08 February 2024 , 16:24
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Alan Titchmarsh has stunned viewers as he revealed ‘Britain’s most bonkers glamping site’ in his new travel show.
The TV legend narrates a brand new series on Channel 5 called Isle of Wight: Jewel of the South, showcasing the beautiful island off England’s south coast and the people that live there over a busy summer season.
During an episode to air tonight (Thursday, February 8), Alan pays a visit to the Windmill Campersite, near Newport, run by keen inventor Stewart Dungey and his son Rhys. Together the pair have transformed run down vehicles into glamping properties – and they are anything but ordinary.
Where in the world can you stay in a Soviet Victor III class nuclear-powered submarine once used in the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough? Simply called ‘HMS Bond’, this unique stay sleeps up to five people, though couples staying in low season get a discount. As well as Bond-themed memorabilia inside, it comes equipped with spy-like trap doors, ladders, an interactive dashboard and a periscope.
Stay in a real-life submarine that was once used in a James Bond movie (Windmill Campersite)If Bond is not enough, guests can choose to stay in ‘Galahad the Helicopter’, a Cold War rescue chopper used in the Falklands that has been converted into a unique glamping property that sleeps four. Flying enthusiasts will love the fact it still has its original dials and wires, cockpit and its own stargazing dome roof.
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They also rent out an old milk float called Percy, which the website says is ideal for those travelling by bike, from just £25 a night, surely making it one of the cheapest stays on the Isle of Wight as well as the quirkiest.
Other properties include The Shack, a cabin that sleeps five built in the structure of a 1948 coach chassis that looks like it’s come straight out of a fairytale. It comes equipped with a Victorian spiral staircase, outdoor bath and a pedal organ to play should you feel the need.
They even have a Robin Reliant launderette that Del Boy would be proud of (Windmill Campersite)For the kids they have moveable rooms – called Insanity and Beyond – that you can also sleep in overnight. This crazy looking object can be moved alongside one of the glamping lets so they feel like they’re camping out on their own.
They also have a Robin Reliant launderette that Del Boy would be proud of for washing your clothes on site, plus The Turdis, their version of the Doctor Who time machine, except this one has a fully functioning toilet and hand basin.
While the Shower Shack is billed as the ‘coolest shower on the planet’ and features a waterfall shower, disco lights, a sound system, hot air and, for reasons unknown, an ‘Emergency Barry Manilow’ button.
The 'Turdis' loo is their take on the Doctor Who classic (Windmill Campersite)Communal areas include the Off Your Trolley Bus for cooking, the ultimate BBQ Big Bertha, Gertie Griddle Fire Pit for snuggling around at night, the Silofax Cinema – a cinema made out of an old silo – and the Pig’s Ballroom, where silent discos take place. And according to their website, a new stay called Pluto the UFO that is set to sleep four will be available to book from May 2024.
Not just the self-confessed ‘quirkiest campsite on the Isle of Wight’, it may well be the quirkiest campsite in the whole of the UK, which is exactly what owner Stewart set out to do when he began sourcing the different quirky vehicles to start his glamping project.
After seeing what his dad was up to, son Rhys quit his 9 to 5 job to get in on the action to create the unique site they have today. He said: “Our launderette is a converted Robin Reliant called OMO with a washing machine in the back and an industrial grain dryer in the front. We also have Siloflix, our cinema, which is a converted grain silo flipped on its side and turned into the cinema. had a 9 to 5 job, but decided to leave it to come and clean toilets for my dad and create a quirky glamping site.”
*Isle of Wight: Jewel of the South is on at 8pm tonight on Channel 5