In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Shepherd’s life was often solitary and harsh, particularly during lambing time, when he would have to attend closely to his flock day and night during the cold months of winter and early spring. The shepherd’s hut was introduced so that he could live in the pasture for extended periods of time and was a haven of warmth and comparative comfort.

Such huts were widely used throughout England and Wales and followed a similar basic design with a curved corrugated iron roof and stable door, small, high windows and cast iron wheels. The interior was usually simply furnished and was warmed by a small cast iron stove.

     
Most huts were built by small agricultural engineering firms (whose cast iron name-plates are now collectable items in their own right.) Some huts were constructed on the farm out of locally sourced materials, but all were built using blacksmith-made forged components such as chains, axles and drawbars.

As farming methods changed over time, the shepherd’s hut gradually disappeared from the landscape, so those original, intact examples are few and far between today.