Feature: Littlestock Shepherds Hut

A handcrafted Cotswolds retreat

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The Cotswolds has always been a place of two halves. Those involved with sheep and those involved with art. Writers, artists, musicians and poets have all flocked here over the years in search of the inspiration that inevitably comes when surrounded by those gentle rolling hills. Perhaps one of the most famous being William Morris who spent many summers in Kelmscott by the Thames finding art in the way willow leaves dipped languidly into the river and thrush stole strawberries.

And then of course, there are sheep. The Cotswolds is a shadow of it’s former self where wool is concerned. Once the height of the English wool trade, it is now a place that bears only the remembrance of that prosperous time in it’s elegant market squares and ever reaching church spires. It is of course, still a very prosperous area but the regular trade now is that of tourism and wealthy people in search of the rural idyll.

The true Cotswold experience can be hard to find these days. Much like the Lake District and the ever popular south-west, going off the beaten track alone is not enough for you to find the genuine article. But look closely and you will find it. It is there in the small flock of heritage Cotswold sheep kept by my shepherdess friend Vicky, their fleece waiting to be spun into yarn. It’s in the local art week where small, often unknown creators open their workshops to the passing public. And it is in the quiet villages unpopular with tourists but filled with community spirit and care.

For those wanting a little taste of this old fashioned Cotswold experience there is Littlestock Shepherds Hut. Hidden away in the small village of Shipton under Wychwood, this incredible hut is the creation of artists Julia Sorrell and Ian Sanders and is a perfect mesh of their two mediums - textiles and wood.

“Ian did the wood. And most of it is recycled, reclaimed that kind of thing.” Says Julia as we enter the hut. It is truly a feast for the eyes and I can’t choose what to look at first. As a fellow textile creator, I can’t quite believe my luck at being allowed into this treasure trove of handcrafted creations. I am first drawn to the hand smocked dress hanging as a piece of art at the foot of the bed. “That I hand embroidered when I was a teenager.” Says Julia. The detail in the work is beautiful and as a wall covering, it works so well in this space.

Julia has been embroidering since the age of three and sewing since she was a teenager. She studied textiles at Goldsmith under the well-known textile artist, Constance Howard. Years of working with different textiles have come together in this small space and the effect is rather magical.

Ian’s skill with wood is clear as each part of the hut is cleverly fitted to perfection. As a small space it is key to be thrifty when it comes to furniture but not too much so that it feels bare. He has got the balance right with a solid wooden table that folds away, chairs that hang from the pegs on the walls and a set in bed with cupboard storage space just behind the head. All the wood has been hand decorated with white oil paint giving it the effect of an ivory inlaid box.

“This I made.” She says to me pointing at the chequerboard woollen rug by the bed. It is spongey under foot, the raw fleece rustic against the bare wooden floorboards. “A ram was delivered to the sheep who graze on the meadow in front of the hut.” Julia tells me. “And I asked the man who brought him about the fleeces. They were just about to burn a whole barn of fleeces. And so I took 20 fleeces. I paid £1 per fleece. Let me know if you want one.”

It is this attitude to the saving of materials that has lead Julia to create some of the beautifully eclectic pieces within the hut. “I hand appliquéd and embroidered that.” Julia points at the patchwork bedspread. “It’s all recycled and reused materials. Ian’s shirts and things.” I notice the recognisable check of a shirt very similar to one my Dad owns.

“The bed is all wool. Wool duvet, wool mattress and wool pillows. And all the cushions are stuffed with wool.” She says. And those aren’t the only elements hinting back to the huts heritage as a shepherds home. “I made that as a bit of a joke.” Says Julia laughing and pointing at a fun hand embroidered sheep cushion lying on the double bed. But it won’t just be woolly off-casts for this shepherds hut. From July the sheep will return to the wild meadow outside which Ian has been growing. But for now, guests can enjoy the wild grasses and yellow buttercups that surround the hut.

“These are hand woven using scrap materials.” Julia unlatches the curtain hook and let’s the curtain fall in front of the window. “And hand embroidered.” She adds. I can’t help but reach out and touch them. Their ruffled texture and bright embroidery is perfect in this rustic space. “Those are hand woven too from bits leftover.” Julia pulls down one of the hand painted wooden chairs and gestures to the seat. The chairs are another item kept away in a garage for years only to be repurposed for this space. “I just hate throwing anything away.” Says Julia.

Each time I look around the small space I find even more to see. The hand painted wooden clogs holding cutlery, the hand carved wooden bowls laid decoratively on a shelf high up and even another hand woven curtain for the tiny bathroom window. Hidden away down a small lane, tucked into a wild meadow that reaches down the Evenlode river, this little shepherds hut is a retreat from the world. Carefully curated from recycled materials, it is a showcase of just how much can be done with work and determination. Proof that a beautiful home can be created without buying new and mass produced. It has been a truly inspiring afternoon and I cannot wait to bring some of these ideas to my own handmade home.

If you’d like to book a truly beautiful stay at Littlestock Shepherds Hut you can do so here.