Mad as a Hutter: The Rise and Rise of the Shepherd’s Hut

Trends often disappear almost as quickly as they have arrived, but it seems that nothing can dampen the rise of the humble shepherd’s hut.

Mad as a Hutter

Image Credit

Origins of Shepherd’s Huts

As shepherd’s tended to their flocks during the day and watched over them in the night, humble shepherd’s huts offered their owners modest yet snug shelter from the elements. When sheep were moved from field to field it was easy to move the hut as well, making it a much relied upon construction.

Times have moved on and farming now looks very different today. Once loved huts were abandoned, destined only for the scrap heap however they are now experiencing a fully-fledged revival.

Modern Popularity

This article in The Telegraph was amongst the first pieces to document the hut’s meteoric rise to popularity back in early 2009. The appeal has endured, with the Evening Standard including a shepherd’s hut in their recent feature on creating extra space .

Adaptability

Their aesthetic appeal certainly is not difficult to see and if that weren’t enough, they are also adaptable to seemingly any requirement, with the ability to install electrics, fitted furniture and woodburning stoves. They can provide much-needed home office spaces for professionals, be the ultimate play space for children, become studios for aspiring artists, transform into a quirky addition to a bed and breakfast business, offer a quiet space to read outside in the garden and just about anything in between.

Whether they are newly constructed or lovingly restored, such as those offered by Cotswold Shepherds Huts http://www.cotswoldshepherdshuts.co.uk/ these huts have quickly become a must-have item for countryside living once again. In fact, you could even go so far as to argue that they are the beach huts of the countryside.

Nostalgic, sturdy and costing less than an extension with a fraction of the hassle to install, it is surely no surprise they are now as popular as they are. They can become a place to retreat to, a small space fully customised to fulfil a specific need in which to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday modernity. The positive impact this can have, even if just for a few short minutes, perhaps makes the humble shepherd’s hut the ultimate modern day investment.