Even before the garden is planted I'm daydreaming about the perfect backyard hideaway. I've long been a fan of little buildings. Cabana's, potting sheds, covered porches, glampers and grapevine covered pergola's and screened in garden rooms are all candidates for providing the perfect place to escape to on a summers day but I must admit, I'm absolutely obsessed with the idea of gazing out my kitchen window and seeing a Shepherds Hut in my yard some day. Oh, they're easy enough to find on pinterest or the web. That's where I met Betty Grindrod. I posted a picture of one she made on my Facebook page and she messaged me with her contact info. I decided then and there that I had to introduce her to my Dandelion House friends and she agreed!
Read on to learn more about how these rural wheeled cabins of old England inspire today's Shepherds Huts used for garden rooms, writers retreats, guest cottages, artists studio's and more!
I know you'll enjoy getting to know Betty, her partners Robin Berthet and Julie Keil of
"The Rustic Retreat".
Deb ~Tell me a little about your background as an Estate Gardener and how that blossomed into a business for building Shepherds Huts?
Betty~ I
was head gardener at private estates for my entire career, having
studied Ornamental Horticulture at the University of Connecticut. Aside
from using my creativity to design gardens, I am also an artist and for
many years dreamt of having a mobile art studio and garden retreat. I
looked into campers, but when my friend Robin Berthet talked about the
shepherd huts he saw in England, I knew they were just what I was
looking for. However, there were no builders in the US, so Robin, our
friend Julie Keil and I decided to rectify that situation.
Deb~ What is the role of each of your partners in your business?
Betty~ Robin
is a well respected contractor known for his craftsmanship, and he
researched the construction of them in England and sourced the local
materials we need to craft a quality hut. He oversees the actual
building. Julie and I split the duties of design, marketing and sales.
Deb~ Can you give me some history on Shepherds Huts? Where did they originate exactly and what was the original purpose for them?
Betty~ There
was a very old English publication in the 15th century, called the
Government of Cattle that mentions a wheeled "cabbin" that shepherds
used to rest in or be protected from the weather while tending their
flock, but that could be moved as the sheep went to fresh pastures.
Historically the huts contained a small stove, a bed over a cage where
sickly lambs could be kept and a simple medicine cabinet containing the
potions necessary to treat the flock...and maybe a bottle of spirits for
the shepherd. The land owners vied to have the best built huts for
their shepherds over the years. In WW2, many old huts were used as home
guard outposts in England and even to temporarily house prisoners of
war. By the 1950's most were abandoned or used as storage sheds as more
modern farming methods prevailed. Recently, they have made a revival
as guest accommodations and as garden additions, being featured in the
Chelsea Flower Show.
Deb~ What types of materials do you use to build your huts?
Betty~ We
use a variety of locally harvested, sustainable wood for the
construction. The outside is Cedar and the chassis, deck and interior
are Ash from Sheffield, MA. The doors are built by a small firm in the
Adirondacks of Ash. The shelves are natural edged Cherry from
S.Egremont, MA.
Deb~ What is the average size and cost?
Betty~ We
are building them in three different sizes, 12', 16' and 18' long, all
7' wide. We can also make custom sizes depending on the buyer's wishes
or needs. The cost depends greatly on what the customer wants to have
included, but it will generally be between 20k and 40k dollars.
Deb~ How long does it take to build one from scratch?
Betty~ It takes 4-6 weeks to build one.
Deb~ Where do you find those wonderful iron wheels they sit on?
Betty~ We get the iron wheels from an Amish company in Pennsylvania.
Deb~ What are some of the unique ways you finish them inside?
Betty~ The
natural edged woods make a unique and rustic look for shelving and
tables. We have also installed queen sized beds with Cherry wood
storage shelves beneath, bunk beds. Anything that can be in a camper,
we can install in the huts. Including kitchens. For a bathroom, we can
put in a composting toilet, hook up for running water and electricity.
We use a nautical wood stove called the Hobbit and have denim
insulation in the walls to keep it very cozy in cold weather.
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Deb~ What are some of the uses your customers purchase a Shepherds Hut for?
Betty~ Some
uses of the hut include guest room, play house, pool house, artist
studio, yoga studio, garden shed, writer's retreat, fisherman or
hunter's cabin, vending cart for farmer's market, farm stand, bar at
events or parties.
Deb~ How many do you make in a years time?
Betty~ That depends on the number of orders we get.
Deb~ How are they transported?
Betty~ For
short distances they can be towed by a vehicle with a tow package or a
tractor (or horses...see picture) They weigh about two thousand pounds
with the metal wheels. We move them on a flat bed truck to deliver them
to our customers. We can also put them on truck tires if a customer
wanted to use them as a camper or move them more frequently.
Deb~ Are there trade shows where the public can see a finished Shepherds Hut?
We
are going to have a hut going to the farmer's market in Great
Barrington, MA. and while it is not working there it can be viewed at Campo
de' Fiori, a fine home and gardens accessory store on Rte 7 in
Sheffield, MA. On the Saturday of Memorial Day one will be in use for
serving ice cream at the annual Columbia Land Conservancy BBQ in Ghent
NY. We will be updating our schedule on our Facebook and Twitter
accounts.
I don't know about you, but I'm ready to move in! Just think of the fun you could have making it your own... And what a great place to " escape " too with out even starting the car! One can dream, or you could just order one to keep watch over your backyard flock of sheep! I'd be watching my " flock of flowers" and chickens out of that little pop up window!
I hope you enjoyed this post much as I did sharing it. Wishing Betty, Robin and Julie much success with
Berkshire Shepherds Huts!
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Stay tuned for more inspiring features from Dandelion House!
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