Tree- mendous... lockdown hut is shed of the year
A LOCKDOWN sanctuary built around two living tree trunks has been crowned Shed of the Year.
It began as an ordinary garden hut but after eight years it is now on three levels and takes up around 16ft of space with oak floor planking.
The nature- inspired construction has a wood- burning stove for winter as well as reclaimed furniture.
When Covid- 19 struck it quickly became a sanctuary for its architect, Daniel Holloway, wife Beccy, 51, and their children Sam, 12, and Lyza, 14.
The 55- year- old expedition organiser from Blackheath, south London, said: “Spending time in it taught us some valuable lessons about appreciating what is precious and provided solace for us all during those really uncertain weeks and months.
“We whiled away many an hour in there listening to music, playing games and quietly reflecting.”
The shed boasts treasures from his African travels and is built around an ash and evergreen oak.
His Bedouin Tree- Shed topped the Nature’s Haven category in a public vote for the Cuprinol Shed of the Year before being awarded the overall title. Daniel wins £ 1,000 and £ 100 of Cuprinol products.
Teacher Ashley Bates was awarded a Special Commendation and £ 250 for streaming lessons for five- to eightyear- olds from his Shed School in his back garden in Hinchley Wood, Surrey. He said: “I was stunned how it took off – going from a few hundred followers to over 7,000 in just a few weeks.”