LIVING OUT OF A BOX

Craig turns shipping containers into homes and hotels - and his latest project is his most unusual

- By JOANNE RIDOUT

WHILE many individuals might spend their time browsing secondhand car showrooms, Craig Ledward finds his joy in a different kind of hunt - used shipping containers.

For most, the idea of inspecting shipping containers for odours, damage, and sea-weariness might not be their cup of tea, but for Craig, it's more than just a hobby; it’s a career. He has spent years transforming these unlikely objects into versatile spaces such as offices, homes, hotels, and now, a community hub on the Isle of Anglesey that he has been developing for two years.

A rusty, smelly steel box that has journeyed across the globe carrying various goods may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a home or business base. However, these containers offer a multitude of uses and represent one of the most impressive upcycling projects.

'Container Craig’ originally a figure in the construction trade, found an unusual passion for shipping containers after witnessing the leading manufacturer CIMC-MBS in China turn these metal boxes into remarkable architectures.

Now settled on Anglesey and hailing from Nantwich, Craig said: “The containers let your imagination run free because you can do whatever you like with these things, you can stack them high, you can make them wide, whatever you can imagine really.

“CIMC have mastered the technique in modular construction and manufactured hotels all over the globe, the UK being their biggest export. The design of these hotels was astonishing, most of us would have stayed in a hotel made from containers and you would of never know that they were constructed from containers.”

Craig and his company's latest project has created a special community area on the Maes Meurig estate at Gwalchmai, sited on the existing concrete playground and submitted by community group HWB Cymunedol Gwalchmai that was then passed by Anglesey County Council's planning and orders committee.