Nine of the best Shed of the Year winners, a celebration of ingenuity, creativity and classic British eccentricity

The Shed of the Year competition has become a much-loved annual fixture, and as entries open for the 2020 competition we take a look back at some of the best efforts in the past.

The Mushroom Shed in Chiddingfold, Surrey, was 2017 Shed of the Year winner.
The Mushroom Shed in Chiddingfold, Surrey, was 2017 Shed of the Year winner.
(Image credit: Alamy)
Toby Keel
By
published
in Features

The idea that an Englishman’s home is his castle is, of course, hopelessly outdated.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.

Shed of the Year 2010? A pirate-themed pub in a back garden named 'The Lady Sarah Out Of Worthing'.
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

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.

This Roman Temple was Shed of the Year in 2007.
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

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...

2012's Shed of the Year was a sprawling Franken-shed dubbed 'Woodhenge'

2012's Shed of the Year was a sprawling Franken-shed dubbed 'Woodhenge'...
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

Inside Woodhenge was a classic man cave.
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

Shed of the Year 2018 was environmentally-conscious Bee Eco Shed
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

Shed of the Year 2013: The solar-powered Boat Roofed Shed
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

Shed of the Year 2014 saw an ingenious rooftop allotment
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

Shed of the Year 2015 - Inshriach Distillery. Yes, it does feel like a lot of sheds are built by men wanting to drink more while in the comfort of their own homes...
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

You can see why Inshriach Distillery was the 2015 winner — inside, it's beautiful, like an illegal still from the Old West
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

Shed of the Year 2019 - The Lord of the Rings-themed Bux End
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

Inside, Bux End looked every inch a hobbit's home — albeit with sensibly higher ceilings.
(Image credit: Shed of the Year)

Mark Twain at his writer's desk in Elmira, NY, looking out of the window.

Mark Twain at his writer's desk in Elmira, NY, looking out of the window.
(Image credit: Bettmann Archive / Getty)

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

Cuprinol Shed of the Year

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

sheep shed turned weekend hideaway

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

Tolkien-inspired Bux End shed

The Tolkien-inspired Bux End triumphed in the 2019 edition of Shed of the Year
(Image credit: Matthew Pover)

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

Toby Keel
Toby Keel

Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.

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