminster in Somerset.

Historically, Shepherd’s Huts were mobile structures that could be moved around the fi eld to give the shepherd shelter as he tended his fl ock through the lambing season. Th ey were built using whatever materials the farmer had to hand and so came in various shapes and sizes. We’ve taken our inspiration from these original structures and adapted them for modern living, which aff ords you the luxury of a little more space than the original shepherd’s average of 12ft x 6 ft .

We would love to meet you in person, make you a cup of tea and then show you around our display huts and our workshop, but fi rst, as an introduction, let us tell you all about the luxury living space that is a Blackdown Shepherd Hut.

From the individually formed curve of each roof section right down to the forge-cast iron of the wheels, we build quality in at every turn of the screwdriver. We’ve always said that we won’t compromise quality for price, and this remains a key part of our company values to this day. Our hut frames are built for structure, strength and longevity, our windows are made by skilled joiners who developed them specifi cally for our huts, our kitchens are made by a local artisan kitchen company and many of our interior pieces are made by skilled joiners here in our workshop.

We utilise seasoned, locally bought oak or wriggly tin cladding and carefully mix in the skills of local blacksmiths and other trades. Our huts are solid, durable and stylish whilst still remaining versatile and practical for your needs. With our meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of our service, from design through to delivery, Blackdown Shepherd Huts will always provide complete customer satisfaction.

From our very first contact with the friendly and helpful staff at the workshops, right

through to the incredibly professional and speedy delivery of our gorgeous hut, it was clear

to us that we were going to enjoy every minute of our Blackdown experience. Our search

for the perfect outdoor studio has been completely realised by the marriage of practical,

solid and dependable construction to subtle design and meticulous craftsmanship

James Driver and Nicky Hudson

F

,

p

Uniquely YoursYour Shepherd’s Hut will be built to your personal specifi cation – we off er options ranging from our Artisan Self Build Hut (enabling you to pick up your tools and get busy) right through to our Turnkey Hut, complete with kitchen and bathroom – all decorated internally with Farrow & Ball paint colours. You can choose the Blackdown layout for your hut or we can sit down with you and help you personalise your hut to your own specifi c design.

Once the design is signed off by you, the hut build starts in our workshop, carefully managed through each stage by our expert team. We keep you updated on how things are going and plan the delivery with you so that it goes as smoothly as possible. All you need to do is make sure that the space for your hut is prepared and that you’re ready to start adding your own individual touches with accessories and furniture.

You’ll be amazed at the innovative ways our customers have put their Shepherd’s Hut to use; as a guest room, home offi ce, garden room, wash room, sauna and even to use as a room to view racehorses exercising from! With your imagination and our high quality craft smen, we will build something that will become part of your family heritage for a long time to come.

Having visited your

workshop, Steve, Sue and

I expected top quality

workmanship – and, of course,

that is exactly what you

delivered. It was a delight

watching the faces of other

friends and family as they made

a tour of our new hut.

Heather Gould

The Range

1. Th e Heritage HutOur wriggly tin hut off ering is called our Heritage Hut as it is based on an old Victorian shepherd’s hut and we feel it really captures the vintage hut look. It can be painted externally in your choice of colour. Handbuilt in our workshop, this Hut is available with a complete Turnkey interior with kitchen and bathroom, or with the Retreat interior for you to furnish completely as you wish.

All our huts are 7 foot 6 inches wide and available in 12, 14, 16 and 18 foot length options. Th ey are perfect for year-round use with their sheep wool insulation and wood burner options. Supplied as standard with two windows and exterior door, oak fl oor, interior decoration and 240v electric supply.

2. Th e Retreat HutClad in our signature feather-edge oak cladding, this hut aff ords you a luxury space to furnish as you wish, with antique or contemporary furniture. Supplied as standard with an oak fl oor and fully clad and decorated interior, it’s perfect for a writer’s retreat, a swimming-pool changing room, a fi shing hut or a fabulous family hangout space

3. Th e Turnkey HutWe named this one the Turnkey as our aim is that it is a complete solution – it just arrives and you turn the key. With options such as bespoke-built kitchens, individual bathrooms, pull-down wall beds and sofa beds – you can design a hut that caters for your every need. We’ve seen some amazing ideas from our customers, so would love to hear yours. Th is option is perfect for a spare room, glamping accommodation and just for escaping into.

4. Th e Towby HutSuch a cute name for a real workhorse – this is a fully road legal trailer hut that can be towed at normal commercial speeds so that you can arrive at events in style. A real hit with customers, you are sure to stand out at events and the retro-nature of the hut adds a certain something to your commercial venture. Th ese are just perfect to fi t out as catering trailers, mobile shops, mobile treatment rooms and more.

5. Th e Self Build HutAs carpenters ourselves, we know that for some people there is just no real alternative to getting hands on and building it yourself. So we’ve distilled all the things we’ve learnt along the way and created a kit for the artisans among you. We can supply the hard-to-get parts of the build and a handy self-build video – meaning that you can self-build a quality hut and then sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labours!

Why Buy Blackdown?So….this is where you sort the men out from the boys (or the women out from the girls...) – why do we think you should buy a Blackdown Shepherd’s Hut – aft er all, it’s a serious investment you’re making here?

Well, we hope that we’ve managed to give you a fl avour of what we’re about in this booklet, but as a useful summary here’s a few things you might like to consider –

• We care – from the fi rst moment you start communicating with us until well aft er you receive your hut, we’ll be there and listening to what you need. • We live and breathe quality – so we’re not the cheapest on the market, but our huts will outlast us and our children!• We are honest – we won’t sell you something you don’t need, we believe in getting the best solution for you.• We love ideas – so we won’t just say no to your thoughts.• We take our business seriously – we have spent a lot of time getting the British Standard and safety check all our appliances – so that you can rest assured that you have got a safe hut.• Lastly, we’d love to welcome you to our ever-growing band of Blackdowners, so you can share stories and experiences, so if we can put you in touch with someone to help – we will.

So there you go, that’s about it in a nutshell – overleaf you’ll fi nd more details on our range of Shepherd’s Huts, but please feel free to call us, email us or come along and see us, and the team, in person.

Many thanks

Will and George

Blackdown Shepherd Huts

www.blackdownshepherdhuts.co.ukinfo@blackdownshepherdhuts.co.uk

T: 01460 929774 M: 07711 489717