Garden corners are often the forgotten parts of a plot: too shady for planting, too far for a washing line, too awkward for a lawn. They can also be the best place for a bar, tucked away and naturally enclosed.
Why corners work
- Two boundaries give a sense of enclosure, so the bar feels like a room.
- The bar is out of the main garden, leaving the lawn for everything else.
- Views back towards the house make it feel like a destination.
The catches
- Planning: in England, height limits for outbuildings are lower when any part is within 2 m of a boundary. A corner building is almost always within 2 m of two of them. Read the planning starting point.
- Maintenance access: a building jammed into a corner may leave you unable to treat the back walls or clear gutters.
- Neighbours: corners often sit next to two or three gardens, so light and noise travel in more directions. See the neighbours guide.
- Damp: corners can be shaded and still. Keep a gap behind buildings for airflow.
Layout options
L-shaped counter
An L-shaped counter follows the two boundaries and gives two serving sides. Guests sit on the outside of the L, facing into the corner, and the host works from inside it. This gives a lot of counter in a small footprint.
Corner bar shed
Some garden buildings are designed with a five-sided footprint for corners. They fit snugly and leave a feature door facing the garden. Check the internal usable space, because angled walls are hard to furnish.
Corner pergola with a counter
Two posts and the existing boundaries can frame an open-air bar. Make sure any fixings to fences or walls are agreed with whoever owns them.
Getting to the corner
A corner bar is usually the furthest point from the house. That means a longer route for glasses, power and light. Plan a firm, well-lit path and a proper electrical supply. The power guide explains why an extension lead across the lawn is not the answer.
Planting around it
Soften the boundary behind a corner bar with climbers on trellis set slightly off the fence, or tall planters. It hides the fence, adds privacy and makes the bar feel part of the garden rather than a building parked in it.
Measure the distance from both boundaries to where the bar would sit, then check whether a little more distance changes what the planning rules allow.
Sources
Primary guidance checked 10 November 2026.