From fitting door furniture on his favourite Lodge to doing the final checks to the chassis, hutmaker Al talks us through a not-so-average day in the Plankbridge workshop…
Which aspects of hut-making do you work on?
I work on whatever needs dealing with on that particular day, whether it’s paint touch-ups and fitting doors and door furniture, or doing the final checks to a chassis before the hut is delivered to a customer. It’s a skilled and varied job.
![](https://506cceeb054c70d7c214.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_5221-1024x768.jpg)
Best part of the job?
The team. Everyone is so hardworking and helpful, and if I ever face a problem I haven’t come across before I can draw on their experience. I’ve picked up a lot of different carpentry skills since I joined, as well as a few extra ones like lead welding.
Lead welding is tricky and takes a lot of patience – it’s easy to melt through the piece you’re working on if you’re not careful, but if you can do a neat job of welding together the trays they look really smart and finish off the look of a hut window. My favourite thing to make is detailed pieces like oak trims. For me, they’re the most rewarding.
![](https://506cceeb054c70d7c214.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_5211-edited-scaled.jpg)
Do you have a favourite shepherd’s hut model?
The Lodge because of the options a bigger space provides; you can have en-suite, kitchen and bed all in there. Read about the Lodge hut here
![](https://506cceeb054c70d7c214.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Adbaston_Escapes_Lodge-1024x768.webp)
Do you have a favourite colour from the Plankbridge colour card?
Wistman’s Blue. I’ve always been transfixed by rivers and waterfalls and love the colour blue.
![](https://506cceeb054c70d7c214.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_7263.png)
Favourite place to eat locally?
My village pub, The Frampton, in Crossways near Dorchester. It has great food, a nice seating area, and it’s within walking distance of my house!
What do you do in your time off and weekends?
Walking my 13-year-old border terrier Dave, and watching history documentaries. I’m a complete history nerd.
- To meet more of our talented team, click here