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| As found in the spot where it had sat for 58 years |
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We found our first hut while viewing a Farmhouse for sale in our village. It was in a very a poor state. It's weight caused the wheels to sink into the ground and a build up of soil under the chassis as well as an Alder growing through the side of the hut didn't help either. After negotiating with the developer’s agent who had bought the site, we lifted the hut onto a trailer and moved it to our garden at the opposite end of the village.
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| The size of the job comes to light when the cladding is removed - the ribs that had suffered badly |
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Beginning life at Hall Farm, Rackheath near Norwich. Bought by Eddie Symonds from his Father in 1945 for the sum of £7, Eddie moved this hut to School Farm Barford to house a German prisoner of war, Hans Lenzen, who was allocated to work on the Farm from nearby Kimberly POW camp. Hans lived in the hut for 2 years, met and married a local Girl and lived the rest of his life with his wife in Norwich.
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| All sides were made fitted to a bottom rail. The whole framework was assembled in a day. |
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Reusing as much as practicable. Where new Timber was needed, it was an exact copy of what it replaced. The only deviation from the original design was the incorporation of a bottom rail so the hut could be constructed in sections. All Ironwork was sand-blasted, Zinc sprayed and powder coated. Re-assembly of the frame only took one day with the help of friends and engineers from Lotus and Proton Cars, Malaysia.
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| Complete 2 years after she was rescued. The green Larch and Oak weathering in nicely. |
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Finally complete, including a restored pot-bellied stove for those cooler nights. The hut has hosted sleepovers, evening dinners, parish council sub-committee meetings, Boy's 'fish and chip' (and Beer) nights and serves as an Art Studio and watercolour gallery for my wife, Carol.
Utterly hooked by the whole experience, this has prompted our passion for finding and recording other survivors.
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