Mushroom-shaped treehouse built by dad who got ‘carried away’ after request from his daughter, 12, crowned Shed of the Year
Benedict Swanborough scooped up a £1000 cash prize and beat almost 3,000 rivals for building a two-storey Mushroom shed
A DAD’s labour of love for his 13-year-old daughter has been voted Britain’s best shed.
Benedict Swanborough, 47, hand-built the winning, wacky shack after daughter Elsie handed him £500 of her own savings and asked him for a treehouse shaped like a mushroom.
Mr Swanborough, of Chiddingfold, Surrey, got "carried away" and eventually spent more than double Elsie's budget on her dream, two-storey Mushroom Shed.
The shed boasts a trap door, stained glass window and even a glass floor section which looks out onto a stream below at the bottom of the garden.
He incorporated a 'Deathly Hallows' design in brickwork outside the front door to Elsie's magical hangout to reflect her love of Harry Potter.
A circular hammock chair hangs from the exterior so that Elsie, now 13, can relax and take in the views.
And during treetop sleepovers she can gaze at the stars through a glass section in the roof.
Inside, fungi paraphernalia includes a carved giant wooden mushroom on the floor and a wall chart entitled 'Les Champignons' showing different types of mushrooms.
Mr Swanborough's pride and joy saw off shedloads of rivals - almost 3,000 - in Cuprinol's Shed of the Year competition.
His entry won the contest's 'cabin and summerhouse' category before being declared the overall best shed ahead of seven other category winners.
Those finalists included old fashioned police and fire stations, a hedgehog hospital and an underground man cave.
Other memorably quirky entries included a miniature cathedral, replica cinema, whiskey tasting centre, flight simulator and entire train carriage.
The annual contest shows how sheds are now far more than mere humble havens from the family home for their fanatical and often eccentric owners.
After over 26,500 public votes to pick the eight finalists, the contest's tenth winner was chosen by expert judges including Shed of the Year founder Andrew Wilcox - aka 'Uncle Wilco'.
Mr Swanborough scooped a £1,000 cash prize along with a giant crown and winner's plaque for his shed.
A jubilant Mr Swanborough sprayed champagne from the balcony of his shed as Elsie looked on proudly.
Mr Swanborough is a professional garden designer but said he never expected to win the celebration of British eccentricity.
He said: "My 12-year-old daughter handed me £500 and asked me to build her a house in the shape of a mushroom. I got a bit carried away!
"When we started the project we never could have dreamed we'd be here now.
"We've already made so many lovely memories in our shed and now have so many more from the competition.
"This year was so competitive I never thought we'd win the cabin and summerhouse category "There were so many innovative and amazing sheds in the running and we're absolutely thrilled to have been crowned Shed of the Year 2017."
The winner was announced during Sunday night's final episode of Channel 4's 'Amazing Spaces Shed of the Year'.
Founder Andrew Wilcox said: "The bar was set really high this year.
"With strong contenders winning all eight category awards it was a really tough decision for me and my fellow judges.
"Ben's dedication to his daughter and the quirky design details he created really stood out above the rest and he thoroughly deserves the title."
Cuprinol creative director Marianne Shillingford said: "Ben has proved that you just need a little motivation and vision to create a truly stunning space at the bottom of your garden.
"His shed was definitely a worthy winner for the competition's landmark year.
"This year's entries have really stood out from the crowd and show that your garden really can become a fifth room for all the family to enjoy.
"There are some really simple ways to recreate these looks in your own garden and we hope the competition will inspire the nation to make the most of their outdoor space."
