Meet the Team – Toby, Hutmaker

With a background in traditional wooden boatbuilding and a lifelong passion for craftsmanship, Toby brings a deep respect for timber and precision to every hut he builds…

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to work at Plankbridge?

I grew up near Malvern in Worcestershire and was always drawn to making things as a kid – dens, sheds, anything hands-on. I’ve always been creative, and even while I was studying photography at Falmouth University, I was building things just to have subjects to shoot.

After uni, I stayed in Cornwall and worked across a few different boatyards before deciding to pursue an apprenticeship. I managed to find a spot with Marcus Lewis, a traditional wooden boatbuilder in Fowey. It was just the two of us in a shed building wooden sailing yachts and dinghies, anywhere from 12ft to 30ft long, and a fantastic experience.

Later, I moved to Weymouth and worked at VanWorx on Portland, doing camper van conversions, and that’s when I heard about an opening at Plankbridge. The role offered more bespoke work and variation and allowed me to be back working with natural timber. I haven’t looked back.

What does your role at Plankbridge involve, and what does a typical day look like?

There’s not really such a thing as a typical day here and that’s what I love about it. Lately, I’ve been taking more of a lead role on some of the huts, which has been brilliant. At the moment, I’m working on ceiling boards and insulation for a beautiful custom build, and soon we’ll be moving on to the tin cladding, which is always satisfying.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

Working with wood. I love the smell! Every type has its own individual characteristics, whether it’s oak or sweet chestnut. A big part of the job is understanding how each timber behaves – how it planes, how it cuts, how it moves, and being a natural, sustainable material means that, just like wooden boats eventually returning to the sea, the wood from our huts will one day return to the earth. It’s a natural cycle and that really resonates with me.

Do you have a favourite hut or design feature you particularly enjoy working on?

Yes, when the tongue and groove walls go up because that’s when the space really starts to take shape and you can see the hut becoming a room. I also really enjoy the fit-out stage – installing the furniture, seeing everything come together. Each piece from the furniture department has already had so much care put into it, so it’s our responsibility to make sure we fit it properly.

What do you enjoy most about working at Plankbridge?

The team! Everyone’s so down-to-earth and genuinely cares about the work they do. There’s no “that’s not my job” attitude – everyone pitches in and that makes a huge difference. It’s a really good environment to work in.

If you could design your own dream hut, where would it be and what would it include?

I’d keep it simple and traditional – a classic Snug shepherd’s hut. No shower inside, just a loo and maybe an outdoor shower, with corrugated tin cladding for that authentic look. For me, that’s what makes it a hut.