Shed Factor!
Chris Hogan, 14th July 2015, Household
We first featured the Shed of the Year competition a few years ago when it was just a bit of fun. But it's grown every year and now it's a national phenomenon with commercial sponsorship and a TV series to go with it.
This year's competition has just finished and we're going to take a quick look at the winners.
It was all started by Andrew Wilcox, known as Uncle Wilco, on his website in 2007. This year saw over 2,500 entrants, the largest number ever, and two new categories – Historical and Budget.
We first wrote about it when two boat-themed sheds were among the winners in 2013. This made a good article for our boat insurance readers – one was a replica of HMS Victory and the other used an upturned boat as a roof!
Shed stars on TV
Since then the competition has gathered wider appeal, including sponsorship from Cuprinol and, last year, TV coverage. Channel 4 ran a three-episode series of "Amazing Spaces", fronted by architect-turned-presenter George Clarke, on the competition and this year expanded it to four episodes – the grand finale of which was shown last Sunday (12th July).
Although it's now too late to watch the series on Channel 4, all the episodes are available to watch on catch-up services or over the internet at Channel4.com.
If you want to watch the series and find out about the finalists before you see who won, then look away now because we're going to summarise them here. The category list has expanded every year so we'll take a quick look at the winners of each category then reveal the overall winner.
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Normal Sheds
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Eco Sheds
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Historical
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Budget
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Unique
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Pub Sheds
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Cabin & Summerhouses
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Workshops & Studios
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Garden Offices
Normal Sheds
Cormac Hawkins' "Maid of Dekkin" is a summerhouse-style shed that's been installed on a custom-built boat, covered in decking. The motorised floating garden can be seen on the Thames.
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Eco Sheds
The "Owl House" was made by artist and designer Leonardo Alvarez for paraplegic wheelchair user Tracy Lewis completely from natural or salvaged materials. The shed, made from cob walls, recycled plywood, recycled bottles and with a grass living roof, was partly built to prove that 'eco' buildings can be accessible to all.
See this shed
Historical
Michael's Corrugated Cottage was actually used to house land girls during World War II and even comes with it's own Anderson Shelter. First used by the current owner as an office, it was renovated with WWII features like Bakelite switches and is now let out as a holiday home.
See this shed
Budget
"Ty Mynydd Fach" is Welsh for "little mountain hut" and this entry was built to bring something of the mountains into the city, in climbing enthusiasts Andy and Rachel Walker's garden. Built entirely from reused materials and costing somewhere between £250 and £500 to build it even has a wood burning stove.
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Unique
Colin Edmondson's "Micro Shed" measures 4 x 2 feet, is only 4 foot tall and is installed on a miniature railway wagon. Built to raise smiles at events, the owner says: "just enough room for a comfy deep buttoned seat, a stove, a model railway and a shelf for the whisky glass."
See this shed
Pub Sheds
In a farmyard in the Scottish Highlands near Aviemore, Walter Micklethwait and girlfriend Lizzy Westman have converted a dilapidated hen house into the Inshriach Farm Shop, Ladies Waiting Room, Saloon Bar (with piano) and Distillery. The shop sells farm produce and carved wooden items and the distillery is now producing Crossbill Gin from juniper grown on the farm.
See this shed
Cabin & Summerhouses
"Teasel's Wood Cabin", owned by Rebecca and John Bunting from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, was created from materials and features imported from America, the owners favourite holiday destination. It cost around £15,000 but as the owners use it as extra living space they consider it worthwhile when compared to a bespoke conservatory or kitchen extension.
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Workshops & Studios
The "Cabin of the Greenman" was created by Luke Wesley in his garden as a workshop for his wood carving business. Unsurprisingly it's mostly wood with the roof shingles made from pallets, decking from old roof trusses and an apple tree growing through the side!
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Garden Offices
Chrissy Brown built her "Crafty Monkey at the Beach" shed after seeing her accountant's garden office. The beach theme was built around a large three-part beach scene canvas that Chrissy had bought some time ago and now the shed is an invigorating retreat in the garden of her mid-terrace house in the middle of town.
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Shed of the Year 2015 winner
The overall winner was to be chosen by the judges: George Clarke and his fellow presenters, founder Wilco and Joel Bird, 2014's winner with his Rooftop Allotment Shed. After long deliberations they were deadlocked at three votes each and, in true X-Factor style, reverted to the original public votes to decide between two sheds: the Owl House and the Inshriach Distillery.
After the required amount of drama it was announced that the Inshriach Distillery was the winner, with Walter Micklethwait suitably modest while receiving his £1,000, plaque and huge crown with which to adorn the winning shed.
To take a look at all the sheds in the competition or catch-up with the programmes at Channel 4 check out the references below.
