I got cabin fever in lockdown … so built my own beach hut

Few things say escape like a beach hut. After checking out some classic coastal designs – and remembering boyhood dens – I’m making one in the garden

It started with a chance comment from York hotelier Simon Cowton during an interview. “I was getting depressed in lockdown,” he said. “I realised I had to have a project.” Simon’s solution was to start a building project. He set about redesigning his hotel garden as a magical support bubble-friendly outdoor restaurant.

When I got off the phone, Simon’s words were still in my head. His enthusiasm and energy had fired me up. I, too, needed a project and knew what I wanted for my lockdown sanity … I wanted to build a beach hut.