Whirly Great Escape: Inside the Remarkable Holiday Home That Was Once a Royal Navy Helicopter
This is a holiday home where you are guaranteed to have a great time.
Because it’s a former Royal Navy helicopter. With a beautiful lake just outside the door.
Will Roughton, a 45-year-old farmer, spent £35,000 on the Sea King after seeing the vessel in a museum in Wales.
He then transported it to his coastal country in Lincolnshire and spent six months converting the aircraft into a comfortable living space for a relaxing getaway in the UK.
Will said: ‘It sleeps four adults and there is room for a sofa that converts into a small single bed for an extra child.’
This fantastic holiday home is a former Royal Navy Sea King helicopter, converted into comfortable living accommodation by farmer Will Roughton
Will spent £35,000 on the plane and transported it to his former military base – RAF Wainfleet – at Friskney, Skegness, on the Lincolnshire coast
Will spent six months converting the aircraft into comfortable living quarters for a quiet getaway in the UK. Will had this to say about the helicopter’s previous life: ‘It appears the helicopter was used by the Royal Navy’s fleet air arm. Its first flight was on 18th September 1990’
The beds have duvets and the walls are painted bright yellow on the inside.
The helicopter also has a bathroom, a kitchen and an outdoor terrace with wicker furniture and a wooden bench, as well as a barbecue and a fire pit.
Discussing the helicopter’s early life, owner Will added: ‘It appears the helicopter was used by the Royal Navy’s fleet air arm. Its first flight was on 18th September 1990.
The helicopter was part of 848 Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton. Pictured right – the interior is taking shape
Outside the helicopter is a covered area with a picnic bench and a rattan table and chairs, as well as a BBQ and fire pit (above)
‘It was part of 848 Squadron which was based at RNAS Yeovilton. I’m afraid I haven’t found any records of where it served.’
Holidaymakers will find the helicopter at Will’s site, the former RAF Wainfleet army base in Friskney, Skegness.
In the 1890s the site was an army artillery range and in 1938 it became a training ground for bombing raids during World War II.
The helicopter offers sleeping space for four adults and there is room for a sofa that can be converted into a small single bed for an additional child
The helicopter has one bathroom and the beds have duvets
A stay in the Royal Navy helicopter starts at £130 per night. The photo above shows the double bed and kitchen
“I was offered the opportunity to buy the RAF Wainfleet site when it became derelict,” Will said.
‘Then I decided to convert the original buildings into holiday homes.
‘After completing that, I decided to explore the possibility of [turning] military aircraft in stabilizers.’
The base is home to not only the Royal Navy helicopter, but also a combine harvester, an army ambulance, a fire engine and a tank.
All accommodations can be rented for overnight stays.
And then there’s ‘the Tower’, a five-storey RAF bomber control tower that now houses three bedrooms.
There are also two aircraft available for hire: a Spitfire and a Jetstream aircraft, both of which can seat four to six people.
Will, who bought the base in 2014, searched the internet for the special vehicles, which have been purchased from all over the UK.
The Sea King is the latest addition to his ‘fleet’.
The various army spaces, including the Sea King helicopter, can be booked via the RAF Wainfleet website: rafwainfleet.uk. A stay in the Royal Navy helicopter starts at £130 per night.
RAF Wainfleet, pictured here, is home not only to the Royal Navy helicopter, but also a combine harvester, an army ambulance, a fire engine and more – all available for overnight stays
