Is this Britain’s strangest shed? Owner of ‘brutal’ newbuild mansion mocked for building a ‘Costa drive thru’ summerhouse on side of main road – but wait until you see the view
Wealthy owners of a ‘bold’ new-build home have been mocked for building a ‘Costa drive through’ summer home on the side of a main road.
Critics have likened the ‘crazy’ luxury shed to a ‘modern outdoor toilet’ and a glorified bus shelter’ after photos were shared online.
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But the architect behind the striking building, in the grounds of a controversial palatial home in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, has hit back at trolls, saying it will offer stunning views.
He told MailOnline: ‘They are looking down from the balcony into a small forest. It will be turned into a very private garden.’
Users of
The summer house offers plenty of space for study or art during the day, and for relaxation in the evening
The large house on Bramble Ridge in Bridgnorth, Shopshire, has raised eyebrows among locals for its unique modern design
While the position of the summer house (left) is mocked online, architect Vic Johnson says the owner will enjoy the woodland views (right)
The summer house currently sticks out like a sore thumb, but overlooks idyllic scenery, including the town’s dramatic High Rock valley.
But while the owner can enjoy the rolling hills, some locals are unimpressed and have blown up the luxury barn, which is complete with French doors and decorated like an artist’s studio.
Patricia Hudson, 80, from Stourbridge, said: ‘We looked at it from across the valley and wondered what it was.
‘We thought it was a club. It’s actually a bit of a monstrosity.’
Another walker, Jo Lloyd, 76, said: ‘There are all kinds of strange looking modern buildings popping up in Bridgnorth now.
“It seems out of place to me.”
But gym owner Emma Sheldon, 49, disagreed: ‘I actually really like it. I live in a very old house, but if I could build something modern it would look like this.
‘I think they did a very good job. It’s probably older people who don’t like it.’
While the summer house is raising eyebrows locally and online, the construction of the adjacent five-bedroom house caused even more controversy.
Residents of the quiet cul-de-sac with detached homes nearby, which were built in the 1970s on an abandoned railway line, reacted angrily when plans were submitted to the council.
While the existing properties are standard sized houses with normal roofs, the new build at the start of Bramble Ridge with its flat eco roof is more than double the width of everything else.
The property is 30 meters wide, including a 22 meter balcony, and when the large garden is included, the plot extends over 100 meters.
It was once the very steep backyard of a local architect, Vic Johnson, who lives on a road above Bramble Ridge.
But he got planning permission to develop it for housing and after initially planning four small houses, he found a client who wanted ‘something different’.
The plans divided the local area with 34 objections and 33 supporting the development when it was proposed in 2015.
Glenn Jackson, 69, who lives across the road, said: ‘I still get sad every time I see it. It used to be a beautifully landscaped piece of land, but Vic let it become ugly, which obviously helped the argument for its development.
The summer house was mocked on Twitter, with one user photoshopping a ‘Costa coffee & drive through’ sign onto the shop front above
Other users on X, formerly Twitter, joked about the shed’s proximity to the main road
Local Glenn Jackson called the modern house (pictured, left) ‘a brutal structure and totally foreign to the area’
Mr Jackson (pictured), 69, who lives across the road, said: ‘I still get sad every time I see it’
The quiet cul-de-sac with detached houses nearby (photo) was built in the 1970s on an abandoned railway line
‘It’s a brutal structure and completely foreign to the area. Those of us who objected were not even allowed into the planning meeting.
‘When construction started, they had to excavate a large part of the hill. It has caused a lot of disruption for all of us.”
Another 84-year-old, who did not want to be named, said: ‘The residents’ association has fought against it for years.
‘It’s a big, big house and not suitable for this development. It suddenly appears on the corner of a sometimes very busy road because of all those football teams playing on the fields below.’
Sydney Oakley, 91, who lives next door, said: “Everyone was complaining. It’s not a decent house.
‘It’s been a hassle. They wanted to connect to my sewer line because they didn’t have it on the system, but I said no to that. Previously it was just bushes and trees.’
But Mr Johnson is proud and unapologetic about the house, labeling his neighbors as ‘NIMBYs’.
“It’s the first time I’ve been jealous of a customer,” he said. “We designed it the way we need to maximize the fantastic views of High Rock.
‘On the ground floor there is a triple garage, a gym and two bedrooms, as well as a tree and spiral staircase leading to a fantastic open plan living space and three further bedrooms.’
Asked about the opposition, he added: “You get NIMBYs everywhere. Bramble Ridge has become something of a retirement ghetto and people don’t like change.
‘Bridgnorth has always been full of fantastic buildings. In 1560 they decided to build the town hall on stilts across the main street.
‘People who comment base it on what they’ve seen over the last sixty years, but the history of the city goes back a thousand years. Things change.’
He continued: ‘It was a bitter planning process, but some were very positive about it.
‘We could have built a few noddy box-houses that wouldn’t have had such an impact, but this is unique and generates different insights.’