Ahoy, Sheddies! 10 Boat Sheds That Have Sailed Into Shed of the Year

Over the past twenty years of Shed of the Year, Sheddies have stretched the definition of “shed” in just about every direction imaginable. But there’s one particular breed of entry that keeps drifting back into the competition: the boat shed. Whether it’s a wheelhouse plucked from a working trawler that has entered this year, a hull turned upside down to make a roof, or a whole vessel reimagined as a garden hideaway, boats and sheds clearly share a special kind of DNA. Both are small, characterful spaces that are deeply personal to their owners, and both seem to bring out the best in British (and international) ingenuity.

To celebrate the seafaring side of the shed world, here’s a look at ten boat-themed entries that have graced Readersheds.co.uk over the years, from quiet floating studios to full-blown pirate ships in suburban gardens.

The Wheelhouse, Shropshire

Sheddies Richard Banks and Abi Chesterton landed themselves a genuine slice of maritime history. Their wheelhouse came from Silver Fern (MT99), a 1973 trawler, and now sits proudly in their Shropshire garden. It’s the kind of build that proves you don’t need to live by the coast to have a properly nautical shed, and a lovely example of giving a working vessel a second life on dry land.

Golden Behinde, Suffolk

You have to admire Harry Scott for the name alone. His shed is a roughish replica of the officer’s quarters from the Golden Hinde, perched above an old riverbed that occasionally floods. It comes complete with a gangplank, cannon, a moose (yes, really), and a resident seagull. Parties on board sound like the kind of thing Drake himself would approve of, and it’s a brilliant reminder that a shed can be as much theatre as storage.

Jebus, Essex

Denise Walker’s floating shed is a beauty. Designed by Denise herself and based on historical narrowboat butties, Jebus is moored at Roydon Marina and doubles as an art and yoga studio. A shed on the water, with a name that raises an eyebrow and a purpose that calms the soul. It’s also a reminder that “garden” can mean a stretch of canal just as easily as a patch of lawn.

HMS Wandsworth, Greater London

Tom F’s Victorian terrace garden in south London plays host to a small fleet’s worth of imagination. HMS Wandsworth is part pirate ship, part playhouse, part ark, kitted out with a cannon for good measure. Proof that even a modest London garden can become the high seas with enough creativity, a saw, and a willingness to ignore the neighbours’ raised eyebrows.

Le Bateau de Noel, Larzac

A reminder that Shed of the Year isn’t just a UK affair. Sheddie Dermenghem Fabrice built his boat-shaped cabin on the Plateau du Larzac in southern France, inspired by Robinson Crusoe and the romance of being a shipwreck survivor far from civilisation. Mountains instead of waves, but the spirit is pure castaway, and it sits beautifully in the dry, quiet landscape of the Larzac.

AVOCH, Cambridgeshire

Matthew Lynn’s shed is built around an old wooden sea scout boat that travelled roughly 520 miles from the village of Avoch in Scotland to its current home in Cambridgeshire. It’s a quietly lovely piece of recycling, with the boat itself becoming the centrepiece of the structure rather than just a decorative flourish. A proper hands-on Sheddie build.

The Maggie Ewing, Highland

David Carter took a renovated ex-boat wheelhouse, the Maggie Ewing, and turned it into a shed in the Scottish Highlands. With those views and that pedigree, it’s the kind of retreat where you’d quite happily spend a wet afternoon watching the weather roll in across the glens.

Boat Roofed Shed, Powys – Shed of the Year 2013 winner

The big one. Alex Holland’s Boat Roofed Shed took the overall crown in 2013, and it’s easy to see why. The roof is, quite literally, an upturned boat. Sat 750ft up in the Cambrian Mountains near Machynlleth in mid Wales, it’s built from recycled materials, runs on 12V, and uses traditional wattle and daub. Eco credentials, a maritime twist, and a Shed of the Year trophy, all the way up a Welsh mountainside.

The Water Shed, Smuggler’s Cove

Geoff Hill’s entry is a moored, floating pavilion at Smuggler’s Cove. The name does plenty of the work here, but the build itself is a lovely meditation on the simple right to a quiet spot on the water, drifting gently with the tide.

The Boat ‘arbour, East Riding of Yorkshire

Chris Anderson, based in Barmby on the Marsh, used the front end of an old ship’s lifeboat to create a hideaway. It’s small, salvaged, and entirely charming – exactly the sort of one-of-a-kind build that makes the competition such a joy to follow.

Why boats keep showing up

There’s something inherently shed-like about a boat. Both reward people who like working with their hands, both invite endless tinkering, and both tend to outlast their original purpose by decades. If you’ve built your own boat shed, get it entered into Shed of the Year 2026 over at Readersheds.co.uk.

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