The New Year arrived in a blast of snow in the Peak District and with preparations well underway for the launch of our new offering (we’re excited!) and with a new award, freshly bagged (more shortly), 2018 is shaping up to be a corker.
But before we steam into the year ahead, let’s take a moment to look back at some of our 2017 headlines.
The team grew and two became five.
Clare was the first to join our merry band all the way back in January as our trainee shepherd hut builder extraordinaire and with her came Obie, her beautiful chocolate lab.
Dan joined us in June and brought with him wild tales of climbing adventures oh, yes and superb skills in joinery.
Jack joined the team shortly after Dan and quickly became our eco-guru ensuring that White Peak Shepherd Huts is a green, lean building machine. He brought Louie, the super cute yet epically grumpy schnorky. Check out our WPSH super team.
Possibly the most important member of the team (at least that’s what he thinks) joined us in February. Barney is a rambunctious cockapoo we re-homed when his previous owner found his boundless energy a little too much to handle.
Barney is the most enormous pest with his nose pressed everywhere it shouldn’t be but his joie de vivre melts the heart and, for better or worse, it’s safe to say he’s found his forever home with us.
Show highlights
We kicked off 2017 with Chatsworth Horse Trials.
This year the weather was kind and the crowds came out in force. It was great to catch up with familiar faces and it is always a pleasure to meet new people and hear their ideas.
We’re becoming old hands at this show now and we’re already preparing this year’s show models (yes, that’s plural show huts this year). As you may have gathered we will be unveiling our newly designed hut for the first time at Chatsworth Horse Trials 2018 and we’d love to show you around so come along and say hello.
Next came a sun-soaked Eroica which is always a great fun event and got us chatting to people from all over the globe; not to mention a fantastic suntan.
August bank holiday saw us roll our show hut along to Hope Show, our local and wonderful agricultural show. The turnout was spectacular, with people four deep to get to the hut. We were weary yet happy hut builders by the end of that show!
Our final show of the year was Chatsworth Country Fair, where hot air balloons, aerial displays, endless amounts of things to see and do, huge crowds and dogs in every direction made for a highly entertaining three days.
It was also here that we put our 2017 show hut up for sale. Our pretty little Garden Hut finished in Farrow & Ball’s Churlish Green was snapped up immediately and it was with a sad heart that we took her to her new home (we get very attached to our huts).
However, when we saw the delight of her new owners on our arrival we perked up knowing she’s going to be loved.
Huts, huts and more huts!
We love all of the huts that we build but some stand out as particularly special such as the 20ft hut we build for a lady to live in after being evicted from her home by the National Trust.
Read more about Liz’s story and how she has found happiness in her new shepherds hut home with the help from her unusual four legged friends. We even managed an alpaca cuddle or two ourselves!
This hut is a 16ft Traditional Hut finished in Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke which stood out due to the simply stunning location.
It sits beside a huge swimming lake which is in turn situated in beautiful gardens. This particular hut is going to be used as a fishing hut-come-romantic, lakeside retreat.
It’s always fun when our customers play with colour and we loved this pretty 14ft Traditional Hut finished in Farrow & Ball’s Stone Blue.
This cosy shepherd hut has found a life providing a cosy meeting room for her owner’s women’s group.
To Come
But now 2017 is in the rear-view mirror and we may have already mentioned that we’re excited about the year ahead and here’s a sneaky preview of what’s in store.
New and Improved
Our workshop is getting a full makeover! Amongst the improvements, we will be incorporating a dedicated spray room large enough to drive the hut in for the optimum paint finish.
The team will also be enjoying a brand new, bespoke office with a meeting area built in – you guessed it – a shepherd hut!
Events 2018
We have an exciting timetable of events planned for 2018. Our confirmed dates for this year are;
Chatsworth Horse Trials 11th- 13th May
Chatsworth Country Fair 31st Aug – 2nd Sept
The Glamping Show 20th – 22nd Sept at Stoneleigh Park.
Come along and say hello, we’d love to hear your ideas and show you around. You can take a look at our brand-new hut and tell us what you think.
So, without further ado… *insert your own drum roll here*… we’d like to introduce…
The Hutlet!
Our, brand new, baby shepherd hut, the Hutlet will be unveiled at Chatsworth Horse Trials this year.
Measuring in at only 1.4 m wide x 2.3 m long (internally), the Hutlet will be big enough to work, sleep and play in whilst also being petite enough to fit into the smallest spot. Perfect for anyone longing for the charm of a shepherd hut in a smaller package.
The Hutlet will make a delightful children’s play space, writers hut and extension to your Glampsites and we know when you see them you’ll have lot’s more ideas and we can’t wait to hear them.
Checking in at a starting price of only £10,999 inc VAT the Hutlet is extremely affordable too so keep a look out for news and pictures as our baby Hutlet is born.
Awards!
Last but not least, we are incredibly proud to announce that we have been awarded the much-coveted Environmental Quality Mark (EQM) from the Peak District National Park!
The EQM is an award presented by the Peak District National Park Authority to organisations that:
• Support the local economy
• Protect the global environment
• Enhance the local environment
• Invest in people and communities
• Celebrate what’s special about the Peak District National Park
In fact, the EQM gives customers the reassurance that – in their words
“When you buy a product or service that has been awarded the Environmental Quality Mark, you can be confident that you will be helping to look after the Peak District environment, as well as local people and communities.”
Over to you
So now you have heard about a few of our plans, we’d love to hear about yours. If you are considering a new art studio, a guest bedroom, a garden office, to change your career to Glampsite owner… the list is endless, get in touch as we’d love to work with you on making your dreams become a reality.
Contact us either by phone or email for an informal chat or to arrange time to come along and meet the team and see the huts we’re working on.
Tel: 07761 983312
Email: josephine@whitepeakshepherdhuts.uk