Seven Famous Garden Sheds (And Owners)

A garden with no garden shed is like a cake with no icing. It works, but where’s the fun in that?

We’ve dived into the history books and had a look at some sheds that have witnessed great things and great people.

From the very basic writers pad to the inspirational hub to the garden oasis, here are seven of the most spectacular shed’s we could find:

 

Roald Dahl’s Humble Writing Hut

 

 

Roald Dahl, beloved author of Matilda & Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, did most of his writing from his basic, albeit ingenious writing hut.

The garden shed was built by one or Roald’s friends and cost the mere sum of £80 in building materials.

Every morning, Roald would make a thermos of coffee and venture down the garden to his private writing sanctuary. He’d dust off the rubber shavings from the previous day, sharpen his pencils, and then start writing.

Although a very basic shed, it had everything that Roald needed, and all within reach of his arm chair and writing board.

Whenever he found that something was missing, or could be improved – he’d come up with an ingenious solution to the problem.

 

 

Dyson’s Dust Free Shed

 

Do you ever wonder where the big brands of today started from?

Sir James Dyson, the vacuum dreamer, started his workshop in his humble garden shed.

After thousands of hours of work, a huge debt, and being turned down by the vacuum industry – James Dyson had his eureka moment. Still struggling to sell his idea to the industry giants, James Dyson was forced to find the finances himself, so that he could bring the revolutionary vacuum cleaner to market.

18 months after he secured his finances, his new invention became Britain’s best-selling carpet cleaner.

 

Mark Twain’s Octagonal Study

 

 

American author and humorist Mark Twain wrote some of his most famous work in his octagonal shed, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

In a letter to friend William Howells, Twain described his undisturbed oasis as a the loveliest study you’d ever see.

“It is a cozy nest and just room in it for a sofa, table, and three or four chairs, and when the storms sweep down the remote valley and the lightning flashes behind the hills beyond and the rain beats upon the roof over my head” Mark Twain, in a letter to William Dean Howells, 1874

 

Virginia Woolf’s Writing Shed

 

Virginia Woolf was yet another writer who adored the simplicity of working in a shed. Although easily disturbed by the dog or the kids in the school next door, the revamped potting shed was where Woolf wrote her novels.

Often leaving paw marks on her manuscript, her dog was her partner in crime and good companion.

The shed was also witness to Woolf’s struggle as she suffered from her mental health illness. A illness that penultimately let her to committing suicide.

In the very end, she left a suicide note for her beloved husband Leonard, in her beloved shed.

 

Roger Waters Studio Shed

 

It isn’t just scholars and literates that are fond of sheds. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters used his shed as an early recording studio for the demo track which would later become Dark Side of the Moon.

Who knows what would’ve been of Pink Floyd had it not been for the entry level recording studio?

 

Vic Reeves’ Shed Village

 

Comedian Vic Reeves adores sheds, and he’s got a whole 5 of them.

Vic has got a bar, an art studio, an art gallery, a children’s playhouse, and a green house (although not technically a shed). If you need a garden shed idea, Vic is your guy!

Although he says the kids aren’t too keen on the creepy crawlies that live in them – he wouldn’t be without his hideaway havens.

Vic said to The Sun that sheds aren’t just for men! Everyone needs a bit of privacy, and a shed is the perfect solution. He went as far as saying that even though you don’t have space for a shed in the garden – you should just pop one up in the living room and put a portable TV in there.

 

Bill Oddie’s Suburb Sanctuary

 

 

Presenter of BBC Springwatch, Bill Oddie, didn’t build his shed – but acquired it when him and his wife moved into their house in North London.

After being on the brink of collapse several times, Bill’s shed finally got a good revamp in 2012 (it’s now waterproof).

Bill, like Virginia Woolf, has struggled with Bipolar disorder in the past – and his shed has helped him overcome some of his darkest days, according to an interview with Oddie in the telegraph.

Hidden in the untamed garden with lots of wildlife, the shed is Bill’s sanctuary and one of the few places where he feels secure.

 

Do you also love the idea of having your own shed where you can do whatever you like and escape after a long day in the office? Why not check out our blog ‘What is the Best Shed for a New Gardener?’ or our home made timber sheds.