Greenhouse and garden

On moving to Garth End Cottage there was an old railway workers' shed that the previous owner had used as a pigeon shed. We called it the "bird shed", and for the first few years it served as a play shed.

Eventually the play shed was demolished - revealing mies of Russian vine underneath the wooden floor. A concrete floor was laid, and a framework erected using 4 x 2 tanalised fencing rails and angle brackets

A lovely old stone wall was behind the shed. This was repointed and used as the rear of the new building. Where the old garden shed was (next to the railway shed) a greenhouse was built on, using 2 x 2' glass panels and a polycarbonate roof. Reclaimed roofing slates were used on the rest of shed. Shiplap panelling made the walls, reclaimed doors and windows were used as well.

Management requested themiddle room of the shed be a room to sit in, clear of tools and machinery. This was maintained, at least in principle, until the summerhouse was built and provided a better seating area. At this point a few spades and children's bikes and things moved into the middle room. The chair went.

The far room of the shed has always been for tools, and remains so.

The shed received a makeover when I retired in 2012, with a fresh coat of paint all round, and a new tongue and groove door.

The west side of the shed has a door out on to the compost area. A small bird icon cut out of a plank is a reminder of the original use for the shed before we came.

In 2020 the shed is still as shown here, though in need of another paint and repair job.