Final batch from Dennis’s reed shed • In 11 active baskets • 386 left
Dennis's Handmade Coconut Fibre Roosting Hut
Dennis's Handmade Coconut Fibre Roosting Hut
Ships within 2–3 days
30-day money-back guarantee
Free UK delivery with tracking
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Dennis's Handmade Coconut Fibre Roosting Hut
Packed by Hand in Hickling, Norfolk
Dennis Fairbrother, 76, thatched Norfolk roofs for 49 years. His hands can’t pack the fibre tight any more. These 386 huts are the last he will ever make.
“The wrens bring their own warmth. A roof’s only job is to stop the wind taking it.”
– Dennis Fairbrother, thatcher, making roosting huts since 2014What’s in the box
Why the wrens make it to morning
Fibre laid in layer by layer and tapped tight, the way reed is packed on a church roof. One door, no gaps.
The roof reaches past the walls on every side, like a thatched eave. Rain and snow drip off in front of the door, not into it.
Only about 20 cm tall on purpose. A small space fills up with the birds’ own warmth. Big boxes stay cold.
Loose fibre inside for the birds to push into, just like the five wrens Dennis found behind the reed in 1963.
The cotton cord is already tied on. Hang it in a hedge, in ivy, from a hook or under the eaves. No drilling, no tools.
Wrens choose their winter sleeping spots in autumn. A hut that goes up now gets found before January.
Birdhouse or roost box? Not the same thing
| Ordinary birdhouse | Dennis’s roost box | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Raising chicks in spring | Sleeping through winter nights |
| Inside | Roomy, so a whole brood fits | Small, so the birds’ own warmth fills it |
| Walls | Thin boards with air gaps | Thick, tightly packed coconut fibre |
| Openings | Gaps to keep chicks cool | One door only, no draught |
| Floor | Bare wood | Soft bed of loose fibre |
| When to hang | Late winter, before nesting | Autumn, before the first hard frost |
“On the coldest nights, wrens and other small garden birds look for a sheltered hole to sleep in, and wrens will often crowd in together to share body heat. Getting out of the wind makes a real difference to a bird that weighs about ten grams. Tidy modern gardens simply have fewer of those natural hiding places left.”
– Dr. Fiona Ashcroft, Ornithologist, NorwichPerfect for
Dennis’s checklist
- Natural coconut fibre: the same fibre used for doormats that stand out in the rain all year.
- Tight walls: packed by hand so the wind can’t get through.
- Overhanging roof: keeps rain and snow away from the door.
- Small inside: sized so the birds’ own warmth fills it.
- Ready to hang: cotton cord tied on, no tools needed.
30-Day “Through the Winter” Guarantee
If you are not happy with your hut, send us a short email within 30 days and you get your money back.
Good to know: The hut does not heat anything. It keeps out wind and rain so the birds can hold on to their own warmth. Hang it in a sheltered spot, like a thick hedge, ivy or under the eaves, with the opening away from the wind. Every hut is packed by hand, so the shape and fibre vary a little from piece to piece.
Product details
| Material | 100% natural coconut fibre (coir), cotton hanging cord |
| Size | approx. 20.5 × 17 × 13 cm, about 36.5 cm with cord |
| Mounting | Hangs from a branch, hook or eave by the cotton cord |
| Birds | Wrens, house sparrows, treecreepers and other small garden birds |
| Best time to hang | Autumn, before the first hard frost |
| Use | Outdoors, in a sheltered spot |
| Care | Shake out old material once a year in late summer |
| Made by | Dennis Fairbrother, Hickling, Norfolk |
| Since | His first hut that held tight was made in 2016 |
The Last Winter
The Last Winter
A note from the reed shed:
Dennis Fairbrother thatched roofs across the Norfolk Broads for 49 years, like his father before him. In January 1963, during the Big Freeze, he watched his father pull one bundle of reed from a roof and find five wrens pressed together behind it, alive. When his knees ended his work on the ladder in 2014, he set out to make a roof small enough to hang in a hedge, and packed it from coconut fibre with his father’s old leggett. Arthritis in both hands means he can no longer pack the fibre tight enough, so there will be no further batch — the last 386 huts are all there is, and when those are gone there are no more.
Free UK Delivery
Free UK Delivery
Free delivery across the United Kingdom
- Delivery time: 3–5 working days
- Every hut is packed by hand and sent with tracking
- Coconut-fibre roosting hut approx. 20.5 cm tall, 17 × 13 cm, about 36.5 cm with the cord
- Hang it by the cotton cord in a thick hedge, in ivy or under the eaves, with the opening away from the wind. Best before the first hard frost
- 30-day money-back guarantee — just email info@cedarandtinco.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at info@cedarandtinco.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm (UK time). Whether it’s about your order, where to hang it, or just to say hello — a real person writes back.
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 30-day money-back guarantee. Hang it up, give the birds a week to find it, and if it isn’t right for your garden, email info@cedarandtinco.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions, and UK delivery is free.
How is it made?
How is it made?
Dennis pulls the raw coconut fibre apart by hand and lays it into a wooden hut-shaped mould, layer after layer, tapping each one tight with his father’s old thatching leggett, the same way reed is packed on a church roof. Then he cuts the entrance, tucks loose fibre inside as a bed, and threads the cotton cord through the roof. Every hut is packed in his reed shed in Hickling, Norfolk. No two are identical.