Sir Peter Scott Lighthouse in Sutton Bridge has been converted into a luxury holiday home
A working lighthouse that was once home to renowned conservationist and artist Sir Peter Scott – son of doomed Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott - has been converted into a luxury holiday home.
Complete with quirky circular rooms, sloping walls, private wildlife conservation ponds and a lamp still guiding ships along the River Nene, the Sir Peter Scott Lighthouse stands on its east bank at Sutton Bridge.
The Grade II listed lighthouse is one of a pair located at the mouth of the estuary and was commissioned by John Rennie in 1830 to celebrate the final stages in the drainage of the fens and mark the entry to the sea.
It was home to Scott – often regarded as the greatest naturalist of the 20th century - between 1933 and 1939. It was here, while building a collection of wildfowl, he realised there was a need for a global conservation organisation to monitor habitat requirements, movement and threats. He later founded the Wildlife and Wetlands Trust in 1946 and in 1961 was a founding member of the World Wildlife Fund.
Now holidaymakers can follow in his footsteps and enjoy the wilderness of the Wash National Nature Reserve – the biggest reserve in England covering 8,880 hectares – which lies on its doorstep along with the huge skies and wildlife spectacles which captivated him.
Hundreds of thousands of birds over winter nest on the reserve each year, while seals breed and can often be seen basking nearby, making it the ideal place for ornithologists and nature lovers.
The 60-foot-high landmark was bought by Doug and Sue Hilton in 2010, who call it the most important building in global conservation history. They originally planned to turn it into a museum and visitor centre but after various setbacks they decided to let it out for holidays, retreats and art courses, so more people can enjoy and experience its beauty.
The property became available to let in July and is already attracting plenty of interest. It sleeps up to eight and can be booked through Sykes Holiday Cottages, with prices starting from £907 for six nights.
“It’s incredibly comfy and cosy and really an amazing place to be – we moved too far away from the lighthouse a few years ago but didn't want to sell it. We wanted other people to be able to see and experience it too, and now they can,” said Mr Hilton, 71.
“This building is the most powerful lighthouse in the world – yes, others are taller and bigger, but there is no other lighthouse that has known things like this one, that has had so many things happen.
“There’s nothing from the highest mountain to the depths of the deepest ocean that has not been affected by the time Sir Peter Scott spent in this lighthouse, it affects everything.”
During the 1930s the lighthouse was surrounded by tides on three sides, making it the perfect place to keep wildfowl. This wild landscape drew Peter Scott to the fens to paint and study the natural world.
He leased the building from the Crown for £5 a year and as well as refurbishing it, he built the modern additions including the studio / reception room. It also inspired his friend, American author Paul Gallico, to write his novella The Snow Goose.
After Peter Scott left for war, the lighthouse was requisitioned by the army in 1940, and over time was leased by the Fenland Wildfowlers. For ten years it lay empty and ruined until it was sold for the first time to Commander David Joel in 1985. He completely refurbished it, replacing the roofs and thirty-six windows.
“It’s very unusual to be able to actually stay in a lighthouse itself due to the damp penetration and weathering problems. In those which are let, people usually end up staying in an adjacent cottage or building, but here guests can actually live and sleep in the main tower. It really is a very special place,” added Mr Hilton.
The lighthouse sleeps eight, in four bedrooms spread over its three floors. Other accommodation includes two bathrooms, a kitchen and dining room. A Narnia-style door leads from one of the ground floor bedrooms to a games room studio, while steep stairs lead to the upper floors, including the room where Peter Scott himself slept before he built the extensions.
The lantern sits at the top of the lighthouse in a gallery and is set on a timer to aid ships travelling along the river at night.
Outdoors there is an enclosed garden, patio area and two private wildlife conservation ponds, which are home to rare birds including Hawaiian geese, like those Peter Scott saved from extinction through a breeding programme. Other features include Wi-Fi, an electric car charging point and dishwasher.
It has taken three years to complete renovation work - transforming the basement into a bedroom, reinstating a bay window from where Scott used to sketch the wildlife, and other maintenance tasks, although no drastic changes have been made.
For more information see Lighthouseholidays.uk
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