Over the years, there have been a number of plans hatching in my head but they never saw the light of day. Plain Huts is the exception to the rule. I have given up work as a teacher and thrown myself into setting up a business, designing, making and selling Shepherd’s Huts.
Plain Huts is not just any old business, but a family business! Let me introduce you…
My son-in-law Ben “gets stuff done” and shares his knowledge of running a business.
The Shepherd’s hut was a practical solution to a problem: keeping the Shepherd warm on a chilly night whilst out minding the flock up on Salisbury Plain; maybe keeping a rejected lamb, or two, warm at the same time. It was more of a wind break than a room. The roof of ‘wriggly tin’ would have done more to block out the view than the cold, in fact as the breath of the shepherd and animals condensed on the cold metal water would drip back down onto the bed. I have it on good authority that the best way to keep warm at night was with two sheep dogs, one for your feet and one in your arms. If you kept the fire on through the night the condensation dripping from the roof would keep you awake. The sides of the hut were made of pine boards, tongue and groove would have been a luxury, the outside was usually clad in more wriggly tin. A tiny window let in a little light but was so high you had to stand up to see out of it. Only the pot belly stove kept life and soul together as the cold crept and the rain lashed and the wind howled (we are talking English summers here).
We’re talking philosophy here, not your favourite fish slice, more building blocks of life. If we accept change then the important things will stay the same. Change is inevitable and the best we can do is prepare for it so that we can accommodate those ups and downs as they happen: we buy the biggest house we can afford, kids come along and then there is nowhere for Grandma and Granddad to visit/babysit; redundancy hits and its decided to do bed and breakfast to make ends meet; the talented teenage drummer needs somewhere away from the house to practice so sanity is maintained; mum becomes obsessed with family history and needs somewhere to leave documents out untouched; dad ‘gets into flight sim and goes the whole hog with two monitors, rudder and joystick and is genuinely surprised to find that all this new shiny kit is not appreciated in the lounge; your eldest can’t get a job and returns from uni needing a bed and independence; etc etc.
It would be so easy to say we couldn’t be happier with our Plain Hut, and also completely true, but that does not say enough. We wanted to do a Bed and Breakfast, but differently. Edyn (hut Number 9) fits the bill perfectly. She provides a stylish, quirky, contemporary and private space for our guests but does not look out of place in a very traditional setting. The quality of the materials and workmanship is second to none, while the double glazing and underfloor heating make the Hut useable all year round. We have had guests staying from July to January (in all winds and weathers!), everyone has fallen in love with her and found different things that made them go “Oooh!” and “Ahh!”
Our shepherd’s hut is currently used as a home office in our back garden with views across the maize field, enjoying beautiful sunsets which stream through the tall vertical window. It also doubles as an extra ‘sleepover’ room when our house overflows with guests – a great extension to our family home!! We love the under floor heating making it toasty warm during the cold Winter/Spring months, along with the bonus of the outside deck area with wood burning stove on milder days. On occasions we have enjoyed cooking fresh scrambled eggs from the neighbour’s chickens and have even cooked some simple bread rolls in it.
