A Guide to Shepherd Huts 2022

Where America has their covered wagons, and Africa their safari tents, Britain has the Shepherd’s Hut. Quintessentially British, the shepherd hut has always been a popular choice in the country due to not only it’s beautiful design but also, it’s practical use as year-round accommodation type and the fact that most shepherd huts come with a draw or tow bar so can be moved into place with a tractor or 4×4.

Modern day shepherd huts are a reimagining of the original where shepherds would spend the night. Often found in isolated areas, these tiny huts would provide shelter for the shepherd and their dog while they tended their flocks. The modern version keeps the same character but adds a few essential conveniences.

These advantages have not gone unnoticed, and it is now not uncommon to see glamping sites across Europe and even America utilising the beautiful and practical shepherd hut. The current market is full of amazing shepherd hut manufacturers to choose from, so International Glamping Business Social Media Editor Annie Hilton reached out to some suppliers to get you the information you need.

GREENDOWN SHEPHERD HUTS

greendownshepherdhuts.co.uk

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

It all started in 2016 with a love for outdoors and the desire to create something that sat perfectly in nature but was a great useable space.

What type of structures do you create?

Steel chassis, timber framed and oak clad.

What are the main advantages of using shepherd huts for hospitality, in your opinion?

Arguably more beautiful than a pod a shepherd hut looks completely natural in the wild and typically commands the highest nightly rental out of any glamping unit.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

The quality of materials we use and our build standards. We also get told we’re very good value compared to other manufactures.

How much maintenance do your huts require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

Very little, we’ve worked extremely hard to create the perfect lowest maintenance hut possible. Yes absolutely we’re always there to help.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

4-8 weeks. We have one of the lowest if not the lowest lead times due to recently moving in to our new bigger premises.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

All our huts are hand built and delivered to site complete ready to go.

What geographical markets do you cover?

The UK and Europe, we recently delivered one to Norway.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Yes we do. Bigger sites take a lot more planning but we love to get involved early and give as much advice as we can to help the owners.

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

30 Years plus and 10 year structural warranty.

DICKY DEANS

www.dickydeans.co.uk

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

We are Dicky and Helen and we started Dicky Deans Shepherd huts just over a decade ago, as the business grew, we decided to incorporate as a limited company in 2019. We lived on a mobile home on a farm for two and a half years before discovering an old shepherd’s hut amongst the brambles on a walk and this inspired us to design our first hut. The first was built in 2012 and since then the business has evolved into what it is now.

What type of structures do you create?

We design and build high end bespoke shepherd huts. Our shepherd huts come in a range of different sizes from 12’ x 7’ up to 26’ x 9’. We have also made our own unique designs joining huts together to form a horseshoe and crescent, allowing different rooms within the space.

Each shepherds hut we design is unique, offering choices of layout and interior finish. We offer on-grid shepherd huts and off-grid shepherd huts for those who do not have access to mains electricity or water.

What are the main advantages of using shepherd huts for hospitality, in your opinion?

They are versatile. The shepherd huts we build come in a range of different sizes and the layouts inside can be adapted to the shepherd huts end use, whether it be a mobile bar, self-catering accommodation or a kitchen for a catering business.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

Our shepherd huts are built to the highest standard. Each shepherds hut we build is individual; giving our clients a choice of interior styling. We also offer shepherd huts that can be off-grid allowing them to have less impact on the environment.

How much maintenance do your huts require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

The maintenance on our shepherd huts is minimal. The huts can be externally clad in corrugated steel or timber. Our huts come with a choice of aluminium or oak double glazed windows. We would recommend that oak windows and doors are oiled once a year, to help protect them. Aluminium windows do not require maintenance.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

6 to 8 months.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

Our shepherd huts are built in our workshop in Barcombe, East Sussex. They are then transported to site as a complete hut, ready to use.

What geographical markets do you cover?

We cover all of the UK and would consider international delivery if requested. Currently our furthest trips have been to Guernsey in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Yes absolutely!

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

We would like to think our huts are built to last a lifetime however we would suggest a minimum of 15 years.

We do not currently offer a formal warranty but are in the process of organising one, we are always on hand to help and advise with any potential issues that may arise.

WEDMORE SHEPHERD HUTS

wedmoreshepherdhuts.co.uk

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

We started this family business in 2020 after building a shepherd hut for a family member. We looked at what the market had to offer and decided to use our experience as a carpenter of 30 years to build our own more luxurious and sustainable hut. Once built; our community thought it stood out from other hut makers and encouraged us to turn it into a business and offer the public the opportunity to own a beautiful custommade luxurious Wedmore Shepherd Hut.

What type of structures do you create?

We hand build to order luxury shepherd huts for all uses, from fully self-contained accommodation huts, complete with ensuite, bed, kitchen & dining areas to spa treatment rooms and empty shells for use as a site office. We can even join two huts together creating the space for a family to stay.

We offer various length chassis starting at 14ft, 16ft, 18ft, 20ft to 21ft all by 8ft wide. Externally clad in beautiful cedar or oak or a more traditional look of “wrinkly” tin. All are fully insulated and designed with all year use in mind with underfloor heating and options for extras.

What are the main advantages of using shepherd huts for hospitality, in your opinion?

If you are wanting to offer an experience not just a bed for the night, a shepherd hut can be a romantic hideaway set in your grounds, often accompanied with a hot tub and fire pit. Our timber framed structures are built to last, so season after season you will be able to welcome back your guests knowing your Wedmore Shepherd Hut still looks good inside and out.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

The care and level of attention given to the small details on the whole build make our huts stand out from the crowd. You and your guests will be able to experience that wow factor as your step inside. All our fittings are commensurate with 5* deluxe property, creating the sense of luxury living outdoors.

How much maintenance do your huts require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

Our shepherd huts are designed with features that mean little or no maintenance is required such as our galvanised and powder coated steel chassis.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

Our builds take around 16-20 weeks from date of order confirmation.

Can your products be assembled on-site, or do they require transportation?

To ensure you received the quality you deserve we construct all our huts in our workshop and then arrange the transportation to your site. We work with you to provide the details to set up the infrastructure for water, electrics and sewerage.

What geographical markets do you cover?

We are happy to deliver all over England & Wales.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

We will always welcome a conversation, for those who are considering a volume order we will prepare a personalised quotation once we understand the clients’ needs and wants.

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

Our huts are built to last as we construct them to the same standard as a timber framed house. Therefore, we happily offer a 10-year warranty (from date of delivery) which applies to the chassis, cast iron wheels and external structure will be free from defects in design, materials, and workmanship, subject to our T&Cs.

BLUEBELL SHEPHERD HUTS

bluebellshepherdhuts.com

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

I have always had an interest in traditional shepherd huts and was looking to restore an original hut or to build a new hut from scratch but to an original design.

This led to me, five years ago, to building a hut which we now use as a holiday let. We had a lot of interest in the hut, particularly as it was traditionally built, with many people asking whether it was a restoration. This led to the construction of huts for other people.

What type of structures do you create?

We build traditional shepherd huts, but with all the modern requirements of modern glamping. The huts are clad in black corrugated steel, with timber panelled interiors. The wheels are unfinished cast steel. The huts have wood burning stoves that are used for cooking as well as heating. We use reclaimed timber kitchen dressers that we modify to accommodate a fridge and water heater and include a sink on the worktop.

What are the main advantages of using shepherd huts for hospitality, in your opinion?

We have found that the shepherd hut offers a romanticism and a traditional way of staying in the environment that guests seem to like. The huts are insulated and can be used all year round that adds to both the adventure and the feeling of nostalgia.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

I believe that our huts offer a more traditional approach, each hut is built for the client and is not in any way mass produced. This gives each hut a unique character. Our finish is aimed at giving a hut that fits into the environment and appears to have been always part of the landscape. The traditional finish also appears to appeal to planning authorities and national parks.

How much maintenance do your huts require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

Generally the only maintenance required is to the paint finish to the windows. The corrugated sheet is best weathered, and we leave the cast wheels unfinished to rust. We provide follow up advice and are happy to visit to help with anything that may come up.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

Each hut is uniquely built with no mass production. We limit production to around 12 huts a year. Lead in times depend on orders but are currently around 5 months.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

We complete the huts and arrange for delivery to site.

What geographical markets do you cover?

We have provided huts throughout the British Isles.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

We would not be looking to provide large scale orders, with a maximum of 2-3 per client, this allows a reasonable turn around.

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

Our shepherd huts are expected to last a lifetime.

REGENCY BESPOKE

regencybespoke.co.uk

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

We were inspired to make Shepherd huts after taking a break in one and we thought we can enter the market with our huts as part of our Bespoke Cabinetry and joinery company. The two companies complement each other as the high-end finishing that is achieved with our cabinetry and joinery. There is a huge demand for them at the moment due to the Pandemic and the challenges in taking a foreign holiday which still exist.

We are a very new company in the Shepherd Hut world. We started building our first few huts in March of this year.

What type of structures do you create?

The type of huts that we make are the typical glamping structures that can be used all year round with the beauty of a wood burner for those cozy winter nights and also with a curved sky light above the bed to stargaze. The huts also come with a full en-suite bathroom with shower, basin and toilet and a kitchen with sink, hob, fridge and microwave.

What are the main advantages of using shepherd huts for hospitality, in your opinion?

In our opinion, Shepherd Huts are great for glamping sites and even at home as extra accommodation, due to the fact that they are so well insulated with sheep’s wool insulation and they are fitted with all the mod cons, so it feels like a home from home if it’s just the bottom of the garden, or in a remote tranquil setting. You can escape the toils of the modern day living and relax to the max.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

I guess we will stand out from our competitors in the finish and price points of our huts. We can achieve these finishes by using all our skills from our sister company and high-quality end products.

How much maintenance do your huts require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

Our huts are very low maintenance with oak cladding on the outside with the typical wriggly tin roof that is poly coated in black. All the doors and windows are made in-house and are of solid hardwood made in the traditional way and are fully double glazed.

We do also offer follow up services to make sure everything is running smoothly and there are no issues with our finished Huts.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

The average wait time at the moment is around three months, this mainly depends on the lead times of some of the raw materials to us.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

They will come as turnkey Huts but there will be a degree of on-site fitting work needed due to the nature of the Shepherd Huts being large and some items can’t be fitted until they are sited.

What geographical markets do you cover?

When we are up and running fully, we will like to cover all of Great Britain first of all and once we are established, we can easily make them for the continental European Market.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Yes, we would offer discounts on larger purchases for the bigger Glamping sites.

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

We would say that as long as the huts are set in good positions and the paintwork on the doors and windows is upkept and the general maintenance and care is kept on top of, the Shepherd Huts should last for a good 25 years.

Yes we offer warranties on all of our Shepherd huts.

RIVERSIDE SHEPHERD HUTS

riversideshepherdhuts.co.uk

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

We went to see a friend who collects vintage tractors one day and he had an original hut in his field he had restored, I said to Dave that would be lovely to have one in our back field by the stream , Dave said he could build one with Steel as he has his own construction company and then someone suggested we try and sell them so we took our first one to Moreton Show in August 2011 and that’s how it all started,

What type of structures do you create?

Anything anyone wants from home office to full live in hut maximum size 30ft x 10ft.

What are the main advantages of using shepherd huts for hospitality, in your opinion?

As they are all bespoke it can be built to suit the customer's exact requirements.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

We were the first company to build a full steel frame so it can build bigger and stronger than using a wooden frame and can be moved around a lot more on uneven ground without the worry of it twisting.

How much maintenance do your huts require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

The corrugated comes with a 25-year guarantee as long as you’re not within 20 miles of the coast. We offer a 30 year guarantee on the steel frame and cassis, the wheels are cast iron so they are not going anywhere.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

Depends on the bookings for huts we already have and what the customer wants so we can only confirm once we find out what they want.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

They come fully assembled, we do not offer a flat pack, we do offer a self-build, but that’s a complete frame delivered ready built.

What geographical markets do you cover?

Anywhere! We've been as far as the south of France.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

All huts are bespoke so we talk to the customer about their exact design and try to offer a deal if we can.

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

As above 30-year etc.

WELLS SHEPHERDS HUTS

wellsshepherdhuts.com

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

My inspiration came from the shepherd huts themselves: the romantic vision that these nearly lost icons from the farming past could be used as accommodation within the glamping sector. Also, the thought that this idea could bring new life into the shepherd huts with modern home comforts. Managing Director, Ian Wells, has been in the carpentry industry for over 20 years, having a brief few years in different sectors, however he began manufacturing shepherd huts in early 2019 - his true passion.

What type of structures do you create?

Our family run small team manufacture bespoke hand-crafted shepherd’s huts. Our shepherd huts are individually handcrafted to our customer’s needs, there is no rule book thus allowing customers imaginations and creativity to become a reality within their Shepherd huts. There really are no limits to what we can create for customers.

What are the main advantages of using shepherd huts for hospitality, in your opinion?

• Our shepherd huts allow guests to experience the outdoors without sacrificing the home comforts, all whilst still allowing the shepherd’s hut to encompass its original origins.

• Our shepherd huts can be moved easily as and when required.

• Planning permission is not required for the Shepherd huts themselves, only the ground they are sited on which is not always required, unlike other glamping choices.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

• We do not have set designs for our shepherd huts as each shepherd’s hut is unique.

• All our work, whether it be the Shepherd huts or the furniture within them, is handcrafted to a high level.

• We use a sustainable source of insulation sheep wool insulation. This natural insulation is thermally and acoustically superior to anything man made and allows the space inside the hut to be warm in winter and cooler in summer.

How much maintenance do your huts require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

We offer two options for the exterior of the huts, wriggly tin, or timber cladding. Our most popular option is the wriggly tins as this is the same material the original shepherd huts was made from when used by farmers. Other advantages are the ease to keep clean and the low maintenance. Timber cladding requires a little more attention with yearly maintenance of staining/paining. We provide advice on maintenance for our shepherd huts to all our customers. We provide warranty with all our shepherd huts.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

This is dependent on each customers specifications as some shepherd’s hut builds are more involved than others. However, as an idea of timescale a hut build will approximately take between 8-12 weeks.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

Our shepherd huts are delivered to site as a completed item and unlike some of our competitors we do not offer the self-build shepherd’s hut kits as this option does not suit our business.

What geographical markets do you cover?

Currently we only produce our huts within the UK market, however this is an avenue that we are not shy to explore in the future.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

We are always happy to discuss costing with a customer when multiple shepherd huts are being purchased.

WHITE DOVE SHEPHERD HUTS

whitedoveshepherdhuts.co.uk

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

We decided to do start making Shepherd huts after being asked by a few of our customers if we could make them. We’ve been manufacturing bespoke timber windows, doors and wood frames for over twenty years, so we were well equipped and had the manufacturing experience to produce very high-quality huts at very competitive prices.

What type of structures do you offer?

We don’t have standard huts or put our huts into categories. We manufacture and create unique huts to suite all your needs. Come to White Dove Shepherd Huts with your ideas and plans and we’ll do our very best to accommodate your ideal hut.

What are the main advantages of using shepherd huts for hospitality in your opinion?

Market research is showing more and more people looking for alternative accommodation, especially with the WOW factor thrown in that the shepherd huts offer. Also, the security and peace of mind of the locking doors and windows. Guests get the ultimate outdoor experience without losing the home comforts.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

White Dove Shepherd Huts are hand built by craftsmen in the heart of Lancashire, from locally sourced high-quality material. We will build your hut with attention to detail and practicality with great pride taken in our quality, with endless design and colour finishes.

Built on a strong box section chassis, with a strong timber base using C24 grade structural timber gives the base for your hut. All our huts are designed along with you to meet you the customer’s need and requirements. Fully insulated for coolness in summer and warm in the winter with double glazed sealed windows and doors. Internally, we can manufacture bespoke furniture in our fully equipped joiners’ workshop to a very high standard.

How much maintenance do your huts require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

We only use the highest quality materials available to us and build our huts for longevity. The materials we use are all weather resistant and built for durability and year-round use. The steel galvanised curved roof with dripstop (condensation-controlled fleece) and external steel walls come with 200 micron resistant top coat. Performance warranty up to 30 years dependant on colour and location. External timber painted with 10 years protection.

What is the average time form workshop to site?

Our huts take around 5 or 6 weeks to build, depending on the final layout and internal finish. Delivered complete with usually a small amount of work to be done once in final location.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

Our huts are all bespoke and manufactured at our fully equipped workshop. Then transported to site where we’ll have a small amount of work to done in its final location.

What geographical markets do you cover?

We supply throughout the UK. Though we are currently getting enquiries from a supplier in New Zealand.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Yes, for multiple orders we will offer discounts. For more information, please contact sales on 01772 721093.

How long is the lifespan of your product? Do you offer any warranties?

Our well cared for and maintained huts should last for 20+ years. We are UK based and always on hand to help out our clients, should any damage or accidents occur that may need a repair.

HARROGATE HUTS

harrogatehuts.com

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

Harrogate Huts has been trading since 2018, when the first of our Shepherd Hut frame designs was manufactured. We loved Shepherd Huts, but we loved the idea of building one ourselves even more. It quickly became clear that a lot of other people liked the idea of building their own Shepherds Hut too, with our products simply streamlining that process, while allowing them to customise and finish their hut exactly how they wanted.

What type of structures do you create?

In addition to Shepherd huts we also make Glamping Pods and Garden Offices. Our team of joiners manufactures doors and windows that slot easily into all of our frame kits; we also make chassis for the Shepherd Huts themselves.

What are the main advantages of using shepherd huts for hospitality, in your opinion?

Shepherd huts look lovely on a landscape; they can also be constructed as temporary or movable structures - which can provide some planning benefits (depending on your location). Our Shepherd Huts really can be used all year round as they are very easy to insulate and keep warm. With frames of up to 7m in length, our Huts can also be built to accommodate families, providing plenty of space.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

A key advantage to building your own hut using our frames and components is the savings you can make on price. We also offer a very fast lead time (2-4 weeks) compared to retailers of complete Shepherd Huts. The biggest advantage though is that a customer can make a Harrogate Hut their own, decorating and finishing it exactly how they want. When the hut is finished, our customer can feel truly proud of their achievement.

How much maintenance do your huts require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

As with any building or temporary structure, maintenance is important, but if built properly a Harrogate Hut should be extremely resilient and long-lasting. We offer build guides on our website and our team is always at the end of a phone call or email to answer construction or maintenance queries.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

Our typical lead time from order to delivery is up to 4 weeks for frames and joinery, or up to 6 weeks for our chassis.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

We deliver all of our components in kit form, ready to be assembled upon delivery.

What geographical markets do you cover?

We cover all of mainland UK, with deliveries going anywhere from Cornwall to Northern Scotland on a weekly basis!

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Yes, we offer discounts for 2+ Shepherd Huts.

BLACKDOWN SHEPHERD HUTS

blackdownshepherdhuts.co.uk

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

Blackdown Shepherd Huts was established in Ilminster, Somerset in 2011 and builds bespokeluxury shepherd huts for the hospitality and domestic market. Historically shepherd huts would have been a standard fixture on many farms across the UK and the modern equivalents are well equipped to cater for the glamping market.

We’ve always been inspired by creating stay spaces that have inspiring interiors and have a real connection to the outdoors, so that you can enjoy the best of both worlds.

What type of structures do you create?

Bespoke shepherd huts built to customer specification, in the form of our Turnkey single shepherd huts and our proprietary double shepherd hut called the Brace. We also provide a self-build solution for people to create their own builds.

What are the main advantages of using shepherd huts for hospitality, in your opinion?

Shepherd Huts provide year round occupancy and we find that guests love the flexibility of the space being a cosy space to snuggle away in for the winter months, but then so connected to the outside for the summer months.

They’re also incredibly easy to install, most deliveries are completed within a few hours if our customer has prepared their site correctly and then they can be up and running as soon as they have put their accessories in.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

There are a number of shepherd hut suppliers in the market now and each have their own unique proposition, however we’re known in the marketplace for being bespoke builders, who manufacture everything in Somerset to an extremely high quality standard with outstanding customer service.

How much maintenance do your huts require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

We build our shepherd huts to last with an eye for detail and the beauty of a shepherd hut is that they are really easy to maintain. We recommend that you let our oak cladding age to its natural silver and then check and wear and tear parts regularly.

We provide a strong warranty and are always around if our customers have issues at all. We also support our glamping owners with advice and listing services to help them make a success of their business.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

It really depends on which hut you are ordering, at the moment it varies from 4 months for a self build solution and 12 months for a fully built, although we do occasionally get an odd delivery slot here or there due to date changes.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

With a full-build shepherd hut absolutely everything is done for you and they are delivered complete on a lorry.

Our self-build solutions offer options for customers who want to build their own shepherd hut or who have access issues which would make it difficult to get a fully-built shepherd hut in. We’ve been delivering for 11 years now and all our deliveries our handled by our own team, very often headed up by our founder, Will Vickery, who still get out and see the shepherd huts settled in their final destination.

What geographical markets do you cover?

We’ve delivered to Australia and the US and often takes shepherd huts over to Europe.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

We have already supplied multiple shepherd huts to hotels and look at each project on its own merit.

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

We build to last and select material accordingly, we offer a warranty with all our shepherd huts and more importantly, we look to give our customers the solution they need as much as we possibly can.