The story behind Greendown Shepherd Huts

The story behind Greendown Shepherd Huts

With our passion for the highest standards of craftsmanship, you’d think the Greendown Shepherd Huts story goes back generations. While we bring together the talents of local craftspeople with years, and even decades, of experience to build a shepherds hut range that we’re immensely proud to put our name to, we’ve actually been handcrafting our bespoke shepherds hut designs since 2016!

Our story may be a little shorter than expected but it’s inspiring nonetheless, while the family owned team of hut builders – each of whom has craftsmanship in their DNA – have their own unique tales to tell.

Here we delve deeper into the history of Greendown Shepherd Huts, the story so far and the people behind our builds.

Here’s how Greendown Shepherd Huts began

It was back in 2016 when co-founder Harry Long first dreamed up the idea of bringing bespoke shepherds huts and camping lodges to the market. With a background and years of experience as a skilled joiner, Harry already had a passion for nature and the outdoor living spaces that make it accessible to people from all walks of life.

While today we operate from our Somerset workshop, based just a few miles outside of the historic city of Bath, our lodgings were a little humbler back then. During the early days, Harry worked from his father’s garage to craft the very first camping lodges that would become Greendown’s bread and butter.

From building a shepherds hut to forging a luxury brand with heart

It wasn’t until a few years (and three daughters) later that Harry decided to take his bespoke shepherds hut brand to the very next level. It was during this time that he teamed up with his brother-in-law, Jordan Franklin, and from here, their budding business partnership blossomed.

The duo has since grown the business to become the UK’s leading hut builder, with their bespoke shepherds huts adored by private homeowners, independent glamping businesses and big name hospitality brands alike. Greendown has also become well known for opening up a world of opportunities for local craftspeople, with the development of young talent particularly close to the team’s heart.

Our passion for sustainability is another aspect of our business that shines through. All of our camping lodges and bespoke shepherds huts are made from European Oak sourced from sustainable, FSC certified forests. We are also proud to be a part of the Woodland Trust, an institution that works tirelessly to plant millions of trees each year, protect ancient woodlands and restore damage caused by deforestation.

Our processes, materials and resulting outdoor living spaces are intrinsically influenced by our mission to be kinder to the environment, a fact that means we’re careering towards our goal of becoming completely carbon neutral by 2025.

A great return on investment for all

A shepherds hut offers minimal impact accommodation, direct access to nature and a great return on investment for operators. We provide unique and charming accommodation solutions for hotels and landowners in this specialist market.

Our huts create a sense of rustic charm, simplicity and beauty. They are natural options for the glamping market, connecting people directly with nature and outdoor living.

At Greendown, we understand this market, and it is well-documented that hotels providing shepherds huts as an option usually demonstrate premium demand and occupancy rates, compared to those who offer standard in-house facilities.

Use our ROI calculator to find out what you can really gain through a shepherds hut investment.

Meet the incredible team behind our bespoke shepherds huts

We really couldn’t do what we do without each and every individual who forms part of our team. Here’s a quick introduction to the team members who make Greendown Shepherd Huts exactly what it is…

Harry – The Founder and Owner of Greendown Shepherd Huts, Harry is a carpenter by trade having honed his craft since leaving school in 2002.

Jordan – Owner, investor and serial entrepreneur Jordan has headed the brand since 2021 bringing a wealth of business knowledge that has taken Greendown to the next level.

Richard – After co-founding Greendown with Harry back in 2016, Richard continues to bring his financial expertise to the business as our trained Chartered Accountant.

Ryan – Our Retail Operations Manager joined the business in 2020 bringing 25 years of managerial experience and customer focus to the team.

Ricky – Head Joiner and Workshop Supervisor Ricky joined us in 2021. His role ensures Greendown Shepherd Huts carries on moving forward with innovation and design.

Sam – The longest serving member of the team, joining in 2018, Sam is our qualified Plumbing Technician and Multiskilled Operator.

Gary – Our Paint Technician joined the business in 2020 and ensures all of our builds are finished to the finest standard.

Austin – Joiner Austin has just passed his apprenticeship in furniture manufacturing with a Distinction, and we couldn’t be prouder!

Oliver – The newest member of the team (Oliver joined us just this year!), Oliver serves as our Digital Marketing and Sales Executive, and has already made his mark.

Bill – Sprayer and Joiner Bill joined the team in 2023 and is solely responsible for the quality spray finish to all of our in-house build windows and doors.

Craig – Joiner Craig came to us in 2022 with his years of experience in joinery enabling him to head up our window and door department.

Imants – We welcomed Carpenter Imants in 2021. He’s since worked tirelessly and now leads our first fix department.

Adam – Electrician Adam joined Greendown in 2019 and ensures that all of our huts are electrically sound while providing your build’s certification.

Chaz – Multi-skilled Chaz joined our team in 2023 as a secondary painter, yet with an additional skill set in carpentry has become invaluable during both the first and second fix stages.

Adam & Matt – Both Adam and Matt joined a couple of months ago and are excelling within the departments they are currently working in. They are already very much valued members of the Greendown team.

Greendown – where experience, craftsmanship and quality matters

Whether you have your eye on the camping lodges that form part of our range or are considering a bespoke shepherds hut build, the experience, craftsmanship and quality behind each and every one of our shepherds huts is there to see.

With the average income up to £200 per night, using a premium hut builder like us to start or expand the offering of your business can guarantee some pretty impressive returns. Find out what these returns look like by entering your details into our ROI Calculator.

You can also contact us or visit our showroom to see our huts in person, meet the team and discuss your next steps.