Shepherd Huts

They were a familiar sight in the agrarian landscape of 19th- and early 20th-century Europe, the little wagon homes that dotted distant hillsides as shepherds watched their flocks through the long summer days.

The shepherd hut has been replaced by more modern conveniences for working sheep men and women, but it is enjoying a resurrection in the form of luxurious little reproductions. It is reported that the vastly privileged toddler, Prince George, was even endowed with one on his first birthday, complete with oak floors and a day bed.

In the Berkshires, Betty Grindrod, Robin Berthet and Julie Keil of Berkshire Shepherd Huts, Sheffield, MA, are introducing the local populace to the cozy little nooks. They produce a variety of models of “huts,” ranging in price from $20,750 for the “utilitarian” model crafted of rough-sawn ash, with cherry edge shelving and LED strip lighting, to the ultimate in rustic accommodations, a $22,500 version crafted with recycled mushroom wood sealed, a small Hobbit wood stove from England, oak flooring, double hung windows and screens along with two porthole fixed stained glass windows.

The huts can be customized to meet the client’s needs and they are perfect for use as extra bedrooms, cabanas, garden sheds, offices and more. They can even be designed as “Complete Living Huts” with kitchens, built-in beds, seats, tables and bathrooms.

Berkshire Shepherd Huts is located at 1704 South Undermountain Road; 413-229-2243, info@berkshireshepherdhuts.com.