They are often damp, cold and home to a rich variety of creepy crawlies.
But for a growing number of men the once-humble shed is fast becoming a home-from-home.
And what's more, new research claims the solitude it provides at the bottom of the garden could actually be good for their health.
A study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that the peaceful retreat may help lower blood pressure.
Its author, Professor Alan White, of Leeds Metropolitan University, said
“There's a sense of achievement that men get from starting a task to seeing it through to completion. Men know what a shed means and they feel comfortable.”
Professor White's study found that working men in Britain were almost twice as likely to die prematurely as their female counterparts.
He claims that sheds and the solitude they provide could actually turn the tide.
The “Men's Shed”s' initiative has its roots in Australia. But 20 communal shed have already sprung up in the UK from the Lake District to Greenwich.
据英国《每日邮报》12月1日报道，棚屋通常又湿又冷，还充满了各种各样的爬虫，但是在英国，越来越多的人选择这种曾经不起眼的小棚屋作为家外之家。
而且更为重要的是，一项新研究声称，独居在花园深处的棚屋里实际上是有益健康的。
发表在《英国医学杂志》上的一项研究揭示，安静祥和的休息住所能帮助降低血压。
该文章的作者是来自英国利兹城市大学的教授艾伦-怀特，他说：“完成一项任务的过程能让男性获得成就感，他们知道一间棚屋意味着什么，而且棚屋让他们觉得很舒服。”
怀特教授的研究发现，英国的务工男性过早死亡的概率是他们配偶的两倍。
他声称棚屋和独居能有效扭转这种趋势。
“男人工棚”最先出现在澳大利亚，但是在英国从湖区到格林威治已经有20间公共棚屋如雨后春笋般建立起来。
