England is a nation of shed lovers, a recent survey puts the figure at 20% of us who own a shed. From garden sheds to bike sheds, wooden sheds to metal sheds, sheds have a long history and a multitude of uses other than flower pot storage and garden raking.
Shed is a derivation of an Old English word written shadde, shad or shedde which was first documented in 1481 referring to a “year in which there was a shadow in which there were six great dogs”. While we still keep animals in such buildings, the need for storage separate from our home is as strong and ancient as our need for a roof over our heads.
As early as the time of humans in caves, caves and smaller niches were used as storage areas separate from living areas. The evolution and development of the booth runs parallel to that of the house. As houses became free-standing (rather than cave-hewn), so did the shed, though it would be some time before that name was applied.
In the same way that wealth plays a role in the greatness of homes, fortune affects the shed. While most can fit everything they need in a 6×6 Apex-roofed wooden shed at the bottom of a garden, the wealthy can afford small additional buildings that are as opulent as their homes. It is fitting that the nation of shed lovers was the same nation that the rich gave birth to the English madness.
English follies, such as Wimpole’s Folly in Cambridgeshire, are buildings that serve no purpose other than their original storage needs, and are often built simply for decorative purposes in the gardens of the wealthy. From gothic towers to elaborate brick sheds, the craze shows that even the rich love the shed.
While many centuries have passed since a folly was built, sheds are still in high demand in England and there are often more than one in a garden. So why have a shed? The common garden shed is more than just a way to keep children’s bikes from rusting (or being stolen from the garden) and the range of activities that take place under the pent-up or apex roofs is varied. In fact, it could easily be argued that as the extravagance in shed designs has decreased, the diversity of their uses has increased.
Often related to the need for solace and seclusion, many hobbies can fit inside a garden shed. From brewing to storing collections of old computer magazines, workbenches stocked with power tools, a separate area for the many forms or recyclables or simply as a place to house what the garage can no longer accommodate. There are sheds that have been converted into gyms with the installation of home exercise equipment or poolside sheds that serve as changing rooms or even saunas.
So when strolling through a garden center or looking for a shed online, the question is no longer “what do I need a shed for?” is “what couldn’t you do in a shed?”
