Plankbridge has led the way in the shepherd’s hut revival. Co-founder Richard Lee shares the story of how it all began…
Plankbridge was co-founded in 2000 by Richard Lee and his partner Jane Dennison. What started in a modest workshop beside their Dorset home has now grown into one of the UK’s most respected shepherd’s hutmakers, committed to honouring tradition whilst embracing innovation. As the only hutmaker to be endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, Plankbridge huts can now be found in beautiful gardens, hospitality settings, woodlands and wild spaces across Britain and beyond.
Richard trained in fine furniture making at Hooke Park College in Dorset, founded by the celebrated designer John Makepeace, and in the early days of his career received invaluable support from the Prince’s Youth Business Trust. The seed for Plankbridge was planted in the late 1990s, when Richard sat by the fire one evening with a sketchbook and a well-thumbed copy of A Plank Bridge by a Pool by Norman Thelwell by his side. He and Jane had often noticed the old, weathered Victorian shepherd’s huts dotted across the Dorset countryside and an idea took shape: to reimagine the shepherd’s hut for modern living – beautifully crafted, compact and fully assembled, and ready to roll into place.
Rooted in the Arts & Crafts tradition of honest making, Plankbridge grew one hut at a time in Richard and Jane’s home workshop, where ideas were sketched for customers at the kitchen table, often over a bowl of homemade soup. As demand grew, Plankbridge moved to a large converted barn. Today, Plankbridge remains very much a family business, with daughter Hannah in the role of Head of Creative, and a team of master hutmakers, who are proud to carry forward the spirit of heritage craftsmanship.
Plankbridge is made up of a team of highly skilled hutmakers, CAD designers, joiners, furniture makers, paint finishers and office staff. True to the Arts & Crafts approach of John Ruskin and William Morris, Plankbridge takes pride in nurturing apprentices up to hutmaker level and takes huge pride in keeping traditional heritage craft skills alive. With experience of making high-end designs for discerning customers worldwide, the team works with their hands to make beautiful and versatile huts of heirloom quality.
