DOCTOR WHO FAN BUILDS £30,000 TARDIS REPLICA IN GARDEN

A Doctor Who enthusiast has spent £30,000 constructing a full-scale replica of the 1983 Doctor Who Tardis console room in his rear garden in South Kyme, Lincolnshire. Brendan Sheppard, working with skilled craftspeople over two years, recreated the Time Lord's command centre complete with illuminated displays and a functioning time rotor. The structure measures 10 metres by 5 metres and sits within a specially constructed studio behind his property. Sheppard has opened the installation to visitors seeking to experience the fictional spacecraft firsthand.

Sheppard's interest in the Tardis began in 1981 when he witnessed Tom Baker transform into Peter Davison on screen. He commissioned a full-scale police box from prop manufacturer Simon Nash five years before the console room project began. In November 2024, Sheppard contacted Nash to construct the interior from The Five Doctors special. The team worked with the original designer and BBC production personnel, taking precise measurements and sourcing authentic panels and fibreglass moulds to ensure accuracy.

Electronics expert Darryl Harrison spent three months analysing vintage episodes frame by frame to recreate the lights, controls and time rotor sequences correctly. Trainee carpenters assisted in constructing the walls and pillars throughout the build. Upon completion, Sheppard described feeling emotional about the project, stating that joy had defined the entire undertaking. He initially considered using the Tardis as a private workspace before deciding to make it accessible to the public.