Was delivered on the date requested and was off loaded and stacked neatly beside the house. Didn't realise the base coat would be patchy, having spoken with customer servicrs they assured us this... See more
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The shed itself is great. Confusion over booking 'delivery date' (which apparently meant 'collection from Shire date') meant it was delivered a few days after I expected. Few bare patches of dipping... See more
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I could not log onto the online portal to book my delivery date. Phoned the office on two occasions both days their portal was also down. Third day tried and i got onto book date online. Stating 21st... See more
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I bought one of the Honeysuckle Corner Arbours and found it reasonably easy to assemble. However, I would make two suggestions- I found it impossible at step 12 of the assembly instructions to screw... See more
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Company details
Written by the company
Shire Garden Buildings is a proud, family-run business based in Cambridgeshire, with over 40 years of trading experience. Since 1981, we have been manufacturing high-quality garden buildings in the UK, building our reputation on craftsmanship, reliability, and exceptional service. Every product we sell is manufactured here in the UK, using high-quality Northern European timber. Originally transitioning from yacht production into garden building manufacturing, we drew on the extensive skills of our workforce to establish a strong foundation for growth. Over the decades, we have continued to expand, with knowledge and expertise passed down through generations. Today, our factories and warehouses span approximately 20 acres, supported by investment in state-of-the-art equipment including a planing mill, fully self-contained joinery production, undercover timber storage, and large warehouses capable of holding up to 20,000 buildings in stock. We employ over 150 dedicated team members who share our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Our extensive product range includes sheds, summer houses, greenhouses, playhouses, and much more, all crafted to the highest standards. From manufacture to delivery, we manage the process ourselves, dispatching orders using our own fleet to ensure reliability and care. Our exceptional after-sales team is always on hand to help with anything at all, providing the support and reassurance our customers value.
Contact info
Shire, Brigstock Road, Wisbech, PE13 3JJ, United Kingdom
- 01945 465295
- rob@shiregb.co.uk
- www.shiregb.com
Shire Frequently Asked Questions
3.2
Average
2K reviews
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Replied to 98% of negative reviews
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Damaged Front to Play Shed.
Damaged Front to Play Shed.
When the play shed was delivered there was a few issues with the front panel:-
1) Damage where top of doorway had been cut out: it looked like they had used a chainsaw - I contacted Customer Service (with photos) but they said it isn't a manufacturing fault and I could lightly sand the area to solve - not sure how that would help as there is missing timber from the sawing.
2) Bent over nail on front - Customer Service said that I could carefully remove the nail.
3) Nail sticking out at top preventing roof being flush - Customer Service again said I could carefully remove the nail.
"Shires" refused to replace the front panel, I wonder what Quality Control they have to allow this to even leave the factory.
I don't think it is asking too much, when you spend a lot of money to purchase the play shed, that it is in good condition.
Paul (Suffolk)
18 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We're sorry to hear that you remain disappointed with the condition of your playhouse front panel.
Following your initial contact, we reviewed the photographs you provided, and at your request the matter was escalated to management for a further assessment. After carefully reviewing all of the images, we concluded that the areas around the doorway were the result of the normal machining process on a natural timber product, rather than a manufacturing defect requiring a replacement panel.
We appreciate that the appearance did not meet your expectations. However, as explained in our correspondence, light sanding and timber treatment are standard preparation steps for untreated timber buildings and are recommended within the assembly instructions. The protruding and bent nails were also acknowledged, and we advised that these could be easily repositioned during assembly. While these should ideally have been corrected before dispatch, they do not affect the structural integrity or performance of the playhouse.
We understand that this was not the outcome you were hoping for, but after both our customer service team and management independently reviewed your concerns, we remained satisfied that the panel was fit for purpose and did not warrant replacement.
We appreciate your feedback, as it helps us continue to review our manufacturing and quality control processes.
No star!
No star!! This company sells on B & Q marketplace. Purchased a kids playhouse with a delivery of 5 to 9 working days however product arrived 6 weeks after purchase. Reached out to company who basically blamed me. Product itself is fine and no complaints. Missold delivery times. Will avoid this company if purchasing again. Not a good service.
Reply 01/07/26 - you didnt contact me i contacted you. I was offered to cancel the order however the refund would take upto 7 days so reordering elsewhere wasn't really an option because I had to wait those 7 days before I could reorder. As I said in my original message the contractor blames the customer when things go wrong.
30 June 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your experience.
We'd like to clarify that when we contacted you regarding the delay, we offered you the option to cancel your order and receive a full refund. You chose to wait for the item, and we kept the order active based on your decision.
We completely understand that the delivery took much longer than originally expected, and we appreciate your patience. While we're pleased to hear that you're happy with the playhouse itself, we regret that the extended lead time affected your overall experience.
Your feedback is important to us, and we will continue working with our marketplace partners to improve delivery communication and customer experience.
The shed was badly made wood…
The shed was badly made wood splintering actual holes going right through from knots in wood . Gaps where wood didn’t match up . First storm we had it leaked everywhere . I sent pictures and put in a formal complaint but they were not helpful at all . I’m now having to pay a builder £300!3xtra to put eight defects will never purchase from here again
27 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
We're sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your shed.
After receiving your initial photos, we contacted you to request additional images showing the full length of the affected panels from both the inside and outside of the building. This was needed so we could fully assess the issues you had reported. We also explained that the raised grain visible in the timber can be lightly sanded before treatment, and that any knot holes can be filled with a suitable wood filler, as timber is a natural material and knots can occasionally loosen during transport, storage, or assembly.
Unfortunately, we did not receive the additional photographs requested, which meant we were unable to complete our assessment or determine whether any replacement parts were required.
We appreciate your feedback and are sorry that you were left feeling dissatisfied. Had we received the requested information, we would have been happy to continue investigating the concerns and work towards an appropriate resolution.
The shed itself is great
The shed itself is great. Confusion over booking 'delivery date' (which apparently meant 'collection from Shire date') meant it was delivered a few days after I expected. Few bare patches of dipping treatment but Shire quickly provided some treatment to remedy that. Pane of glass was broken in transit but again Shire were quick to send a replacement pane.
26 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Hi Wendy,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.
We're really pleased to hear that you're happy with the shed itself, and we appreciate your understanding regarding the delivery confusion. We're sorry that the wording around the booking process caused some misunderstanding and that there were a few issues with the timber treatment and the broken pane of glass.
I'm glad our team was able to resolve these issues quickly by sending out the treatment and replacement glass. We always aim to put things right as promptly as possible.
Thank you again for your feedback—it helps us improve both our products and our service. If there's anything else we can help you with, please don't hesitate to get in touch. We're always happy to help.
Brilliant service
26 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
We really appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear you had a brilliant experience with our service.
Your feedback means a lot to our team, and we look forward to serving you again in the future.
We got there in the end!
We chose the Shire Barn shed because we love the roof shape and it was a fair price compared with other garden sheds with a similar footprint.
Here are our comments:
Instruction leaflet: The print quality was poor and almost illegible in places. We tried to source a pdf version, but were not able to do so.
The parts list: Part no. A0002 did not measure 34x46x230 as stated. This did not matter as it turned out, but did cause us wasted time and confusion.
Hardware: The 8mm felt nails were particularly blunt and of low quality. Attempting to hammer these into the OSB roof panels was a particular challenge. We bought sharper and slightly longer felt nails for attaching the felt to the roof edges, which helped greatly.
Tools: One thing that we felt should have been on the list was clamps. We found these to be indispensable for holding the side panels together before screwing in place. We also used clamps to hold the roof bearers together (we screwed each pair of roof bearers together despite the assembly instructions not requiring this step, as the bearers were quite warped)
Assembly Instructions:
Step 1. The panel layout is extremely important and could easily be missed as it is included within Step 1 (the tee hinge attachment instructions) instead of Step 4 where the panel assembly instructions begin.
Step 2. (Window panel assembly) In hindsight we would also have glazed the window at this stage as it would have been much easier than waiting until step 21.
Steps 4 to 7 (Panel assembly). The assembly instructions specifically state "do not to fix the walls to the floor until asked". We ignored this instruction and part screwed each panel into the floor to provide some stability to the structure before fitting the gables and roof bearers.
All in all it took two of us 3 days to build the shed. The main issue throughout was the instruction leaflet. If this had been clearer to read (poor print quality) and the steps better explained, and in a more logical order, the build time would probably have been reduced significantly, but we got there in the end!
29 June 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed and thoughtful review. We’re pleased to hear that you chose the Shire Barn Shed and that you were happy with its design and value.
We sincerely appreciate you sharing your experience and the constructive feedback regarding the instruction leaflet, parts list, hardware, and assembly process. Your comments are incredibly valuable, and we will ensure they are passed on to the manufacturer for review, as they may help improve the instructions and overall assembly experience for future customers.
We understand that building the shed took longer than expected due to the issues you encountered, and we're sorry for the frustration this caused. However, we're delighted to hear that you got there in the end and hope you enjoy your new shed for many years to come.
Thank you again for your honest feedback and for choosing us.
Second Shire summerhouse
Ordering, delivery and erection were first class. A pane of glass was missing but that is being resolved.
Only reason I haven’t given a 5* is because it’s only when you use the shed you find the drawbacks. I have a 8x6 Delmora. The side window is fixed (why?).
The front has top hung windows either side of the doors and when the doors are open you can’t open the windows other than a tiny bit. The picture of it shows those windows side hung.
The handle is cheap and awkward and the two bolts go into drilled holes in the wood on a join.
My last Shire summerhouse was a Woburn and was of better quality. However, the Delmora fitted the gap I had and was cheaper. No regrets but worth noting.
7 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We're delighted to hear that you were pleased with the ordering process, delivery and installation, and we really appreciate your kind comments about our fitters.
We're sorry that one pane of glass was missing from your summerhouse. As arranged, our team will be returning on 13th July to fit the missing pane and complete the installation.
We also appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback regarding the Delmora's window configuration and handle design. Customer feedback like yours is invaluable, and we'll ensure your comments are passed on to our product development team for future consideration.
Thank you again for your review, and we hope you enjoy your new summerhouse for many years to come.
Elm summerhouse and side shed.Delivery driver really helpful and…
Delivery driver really helpful and friendly .
A few pieces missing. Instructions not clear and not easy to interpret and would be better in colour .
Done of the wood was bowed which made it more tricky to slot together
22 May 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We're pleased to hear our delivery driver was helpful and friendly.
We're sorry that your building was missing a few components and that you found the assembly instructions difficult to follow. We appreciate this feedback, and we'll be sure to pass your comments regarding the instructions on to the relevant team. We're also sorry to hear some of the timber was bowed, making assembly more challenging.
I'm glad we were able to arrange the missing parts promptly, and we hope you've now been able to complete your summerhouse. Thank you again for your feedback.
Avoid at all costs.
Quoted 15 days delivery time, now after a very late unexplained cancellation at 1 days notice and many attempts to secure a revised delivery date I am now being told late August/ early September. Ridiculous, how is this acceptable?
28 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We sincerely apologise for the delay to your order and understand how frustrating this has been, particularly following the late cancellation of your original delivery.
Unfortunately, due to an unforeseen production delay, we have been unable to provide a confirmed delivery date, and we're sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. We appreciate your patience while we've worked to obtain the latest information.
If you decide not to wait, as your order was placed through Costco, any cancellation would need to be arranged directly with them. We genuinely regret that we've fallen short of your expectations and apologise again for the disappointment caused.
Well packaged kit with good…
Well packaged kit with good instructions for putting it together. Very happy with the result.
28 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We're delighted to hear your kit arrived well packaged, that you found the instructions easy to follow, and most importantly, that you're very happy with the finished result.
Thank you for choosing Shire, and we hope you enjoy your new building for many years to come.
I had a query about replacing my door…
I had a query about replacing my door on my Shire summerhouse. The customer service team were very helpful and quick in responding and resolved my query and costing to replace. Thank you great service.
28 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We're delighted to hear that our customer service team was able to help with your enquiry and provide a quick resolution.
Your kind feedback is greatly appreciated, and we'll be sure to pass your comments on to the team.
Thank you for choosing Shire, and we hope you continue to enjoy your summerhouse.
Wood is bent loads of wood spilt…
Wood is bent loads of wood spilt instructions are horrendous deliveru was a nightmare definitely not worth the money its worth 700 tops the craftsmanship is horrendous the beading for the windows doesn't fit leaves massive gaps the felt is rubbish had to buy my own the roof and veranda have 2 lots of instructions you get to the veranda which is the last bit only to tell you that the roof goes on a completely different way than what the building instructions say to be fair I rather it be taken down and refunded but that wont happen or at least money knocked off but that won't happen either I wouldnt but from here again and wouldnt ask anyone to either they seriously need to sort the instructions out and the craftsmanship and offer installation
20 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
We're sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your experience.
We take feedback regarding the quality of our products and assembly instructions seriously. Having reviewed our records, we can see that aside from a request for the assembly instructions on 16 June, we did not receive any further communication or photographs showing the issues described in your review. Without this information, we have been unable to investigate the concerns raised or offer an appropriate resolution.
We also appreciate your comments regarding the assembly instructions. The verandah kit is supplied with supplementary instructions that are intended to be used alongside the main building instructions. These supplementary instructions modify specific stages of the roof installation to accommodate the verandah extension, while the remainder of the roof assembly continues to follow the main instruction manual. We recognise that referring between the two sets of instructions may not be as straightforward as intended, and we will ensure your feedback is shared with our product team for review.
If you are experiencing damaged or defective components, please contact our Customer Service team with photographs of the affected parts and the relevant part numbers from the assembly instructions. Once we have this information, we will be happy to review your case and provide assistance where appropriate.
We appreciate your feedback, as it helps us continue to improve both our products and our customer experience.
A bit late with delivery
A bit late with delivery, but when it came we were absolutly amazed how good it was. We had a problem with one piece but was soon resolved by speaking to shire, the part was delivered in two days
27 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We're sorry that your delivery took a little longer than expected, but we're delighted to hear you were so pleased with the quality of your building once it arrived.
We're also pleased that we were able to resolve the issue with the replacement part quickly and get it to you within a couple of days.
Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope you enjoy your new building for many years to come.
Really pleased with the Shire Arbour…
Really pleased with the Shire Arbour and the clear instructions on how to build it. The only slight drawback is that we had to wait longer than expected for delivery but when it did arrive the driver, Derrol, was very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. Good value for money product.
16 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We're delighted to hear you're so pleased with your Shire Arbour and that you found the assembly instructions clear and easy to follow.
We're sorry that your delivery took a little longer than expected, but we're really pleased to hear Derrol provided such excellent service. We'll be sure to pass your kind comments on to him.
Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope you enjoy your arbour for many years to come.
Disappointed, poor build quality
So the Bison workshop is made of solid material but my floor panels were missing a strip each end and when screwed together was 40 mm out of square, doors are also out and was missing the square spindle for the door handles, went here direct as its local but maybe should of gone further afield, good job I know my way around tools because I think someone without that knowledge would not of been able to sort it, I did eventually receive my new door handles pack, also sending one driver to deliver such heavy panels is beyond me so be prepared to either have help to move to location or pay someone to erect it for you
3 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We're sorry to hear your experience didn't meet your expectations.
We apologise that the handle spindle was missing from your order, and we're pleased we were able to arrange a replacement for you. We're also sorry to hear about the concerns you raised regarding the floor panels and door alignment. We appreciate you taking the time to provide photographs and detailed feedback, which has been passed on to our technical team for review.
We're glad you were able to complete the installation, although we appreciate it wasn't as straightforward as it should have been. Thank you also for your feedback regarding our delivery service and assembly process, as this is something we are always looking to improve.
Potting shed defects
The potting shed was delivered more than a month later than the agreed installation date. Unfortunately, the problems did not end there.
The benches supplied were significantly shorter than the dimensions advertised and ordered, meaning they did not fit the shed correctly and left unsightly gaps. The screws used to assemble the benches were oversized and split the timber during installation, raising concerns about the quality of manufacture.
From the first day, the shed also leaked in several places during rainfall.
Despite providing Shire with detailed photographs and videos clearly demonstrating each of these issues, they declined to accept that there were any faults. I found their after-sales service extremely disappointing and their unwillingness to acknowledge obvious defects frustrating.
The installers themselves were polite, professional and worked hard in difficult weather conditions, so my criticism is directed solely at the product quality and the company's handling of the complaint.
26 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We sincerely apologise for the delay to your installation and appreciate the frustration this caused. We're also pleased to hear your positive comments about our installation team, and we'll be sure to pass these on.
We're sorry that you remain disappointed with the outcome of your after-sales case. We carefully reviewed all of the concerns raised, including the bench dimensions, timber finish and water ingress, and provided our findings in line with the product specification and warranty. As advised, if you continue to experience significant water ingress after the recommended settling period, we'll be happy to review this further under the terms of your warranty.
Thank you again for your feedback, and we wish you all the best with your greenhouse.
Kensington summerhouse…
I ordered the Kensington summerhouse only to find that there were a handful of broken pieces and one missing which was hugely disappointed and could, I feel, be avoided if only the pieces were checked before delivery. The company were very efficient in delivering when advised and also the damaged/missing pieces were sent out promptly. It looks great now that is up and treated, just a shame that the quality of a handful of pieces were unacceptable and unusable.
26 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.
We’re very sorry that your summerhouse arrived with several damaged parts and a missing component. We completely understand how disappointing this must have been, especially when you were looking forward to getting your new building assembled.
We’re pleased that once you contacted us, we were able to arrange replacement parts quickly and that the summerhouse is now up, treated, and looking great. However, we appreciate that this doesn't take away from the inconvenience caused, and we'd like to sincerely apologise for the frustration this caused at the start of your experience.
Thank you for recognising our team's efforts in resolving the issue promptly. Your feedback is important to us and helps us continue to improve our quality checks and overall customer experience. We hope you enjoy your summerhouse for many years to come.
Shed went together very well however…
Shed went together very well however was quite disappointed in the quality of the shiplap as big gaps and a fair few broken pieces used so holes in the walls everywhere have had to purchase and replace at more expense. Delivery was very quick in 4 days and delivery communication was good.
22 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We're really pleased to hear that your shed went together well and that you were happy with the speed of delivery and the communication throughout.
We're very sorry to hear about the issues you experienced with the shiplap boards. That certainly isn't the standard we aim to provide, and we're sorry you felt you had to purchase replacement timber at your own expense.
We haven't been contacted about this previously, but if you'd be happy to get in touch with our Customer Service team with your order details and a few photos of the affected boards, we'd be more than happy to look into this for you and see how we can help.
Thank you again for your feedback – it helps us continue to improve both our products and our service.
Customer service was excellent as for…
Customer service was excellent as for the shed nothing but problems warped panels bits missing and bowed beams not worth the amount I paid for the shed but it’s up not great but it’s fit to use the worse part was trying to fit the glass in a bowed frame not good so used plastic instead.
20 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for your review.
We're really pleased to hear that you found our customer service excellent. We're sorry to hear you weren't happy with the shed itself.
From our records, the only issue raised with us was regarding some missing parts, which we arranged to send out as quickly as possible. Had we been made aware of the other issues you mentioned, we would have been happy to investigate them and see how we could help.
Thank you for your feedback, and we hope you're able to enjoy your shed now it's up and in use.
Early and prompt delivery
Early and prompt delivery. Driver unloaded it in exact spot I requested
21 June 2026
Reply from Shire Garden Buildings
Thank you for your lovely review!
We're so pleased to hear your delivery arrived promptly and that the driver placed everything exactly where you wanted it. We'll be sure to pass your kind feedback on to the team.
We hope you enjoy your new garden building!
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