Shed of the year: Shortlist includes Shakespearean 'retreat' and garden space station

To the uninitiated, Shed of the Year might sound like something out of a twee television programme set in the countryside in the 1970s.

In fact, it’s a bona fide national competition, one that garden enthusiasts and out-building experts spend months preparing for.

The sheds they create are considered works of art, with previous entries including sheds modelled on taxis and Viking Bauhettes.

On Wednesday, Readers Sheds announced this year’s shortlist of 21 sheds, and there are some creative masterpieces among them.

There are seven categories in total (Pub/Entertainment, Nature’s Haven, Cabin, Unique, Workshops, Budget and Unexpected) with three nominees per category and the public are invited to vote for their favourites online.

The TEmpest by David Stocks (SWNS)

For budding literature fans, there’s The Tempest, a wooden shed inspired by Shakespeare's play of the same name. The small and artistically decorated shed was built by David Stocks in his Staffordshire home.

“I built the shed both as a writer’s retreat in which to write my novels and as a place of tranquillity for my wife and I to relax,” Stocks explains on the competition’s website.

Another builder, Chris Smith, has created a shed based on a tropical tiki bar. The Freaky Tiki features vibrant greenery, blue lighting and tiki-inspired interiors.

The Reef Cavern by Chris Smith (Shed of the Year)

Elsewhere, sheds have been modelled after a colourful artist’s workshop, a cosy American log cabin and a space station.

Andrew Wilcox, head judge and founder of the competition, said: “We’ve been absolutely blown away by the incredible, imaginative and innovative sheds entered into this year’s competition. Every year there are more and more outstanding entries that take us by surprise.

The Space Shed by Jon Spooner (Shed of the Year)

“We’ve been really impressed by the aesthetics of the sheds – especially those that entered the brand new Nature’s Haven category, with entrants really demonstrating how important it is to welcome nature into our lives and our gardens.”

Kirsty Woodbine, marketing manager for Cuprinol, the garden furnishing company that sponsors the competition, added that this year’s entrants have “upped their game”, pointing to a significant shift towards sustainable sheds that make use of recycled materials.

“We’ve been impressed with the recycled and upcycled materials being used by 'sheddies' and the creative designs really show just how much you can do with a small outdoor space,” she said.

You can vote for your favourite shed here until 29 August.