A team of Cumbrian entrepreneurs is aiming to change the way we work and play – they’ve developed a bothy. A very swish bothy. Big enough to be an office, or a bedroom, a playroom, or just a place to flop.

TV architect and design experts George Clarke and Kevin McCloud love it.

The design was at the Grand Designs Live show in London last month, winning an award and the heart of McCloud who presents the Channel 4 TV show Grand Designs.

He cast his expert eye over it at the exhibition.

“He loved it. He invited us back for the next show in Birmingham,” says Mark Aston.

The idea is the brainchild of businessman Mark.

The managing director of ASTSigns was drawing up plans for new guest lodges for the Beech House Holidays self-catering business run by his wife, Anna, near Dalston.

He explains: “The lodges will be like five-star hotel suites, open-plan with walk-in showers.

“But while I was thinking about that, I started looking at glamping ideas and it has come from there.

“The shape is a gable-ended building, it is a twist on the traditional bothy.

“There is a massive, growing market in home offices.

“Two years ago, Grand Designs picked up on our idea, but we only had the concept and nothing to show.


Kevin McCloud “We went last month and Kevin McCloud loved it and personally invited us to the Birmingham show in October.

“It has gone really well. I’m quite surprised at how well it has gone.”

The bothy was displayed in the Grand Village – an area of the show that reflects the ethos of Grand Designs, focusing on unique architecture, innovation and environmental awareness.

Displays featured the latest conceptual, eco-friendly and sustainable structures with the latest techniques and ideas for self-build projects and eco developments.

The display bothy sits by the car park of the ASTSigns base in the Gilwilly industrial estate in Penrith, dwarfed by the giant printing building.

Formed by Mark Aston in 2003, AstSigns has become one of Cumbria’s most successful small businesses and is one of the UK’s fastest-growing sign-making firms.

The firm made its name producing vinyl wrapping for vehicles including Eddie Stobart, Shell, DHL, Tesco, Santander Group, M-Sport, Yodel and Nestlé and has been named the Sign Industry Awards Business of the Year among other awards.

The bothy is just the latest award-winner and Mark is delighted and almost surprised at how well his sketchwork has turned out.

Mike Steadman, of Steadman steelworks in Welton is responsible for the solid steel skeleton of the structure.

He also came up with the idea of hidden guttering which allows rainwater to flow down inside the cladding and soak away, retaining the clean lines of the design.

Mark reasons that as more and more of us work from home, where we have an office and what that space is are becoming increasingly important.

Not everyone running their own business can afford to rent an office or extend their home to accommodate one.

Space in the south of the country in particular, is at a premium, which is why the bothy is appealing.

It is also much cheaper than paying out rents or getting a house extension.

Prices start at £19,800 and go up to £25,000 deciding on which wood is used for the cladding.

It seems very expensive for a swish and very well-built shed, but Mark insists: “Compared with the alternative, it is good value and viable.”


Becca Stockdale Becca Stockdale is sales manager for the bothy.

She says: “People work from home but don’t feel the office is separate from their home life.

“You can have this at the bottom of the garden and it is separate and away from distractions.

“It’s a high-quality office space or a life space to escape to.

“People can have it in their garden or on a plot of land.

“We already have orders for three – two in the south of the county which will be used as offices and one in the Carlisle area which will be used as a play area.”


Mark Aston Mark Aston adds: “Compared to a timber frame construction, it is more sturdy, longer-lasting and cost-effective.

“If you work from home, you want a quality product when you step in and you want it to be solid.”

The first version of the bothy gets its electricity supply from the mains or a generator, but there are plans for solar panels to provide the power.

The team is also working on an upgrade that includes a bathroom area.

The idea is to use it to break into the ever-growing glamping market.

They already have an agreement to base five of the new, bigger versions of the bothy on a site in the northern Lakes area.

Becca says: “The glamping bothy will be just a bit bigger, with an open bathroom and toilet.”

Mark adds: “There are a lot of ideas we can tweak it with. We have to do some market research.”

One area the bothy could break into is the music festival industry.

More and more events are offering up-market overnight stays in something more solid, weatherproof and private than a nylon tent.

Don’t be surprised if the bothies are the stars of next year’s Glastonbury and Kendal Calling...