The lighthouse once owned by Sir Peter Scott has been converted into a luxury holiday home, and now tourists can stay in the “most important building in global conservation history.”
The historic Grade II-listed structure in Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, UK, was refurbished in the 1930s by the son of doomed Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott.
It comes complete with quirky circular rooms, sloping walls, private wildlife conservation ponds, and a functioning lamp, which still guides ships along the river Nene.
Scott—who is often regarded as the greatest naturalist of the 20th century—lived there from 1933 until 1939.
During the 1930s the lighthouse was surrounded by tidal flats on three sides, making it the perfect place to study wildfowl.
It was this wild landscape that drew Sir Peter to the fens to paint and study the natural world.
He leased the building from the Crown for £5 ($6.43) per year and, as well as refurbishing it, he built modern additions including the studio/reception room.
It was here, while building a collection of wildfowl, that he realized there was a need for a global conservation organization.
He founded the Wildlife and Wetlands Trust in 1946 and, in 1961, was a founding member of the World Wildlife Fund.
The Sir Peter Scott Lighthouse also served as inspiration for the lighthouse featured in the famous wartime children’s book Paul Gallico’s “The Snow Goose”.
The lighthouse was requisitioned by the army in 1940 and after the end of the war was leased by the Fenland Wildfowlers.
For 10 years, it lay empty and ruined until it was sold for the first time to Cmdr. David Joel in 1985. He completely refurbished it, replacing the roofs and 36 windows.
The 60-foot-high landmark was later bought in 2010 by Doug and Sue Hilton, who call it the “most important building in global conservation history.”
“It’s incredibly comfy and cozy and really an amazing place to be,” Mr. Hilton said. “We moved too far away from the lighthouse a few years ago but didn’t want to sell it.”
According to him, this is the most important 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 to it,” Mr. Hilton said. “There’s nothing from the highest mountain to the depths of the deepest ocean that has not been affected by the time Sir Peter spent in this lighthouse, it affects everything.”
The couple originally planned to turn the lighthouse into a museum and visitor center but after various setbacks, they decided to let it out for holidays, retreats, and art courses.
The property, which is based at Wash National Nature Reserve, was previously offered for sale for £600,000 (approx. $771,480) back in 2018.
It 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.
Mr. Hilton considers the property a very “special place.”
“It’s very unusual to be able to actually stay in a lighthouse itself due to the damp penetration and weathering problems,” Mr. Hilton said. “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.”
Vacationers can follow in Scott’s footsteps and enjoy the wilderness of England’s biggest reserve for around £290 ($373) a night.
The lighthouse sleeps up to eight in four bedrooms spread over its three floors. 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.
The lantern sits at the top of the lighthouse in a gallery and is set on a timer to aid ships traveling along the river at night.
There is an enclosed garden, patio area, and two private wildlife conservation ponds outside that are home to rare birds such as Hawaiian geese like those Sir Peter helped save from extinction.
Other features include Wi-Fi, an electric car charging point, and a dishwasher.
It took three years to complete the renovation—including transforming the basement into a bedroom and reinstating a bay window from which Sir Peter used to sketch wildlife.
But Mr. Hilton says no drastic change was made as they wanted to preserve the building’s original structure and atmosphere.
