My Blog

Cuckoos in the New Forest

05/14/2012 19:22:00

The weekend fooled us into thinking Summer had come back!

Another rainy day in the New Forest, but what a pleasure it is to walk across the heath after the rain! The smell of the damp vegetation is wonderful and a cuckoo's call followed us for the entire walk.

Cuckoos are solitary birds, I've heard hundreds but not sure if I've ever actually seen one. Their call usually heralds the beginning of Spring when they return to us from their winter in Africa and South East Asia.

I remember two things I was told about the cuckoo as a child - they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, once hatched, the chick throws out the legitimate occupants of the nest and gets fed by their parents - a cruel act indeed, but I still love the sound of the cuckoo!

The other thing I was told by my Granny, (and if your Granny tells you something that's a true old wives tale) is that if you hear a cuckoo you'll live for at least another year!

Shepherds Huts - Cheap is Expensive!

04/19/2012 16:15:00

We've just been out to Romsey to look at a Shepherds Hut a lady bought around 2 years ago and has asked us if we can 'do some work on it'.

The Shepherds Hut was bought for £8,000 - when we see Shepherds Huts advertised for that price we always wonder how on earth a company can even build a Shepherds Hut for that! Well, today we found out......

The Shepherds Hut looked okay from the outside, it was insulated, had an oak floor, double glazed opening windows and a stable door. There was a little woodburning stove in the corner.

The whole Shepherds Hut is 'damp'. The first thing we noticed was the smell of damp - the outside of the Shepherds Hut had been clad with ply with battens down at intervals, there was no damp proof membrane at all behind the ply and it had probably only had 2 coats of preservative at the most (not painted or varnished). The insulation inside was literally wet through. The edges of the oak flooring planks have lifted. The interior wood cladding had split and shrunk revealing the fact that the edges of the cladding had not been painted before being fitted. The woodburning stove is rusty and there was no fire rope around the top, making it very dangerous. The customer would have liked it moved to a more sheltered site but there is no steering column and I think I would be scared to move it incase it fell apart.

We feel terrible for the poor lady who was parted from her £8,000 for what would have looked like (and sounded like) a lovely Shepherds Hut only to be able to use it for a couple of years because the manufacturer had cut corners in its construction.

The moral of the story is that if you see a Shepherds Hut advertised go along and view it - if you haven't got a good knowledge of building regulations or construction take someone with you who has!

My late father would always say "cheap is expensive" - he wasn't a wealthy man but believed in buying quality. He passed that belief onto us and we, in turn, use that philosophy when building a New Forest Shepherds Hut. We use the best quality materials and when it comes to building our Huts we NEVER cut corners.

We are a family business and are pround of each and every Shepherds Hut we have built - if our Father is looking down I'd like to think he'd be proud too!?

New Forest Shepherds Hut

04/11/2012 13:20:00

Our Show Shepherds Hut has been sold to a local Campsite who are using it as an office at the entrance to their site.

We're pleased that the Shepherds Hut is still in the New Forest but it was sad to see it go as it was quite a feature outside the Owls Barn Farm Shop at Sopley - I know Ron and Liz are now wondering what else they can put in the empty space while we're building our new Show Shepherds Hut!

The owners of the campsite (and new owners of the New Forest Shepherds Hut Show Hut) are kindly allowing us to take our customers by appointment to view the Shepherds Hut until we build a new Show Hut.

Woodcare product video

03/16/2012 10:17:00

We have our favourite products but we are always looking for new products and ways to use them. We build our New Forest Shepherds Huts to last and the least amount of upkeep means that the more time our customers have to enjoy their Shepherds Hut!

Sadolin has launched the second in its series of "This is Sadolin" videos, to help make the most of its product range. Maybe I'm lazy but I love a video - these days there are so many warnings and health and safety instructions on tins of products there's hardly any room for the stuff you actually NEED to know - the print is so small you need a microscope to read it! Anyway, rant over......

The video: www.youtube.com/user/SadolinWoodcare

A Sadolin Technical Consultant demonstrates how a single base coat of Sadolin Classic evens out the colour of the timber before applying a couple of topcoats of Sadolin Extra.

We know from experience that Sadolin always offer a good durable finish - you then only need to apply a simple maintenance coat when needed.

Interesting Use of a Shepherds Hut!

03/12/2012 17:41:00

We've had enquiries from beauty therapists, chiroprator, physiotherapist for Shepherds Huts as they make different, quirky and ideal treatment rooms. They can be situated away from the main house and so the client feels relaxed with no fear of interuptions.

Below is a floor plan and description of an enquiry we've just received, thought it might be interesting!

We've just had an enquiry today from a Tattoo Artist, how fantastic! I've promised to post details of her business when she's up and running.

This lady tattoo artist has a long narrow garden, back onto a pine copse with lots of pine trees at the end of the garden. She wants the Shepherds Hut sited amongst the pine trees. Of course we will have to plumb in a sink and run electric to the Shepherds Hut. We won't be cladding the inside walls with tongue and groove, but instead will be leaving the walls flat so that she can display her disigns.

Spring Cleaning the Shepherds Hut!

03/09/2012 09:33:00

We gave our New Forest Show Shepherds Hut a Spring clean yesterday.

I bought 3 packs of wipes from the £1 shop.

Dusted the dado and window frames with one.

Wiped the Oak floor over with wood floor wipe.

Cleaned windows with glass cleaning wipe.

Took about 5 minutes! That's the sort of Spring cleaning I like!

Actually, we do that on a regular basis - Some people think of Shepherds Huts as, well, huts! Our New Forest Shepherds Huts are bright and modern inside, and with the room height domed ceilings and the materials and paints we use the Shepherds huts always stay fresh and bright. We have a basket of logs by the woodburning stove which smell gorgeous! I think its very appropriate that a New Forest Shepherds Hut should smell of the New Forest!

Controlled Burning in the New Forest

03/08/2012 18:21:00

We have a client who lives in the New Forest down a quiet country track - they're having their New Forest Shepherds Hut delivered in a couple of months and it will be sited in the most beautiful position overlooking the heathland of the Forest!

We visited the site today and the Forestry Commission were carrying out controlled burning.

The gorse and heather is burned to encourage new growth of a variety of plants, as well as providing food for the forest's ponies, donkeys and cattle.

Apparently only two or three percent of the New Forest's heathland is burned each year but it always seems like much more!

The work typically starts in early February when the worst of the winter weather is over, vegetation is likely to be quite dry, still-wet ground offers protection to the peaty soil and the impact on wildlife, particularly breeding birds and reptiles, is minimised.

Baby Party in Shepherds Hut!

03/07/2012 12:50:00

We've just arranged a, well I won't say Baby Shower because that sounds a bit like " come along and see the expectant mother, expecting a present, that is!" - more of a get together before my daughter has her baby and no gifts required.

We're planning it for May, when hopefully the weather will be warm. We're going to decorated the Shepherds Hut in the garden with blue balloons (it's a boy) and bunting, there will be bucks fizz (for those who can), cups of tea with floral cups and saucers, cup cakes, etc. etc...... a quintessential English tea party.

Shows how versatile the Shepherds Hut is, not just an office, spare room, hobbies room, romantic hideaway but also a party venue!!! - can't wait!.........just a thought, maybe when the baby's due we could boil water on the woodburning stove and............maybe not!

Shepherds Hut for Sale - Reduced Price!!

03/06/2012 11:03:00

We're building a new Show Hut, smaller and easier to transport to shows on the back of a trailer so we're selling our current Show Shepherds Hut at a greatly reduced price!!

Here is a brief description:-

Completed last Summer and taken to 2 shows, absolutely immaculate and unblemished

This New Forest Shepherds Hut measures 4.2 x 2.1m internally, wide enough to fit a bed length ways and long enough to have a desk too.

Fully insulated to building standards for all year round use

Double glazed, double opening cottage windows and single window

Hardwood stable door with double glazed window and quality fittings

Blacksmith made wood burning stove on a slate hearth - will boil a kettle and keep you warm all night!

Professionally painted with the best quality paints and guaranteed to last

Quality Engineered Oak Flooring - beautiful and extremely hard wearing

Steering axle and bar with handcrafted wheels

Steel Chassis and Roof frame

Handpainted beaureax (desk) and coordinating chair

Laura Ashley lined curtains and quality curtain rails

Electric package including 3 wall lights and 2 double sockets all ready for mains hook up

This Shepherds Hut is built with love in our New Forest workshop with absolute attention to detail using the best quality materials.

A lifestyle choice which will look beautiful in any garden and will last a lifetime!

The price of this Shepherds Hut should be £16,448

Discounted price: £9,800!!!

(plus delivery)

New Forest/Shepherds Hut in the Rain

03/04/2012 12:46:00

I know it sounds strange, but love rainy days like today! Lovely walk in the New Forest, which is quiet even on the nicest of days, but will probably be completely deserted today. Sometimes we like a nice walk along the Beach at Bournemouth or Poole where it's lovely to see all human (and canine) life. But also lovely to walk for miles in the Forest without seeing a single sole (in this weather, just as well, frizzy hair poking out from under a soaking wet hood is not the best of looks!).

Best of all on a rainy day is treating ourselves to a 'relax' in the Shepherds Hut. After lunch, we'll take our books down to the Shepherds Hut, light the woodburner and listen to the sound of the rain on the roof. AAAAAHHHHHH....