Pangbourne woman beats shedloads of opposition

‘Sheddy’ Abigail Walker, from Pangbourne, has been named the winner of the cabin/summerhouse category.
The competition, which is now in its seventh year and sponsored by garden woodcare firm Cuprinol, features entries where the humble garden shed has been transformed into outhouses for their owners, with nearly 2,000 people across the country entering their creations.
Mrs Walker’s Nissen-hut inspired cabin is one of eight finalists whose whacky entries will now go forward for the overall Shed of the Year winner, and she faces competition from a Tardis and a shed shaped like a ship.
Mrs Walker said that she was amazed and delighted to have reached the final, despite joining quite late in the competition.
“I did not think for a second that I would get an award. What I cannot believe is that nearly 2,000 people entered the competition and I have made it into the last eight,” she said.
“It’s such a lovely thing to be called a ‘sheddy’. It’s all great fun and very British. and my teenage children find it hilarious.”
“Since we’ve had [the cabin] it’s been used as a bedroom, an office, a dining room and a nightclub. I have three teenage children who use it regularly for parties.”
An Englishman’s home may be his castle, but when it comes to sheds, people can be just as demanding, and Mrs Walker said that she decided to make her own cabin when she couldn’t find one she liked.
“I was trying to find a garden building and was uninterested with the choice, as they were high design with a massive price tag, and I thought I’m not going to get one I want,” she said.
“I absolutely love corrugated iron so I started looking for a company that would sell Nissen huts but couldn’t find one. So I asked my brother, who is a builder and property developer, to do the work for me.”
“It’s a great and happy little building. I love vintage and using things that are upcycled. I just like messing about with stuff that other people might have thrown away.”
Mrs Walker has had such a great experience working on her shed that she has added shed design to her portfolio as a graphic designer.
The overall winner will be judged by a panel of experts, including TV presenters Kevin McCloud, Sarah Beeny and Shed of the Year founder Uncle Wilco, and will be announced during shed week, beginning on July 1.