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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Beth Kilgallon

Oil rig 'escape capsule' and sunken sea trawler transformed into luxe glamping pods

A trawler on the sea floor, an old barge and an oil rig escape capsule are not your typical holiday destinations - but you can now book a stay in these quirky spots with an industrial tinge.

They were found by business partners Paul Cossen and Stuart Snape on eBay, who decided to convert them into the ideal spot for camping holidays - and the Four Seasons Glamping Pods were born.

After recovering a trawler from the seabed in Glasson Dock, Lancashire, and most recently buying a rusty old barge

Stuart discovered an overgrown island on a leisure lake complex in Southport, Merseyside, and realised it was the perfect spot for their creations.

Stuart installed a hot tub for guests to relax in (Four Seasons Glamping Pods/ CATERS NEWS)

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There he remastered the decrepit barge into a modern-looking boat structure with a wooden exterior, adding an extra annexe which houses a stylish bar area as well as a hot tub.

Paul said: "Before his barge project, Stuart had his eye on an old trawler which had sunk to the bottom of the sea at Glasson Dock.

"He asked if he could pull it out and use it for one of his conversions, to which he was told he'd be doing them a favour.

"He arranged a crane, pulled the trawler from the seabed, and got to work. He dug a hole, put the trawler in place, and decked the area around it.

"Stuart gutted the inside of the dirty old structure and decorated it beautifully. It also included a bar area and a jacuzzi.

"You'd never know he fished it out of dirty water. It's impressive."

Inside the oil rig escape capsule (Four Seasons Glamping Pods/ CATERS NEWS)

Another random find for Stuart and Paul was the former oil rig escape capsule.

Stuart came across the pod on eBay and thought it would make another unique place for their customers to stay.

Paul said: "Getting the materials over to the island to complete these transformations, such as cranes, trucks and building materials was tough, but we always find a way.

"Stuart has dedicated his life to perfecting these transformations and even lives on-site in his caravan.

"We’ve created a total island experience, and during the summer it feels like you could be abroad.

"It's like being in a bubble. I don't think there’s anywhere else in the country where you could holiday in an oil rig escape capsule or a recovered trawler, especially if you saw the condition they were in before Stuart worked his magic on them.

The old industrial units have been turned into comfy hotel rooms (Four Seasons Glamping Pods/ CATERS NEWS)

"It's even more impressive he’s completed all this work himself. It's amazing."

Paul praised his business partner for his "amazing creative and DIY skills".

"He's completely transformed the island and converted many different items into glamorous places for people to stay," he continued.

"Stuart managed to find items no one else would have and ones you’d never think of spending the night in. It's so impressive.

"When the barge was bought, in October last year, it was just a rusty old shell, but Stuart started working on it in May this year when the better weather came in.

"When he gets something in his head, he gets tunnel vision and makes the image come alive."

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