Building a Shepherd's Hut

[Broch]

Thank you all for your kind words. I must admit, although I'm sure I could do a better job on a second one, I am rather pleased with it. I think we'll use it a lot.

Bizarrely, I'm looking forward to using it in winter

As for the colour, I'll give it another coat of dark oak treatment at the end of summer then it should fade over the next couple of years to grey.

 

[TLM]

I'll give it another coat of dark oak treatment at the end of summer then it should fade over the next couple of years to grey.

Treatment with iron sulfate causes the surface to get nicely grey in about a year but it works best if there is no previous treatment. It is commonly used in northern Finland on new log cabins to get an old look fast.

 

[Broch]

Treatment with iron sulfate causes the surface to get nicely grey in about a year but it works best if there is no previous treatment. It is commonly used in northern Finland on new log cabins to get an old look fast.

Thanks, I'm tempted but, to be honest, I'm in no rush - I'll let nature take its course

The hut isn't actually visible from any dwelling and there are no public paths through the wood or near it so it's quite well hidden anyway.

 

[British Red]

Loving your work Broch, that's a wonderful thing that you've made, well done!

 

[Tony]

How's it going? I've been reading this with interest, a lovely project

 

[swyn]

My father and his partner had a full set of plans for a living wagon in the sawmill office. C1930. If I remember correctly there were two A1 sheets of plans, elevations and the timber dimensions which would have made the sawyers cutting list.
Unfortunately the office and all that kind of stuff was ‘cleared’ when I was out of the country and I forgot about them. By the time I remembered his partner had died and there is no one else who’d know about them. The mill buildings are now gone too.
I do remember that the insides were lined with tin sheet to a certain height. Possibly to stop rodents.
When we were children there was a steam engine living wagon parked at the back of the farm yard. This was quite a big thing with 3’ tall cast iron wheels on the rear axle and 2’ on the front as these would have to duck under the chassis when being steered into tight places.
The body eventually rotted away and I saved the four wheels for many years but when I moved they were left and again I have no idea what happened to them. Hey ho!
Yours looks good and to a pleasant scale. Thanks for the post.
S

 

[Thoth]

Hi Broch, as someone who has recently acquired a shepherds hut of similar proportions to yours I'm wondering what woodburner you put in? Our hut is in a friend's wood which I help manage, and like yours is completely 'off grid' so we're looking for a stove to provide warmth and be able to boil a kettle. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

 

[Broch]

Hi Broch, as someone who has recently acquired a shepherds hut of similar proportions to yours I'm wondering what woodburner you put in? Our hut is in a friend's wood which I help manage, and like yours is completely 'off grid' so we're looking for a stove to provide warmth and be able to boil a kettle. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

Hi Thoth. The stove I put in was a bit larger than planned (4.5Kw I think) but after a lot of searching was the only one that met the requirement (size, price, appearance, availability etc.). I'm very pleased with it and it keeps the hut cosy on just tick-over.

This is the unit - but they've gone up quite a bit since last year

Solution 5 Compact (S4)

Solution 5 Compact is a freestanding Ecodesign ready stove that is a multi-fuel (wood or smokeless solid fuel) stove that can produce up to 4.kW of heat. Its small body makes it ideal not just for homes with lower heat requirements in general, but also other smaller living spaces such as a...

www.aradastoves.com

 

[Thoth]

Everything has gone up since last year Broch! Thank you for that info. It's been a puzzle trying to work out what the right size stove is, never mind which model. A recommendation from someone who knows what they're talking about is most helpful

 

[Stew]

Evening. I’ve had a quick skim back through to look and may have missed it but can I ask what your approx build cost was for this please?

I know it’ll be somewhat more expensive to do the same now with the way material cost have gone but it would help my research…

Ta!

 

[Broch]

Evening. I’ve had a quick skim back through to look and may have missed it but can I ask what your approx build cost was for this please?

I know it’ll be somewhat more expensive to do the same now with the way material cost have gone but it would help my research…

Ta!

Hi Stew, I can't remember if I put it in but it's easier to tell you than search through

Less than £3K including the new stove.

 

[Stew]

Cool. Thanks!

 

[Thoth]

Regarding Increasing prices: In Sept 2022 I bought a Hamlet S4 wood burner for our hut on Broch's recommendation & we're very happy with it. I got it from the chandler at our local boat yard for what I thought was a very reasonable £530. In May 2023 I wanted another one to fit at home and was shocked at the price, no doubt driven by the 'energy crisis'. The boat yard wanted £866! After exhaustive research the cheapest I could find anywhere was £742.88. Sometimes you can find used stoves on Ebay or you may be able to make one from scratch yourself or find someone who builds them from empty gas cylinders for example. Bear in mind that a stove in a shepherd's hut doesn't have to meet the same emission standards as one in your home does (as it isn't 'a dwelling' in Planning and Building Regs terms).