1979 VW campervan rescued from a field

An iconic 1979 Volkswagen campervan has been rescued from a field and converted into a ‘moving monument to Skipton’ by a local businessman aiming to boost tourism in the area.

Landlord, Andrew Mear, unearthed the classic campervan in a field near his home in Norwood Green, some 20 miles from Skipton in North Yorkshire, while out walking his dog in June and paid the owner £9,000 to give it a new home.

Based on the Transporter T2, the camper features a pop-up roof and sliding rear door. The camper has just 24,000 miles on the clock, but was in poor condition having been left to the elements – although with a new battery and a helping hand the engine still ran.

Within six weeks, the camper had been fully restored by Andrew and local mechanics. The pop-up roof has been re-purposed into an expanding canopy for advertising banners, while the back pops open to reveal an exhibition area.

It has also been fully wrapped in new graphics, showing famous landmarks from around Skipton.