The idea that an Englishman’s home is his castle is, of course, hopelessly outdated. Obviously, it’s his shed.
It’s well over a decade since Andrew Wilcox cooked up the Shed of the Year Competition, celebrating the weird and wonderful world of the garden shed. Over the years the entries have demonstrated a mix of ingenuity, creativity and eccentricity which seems a perfect fit for the British temperament.
14 years on it’s become one of the most lovably bonkers of the novelty prizes handed out each year, and certainly up there with the likes of ‘Rear of the Year’ and the International Birdman competition at Bognor Regis.
The latter is, sadly, facing an uncertain future, but the Shed of the Year competition is healthier than ever, and a nicely-appropriate sponsorship deal with wood treatment company Cuprinol has helped keep things going.
Entries are now open for the 2020 award, so if you’re one of those — or you know someone — who has spent far too much time and money creating an overly elaborate, utterly inessential but nonetheless wonderful garden shed, you can submit an entry at their website, www.readersheds.co.uk.
Be warned, though: the standard of competition is pretty high, as you’ll see from the selection of previous winners on this page...
How four of the greatest writers in history thrived in their garden sheds
Over the years many writers have found a garden shed to be a perfect place to lock themselves away from
Credit: Cuprinol Shed of the Year
Eight marvellous sheds built from boats, trees and taxis for the Shed of the Year competition
This year's competition is as fierce as it is creative. Take a look at our top choices for Shed of
Credit: Claudia Rocha
The ‘magical’ sheep shed that was lovingly turned into the perfect anniversary present: A weekend hideaway
Christopher Howe urged his client not to overpay for the dank sheep shed he saw in pictures. When he visited
The winners of Shed of the Year have been announced, featuring The Lord of the Rings, the space race — and a shed on the back of a lorry
The results of the 13th annual Shed of the Year competition have been announced and no, the winner is not
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A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National ParkOld House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
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The UK gets its first ‘European stork village’ — and it's in West SussexAlthough the mortality rate among white storks can be up to 90%, the future looks rosy for breeding pairs in southern England.
