Shepherd’s huts once played an important part in the yearly round of life on the farm. They provided the ideal solution to the needs of the shepherd to stay close to his flock, especially at lambing time, wherever they might be grazing and a place where he could keep all that he needed for their care ready to hand.

He could keep a watch over them even if they were well away from the main farmstead and still have a roof over his head and a place to sleep. They were a very practical idea and one that can — and is — being adapted for a whole range of present-day purposes.

Ian Grey, who has a building business in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, in Filkins, has always been fascinated by the shepherd’s hut and he has now made one of his own, as a prototype, which he is marketing as the AnXhut.

He has had it on display at a number of outdoor events this summer generating considerable interest.

“The idea had been at the back of my mind last year, because a customer had mentioned that he would like to have a shepherd’s hut,”

Mr Grey said. “Then at the end of 2010, advertisements were starting to appear in the Sunday supplements and it seemed the idea was becoming more prominent.

“So I thought I would like to make one myself. Although I did not know quite where to start, I soon found a few original examples locally.”

Then he heard of one at a nearby farm which he was able to buy and, using that as a guide, was able to research the materials that he would need for his own project.

He had copies of wheels cast by a pattern-maker in Lincolnshire and made a copy himself of the front axle.

The back axle is rigid and the rear wheels larger but the hut could be pulled from farm to field — in the earliest days, by horses.

“I wanted to keep to the traditional lines but brought up to date for the 21st century,” says Mr Grey.

“Our huts are based on cast-iron wheels on a complete steel axle, which is covered with an oak beam and bolted together with stainless-steel coach bolts.

“The carcass is constructed using treated timber and the walls, floor and ceiling are all fully insulated. The windows are double-glazed, energy-efficient and draught-proof. This means that the hut can be used throughout all the seasons of the year.

“A hardwood floor is fitted as standard, as are all the electrical fitting requirements, so that when the clients take delivery they know that their hut is ready to use straight away.”

The hut retains its traditional appearance, by having an exterior of corrugated galvanised tin and a stable-door style entrance.

Mr Grey can provide a bespoke service.

He explained: “Each hut is designed and handcrafted in our custom-built workshops in Filkins.

“They are individually crafted and can be customised to suit the client’s requirements. Should they wish to use it for a home office, playroom or garden room, we can create their perfect retreat.”

For example, by changing the arrangement of the rear wheels, the interior space can be made large enough to provide an extra bedroom to accommodate guests.

Mr Grey has already come across shepherd’s huts in other parts of the country being put to a variety of uses.

Some have been taken up for commercial operations and in quantity rather than just singly.

In Gloucestershire, a holiday park owner rents out the huts as his own style of holiday lets, as part of a bed-and-breakfast business.

There are similar operations in other popular tourist areas, including the Lake District.

Mr Grey said: “It is perhaps seen as revisiting the past — a different take on things and a little bit more exclusive than a tent, caravan or chalet.”

As the modern huts have metal wheels they are not suitable for towing on a road surface but can easily be moved around a grassed area, pulled by a tractor.

Other situations in which Mr Grey has seen a shepherd’s hut fulfilling a new and useful purpose include on a riverbank — providing a convenient and comfortable home-from-home for a fisherman.

“This particular one had two doors in the side opening out towards the river, rather than the normal single one at the front.”

A visitor to his display at one of this summer’s shows discussed a similar idea, for the use of a hut as a summerhouse in a waterside setting, where family and friends could sit and enjoy the scenery — with or without sunshine.

Mr Grey said: “My idea was to build this prototype, which people can come to look at. They can then think about the possibilities and we can create a design tailored to what they want.”