Devon LivingIssue #01
Solid and sustainable
Creating beautiful spaces in which to live, work and play, Barrel Top Wagons places nature and escapism at the very core of its ethos.
Barrel Top Wagons have been making beautiful wooden structures in Devon since 2011, and this year is set to be the most exciting yet! The Okehampton-based makers of extraordinary cabins, wagons, lodges and huts have kicked off by expanding into a spacious new workshop, growing their team and manufacturing a brand new cabin for their own off-grid woodland retreat.
“The standard and size of the work, bespoke design and sustainability of the materials used means that their solid timber-frame structures offer real value for money.”
Founded by Ben Ranson and Jo Henderson, the company specialises in producing unique structures using sustainable wood that’s grown right here in the south west. The team guides clients through a detailed design process, offering a range of sizes, layouts and finishes.
With a rise in popularity when it comes to glamping, and a surge of interest in tiny homes, the market has seen a boom in generic pods and shepherds huts on the market, but Ben and Jo have always aimed to offer something a little different. The standard and size of the work, bespoke design and sustainability of the materials used means that their solid timber-frame structures offer real value for money.
The majority class as caravans, and are often used in areas where gaining planning permission for more permanent buildings would be tricky. Permitted development rights allow a caravan up to 20m x 6.7m to be sited in a garden, for use by a relative, so if housing a family member is proving tricky, Barrel Top can offer a seriously practical solution. Likewise, for elderly or disabled relatives, the lodges can be designed for comfortable but stylish living.
In 2014, Ben and Jo were granted permission to create an eco-tourism site. Hidden down deep country lanes, Devon Dens offers guests a chance to stay in beautiful, off-grid cabins, made by Barrel Top Wagons, whilst submersing themselves in nature. The Den has now been welcoming guests for more than a year, and the all new cabin will be in place by the end of March, with bookings already flooding in for Easter and beyond. With no WiFi or phone signal, this is the perfect place to reconnect with nature, to sit back on the veranda and simply enjoy the birds singing.
BARREL TOP WAGONS
07969 948631
01837 871417
DEVON DENS
Devon Dens, Germansweek,
Beaworthy EX21 5AL
07969 948631
01837 871417
"The standard and size of the work, bespoke design and sustainability of the materials used means that their solid timber-frame structures offer real value for money."