Writers' rooms: Roald Dahl's shed

The Guardian's excellent Writers' Rooms series features one of the most famous shedworkers of recent times, Roald Dahl. Illustrator Quentin Blake describes his experiences of the writing hut at Gipsy House in Great Missenden which he points out he actually wasn't allowed into very often "because the whole point of it as far as Roald was concerned was that it was private, a sanctuary where he could work where no one interrupted him." He continues:

"He wrote in the shed as long as I knew him - we worked together for 15 years from 1975 to 1990 and I illustrated a dozen of his books. I would take my drawings down to Gipsy House for him to look at while sitting on the sofa in the dining room. I don't think he let anybody in the shed."

Well worth a browse.

I recently visited the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden with Mrs Shedworking and the three little Shedworkings. Not only is it a marvellous place for children, it has a recreation of Dahl's study, complete with slightly battered chair which you can sit in. The actual shed is at Gipsy House, a little further down the road. Gipsy House is only open a few times a year usually as part of the National Gardens Scheme charity. The next dates are 11 June and 17 July (2-5pm), and as well as the writing shed there is a small wild garden where you can see Danny The Champion of the World's caravan under a tree house.