A garden shed built by a group of friends in Lancashire for their tabletop gaming sessions has won Britain’s 2026 Shed of the Year competition. Known as Otty’s Hobby Shed 2.0, the building belongs to Chris Otterburn and serves as a meeting place for friends who share an interest in wargaming. It also contains a memorial to their friend Scott Forrest, who died of cancer before the shed was completed.The shed was named the overall winner of the competition’s 20th edition. According to Shedworking, the project was built with help from Chris’s friends while Scott was undergoing cancer treatment. Although Scott could not see the finished building, the group included a dedicated space to remember him.The shed was entered into the competition by Chris’s friend Dave, rather than Chris himself. Dave believed that Chris would not have submitted the project on his own or spoken openly about the amount of work that had gone into building it.The finished shed includes an 18-foot gaming table, storage areas for gaming equipment and miniature figures, and a station for making tea. The friends continue to meet there every week, using the space for their hobby while keeping Scott’s memory alive.
Inside Otty’s Hobby Shed 2.0
Otty’s Hobby Shed 2.0 was designed primarily for wargaming which is a tabletop hobby in which participants use miniature figures and specially prepared boards to play simulated battles. The group needed a dedicated space where they could set up their games, keep their equipment and meet regularly.The building has an 18-foot table at its centre, providing room for the group’s gaming activities. It also has storage for battle boards and miniature figures that the friends have painted themselves. The painting work takes place in a separate shed, allowing the main building to be used for gaming sessions. Another feature is a tea-making station.Dave, who entered the shed into the competition, explained why he wanted the project to receive recognition. “Chris would never have entered it himself. He’d also never admit just how much work has gone into creating it or how much it means to all of us. It’s become somewhere we meet every week, enjoy our hobby, make endless cups of tea and remember our friend Scott,” he said, as quoted by Shedworking.
Building shed amid Scott’s illness
The construction of the shed was a group effort. Chris’s friends helped with the work while Scott Forrest, one of their fellow gaming enthusiasts, was receiving treatment for cancer.Scott died before the building could be completed, so the group decided to include a memorial area for him inside the finished shed.For Chris, the recognition was particularly meaningful because the project involved several friends and had become closely connected with Scott’s memory.“Winning Shed of the Year is an incredible honour and means so much to everyone who’s been part of this journey. What started as a hobby project has become somewhere our friends can come together every week, enjoy our shared passion and remember Scott. It’s far more than just a shed, and knowing other people have connected with our story makes this award incredibly special,” he said.
Britain’s Shed of the Year
The 2026 competition marked the 20th year of Shed of the Year, which recognises garden buildings created for different purposes across the UK.Andrew Wilcox, the competition’s founder and head judge, said the quality of entries had been particularly strong this year. However, Otty’s Hobby Shed 2.0 stood out not only because of its construction but also because of the story behind it.“Otty’s Hobby Shed 2.0 perfectly captures what Shed of the Year is all about. It’s an outstanding build, but it was the story behind it that made it our overall winner,” Wilcox said.He added that the shed demonstrated how a garden building could become a place for maintaining friendships, preserving memories and enjoying shared interests.
