WW1 Military Building
Bow huts, originally designed by Major Peter Norman Nissen during World War 1, were created to fulfill the demand for a cost-effective, easily transportable, and versatile structure. These huts had a variety of applications, serving as sleeping quarters, dining areas, washing facilities, and recreational spaces for soldiers. The initial construction of Nissen bow huts began in 1916.
The Museum reconstructed a WWI Nissen hut in 2018, thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a private donation. The front end of the Nissen bow hut has been set up to show what it would have been like for soldiers who slept in one during WW1. The rear of the hut tells the stories of local war heroes such as Maud Grieve, from Chalfont St Peter, who made herbal remedy cards and books and John Nash who used to paint front-line scenes and once used our Hill Farm Barn as a studio. The rear of the Nissen hut is also used for educational workshops.
How is the Nissen Bow Hut Built?
A framework of metal T-shaped ‘ribs’ or bows. These have a wooden lining between them, and the outside layer is made of corrugated iron sheets to make the hut weatherproof.
Early huts had a wooden lining, but this was often burnt in the stove by occupants during the winter. Later huts had corrugated iron lining which couldn’t be burnt.
Step Inside the Nissen Bow Hut
The WW1 Nissen bow hut stands next to the WW2 Nissen hut and opposite the 1940s prefab and ‘Dig for Victory’ allotment.