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Supermarket vans repurposed as 'fairytale cabin'

Jenny Kirk
BBC News, Norfolk
Reporting fromWoodton
Neve Gordon-Farleigh
BBC News, Norfolk
Jenny Kirk/BBC Helen McGrath-Doherty is looking at the camera and is smiling. She is stadning outside and is in front of the wooden cabin. She is wearing a fluffy cream gilet over the top of a blue and white striped blouse.Jenny Kirk/BBC
Helen McGrath-Doherty wanted to create her own cabin after she was inspired by a friend who had repurposed the units before

A woman has repurposed the bodies from refrigerated supermarket delivery vans and given them a new lease of life as a "fairytale cabin".

After rescuing the units from the scrapheap, Helen McGrath-Doherty and husband Pete Doherty spent 12 weeks using other recycled materials to turn them into holiday accommodation in Woodton, Norfolk.

"There are thousands and thousands of these which aren't being repurposed and I am trying to inspire people to show what is possible," she said.

The transformation featured on an episode of Channel 4's George Clarke's Amazing Spaces on Tuesday evening.

Jenny Kirk/BBC The outside of the cabin which is covered in wooden planks. The cabin has a roof and there is a bath tub outside. Jenny Kirk/BBC
Ms McGrath-Doherty described the cabin as looking like something from a "fairytale"

The couple wanted to "escape the rat race" and went on to create an "off-grid" holiday business.

Mrs McGrath-Doherty, 59, previously worked in education and the music and design industries.

She said she was inspired to create her cabin by a friend who had previously created a shepherd's hut and replica railway carriage from similar units.

Helen McGrath-Doherty The inside of the refrigerator lorry box before it was cut up. Helen McGrath-Doherty
Ms McGrath-Doherty bought the units online and said they did not cost much

She said it had been an "incredible transformation" to turn the three boxes into "something beautiful".

"I hope that really shows people you can really reuse, recycle and repurpose the most extraordinary things," she said.

"They [the van boxes] don't come with a high price tag and they don't have much value to anybody.

"I don't think people have really thought about what these things could be used for."

Almost everything used in the project has followed the ethos of reduce, reuse and recycle, keeping the cost down to about £15,000.

Helen McCarthy-Doherty Pete Doherty on the left is stood next to Helen McGrath-Doherty. He is dressed in a grey T-shirt and denim jacket and Helen is wearing a green jumper. Next to her is George Clarke who is dressed in a khaki jacket. They are all looking at the camera and smiling.Helen McCarthy-Doherty
Helen McGrath-Doherty and her husband Pete (left) appeared on the TV show, presented by architect George Clarke

The TV cameras captured both the challenges and the highlights of the project.

"One day I was supposed to be outside working and I couldn't... they filmed me in the pouring rain, absolutely drenched, asking me how my day was going - clearly it wasn't going very well," she said.

"One of the most stressful days was when the unit was delivered to site... once it was here and we had the cladding and roof on, suddenly you can see what you've created. It's phenomenally exciting."

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