Inside Bear Grylls’ island, where he lives with his family
The survivalist bought his very own remote island almost a decade ago and has turned it into his home for his family.
Bear Grylls is at one with nature so it makes sense that his home is a remote island, which is located near the coast of the Llyn Peninsula at Abersoch, North Wales.
The adventurer and survivalist purchased Saint Tudwal's Island West in 2001 for a reported £95,000, and converted it into a home for his family, wife Shara and their three children - Marmaduke, Huckleberry and Jocelyne.
The rocky grass-covered island is about 700m (2,000ft) long and 200m (650ft) wide, and the bay is home to grey seals, bottle-nosed dolphins, otters and porpoises.
Speaking previously about his secluded home to Vanity Fair, Bear Grylls said: "Our small, private island hideaway is 20 acres and five miles offshore with no mains, electricity, or running water.
"It has a little lighthouse beside our house and is surrounded by amazing sea cliffs, seals, and dolphins. It is my favourite place on the planet!"
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To reach his island, he said he likes to travel by a "30-foot, high-speed ex-lifeboat, with twin 300-horsepower engines behind it that can tackle any sea it needs to".
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He also revealed that his house is constructed of two-foot-thick old limestone walls which make it cool in summer and warm in winter. When they battle against the elements and the weather brings strong gales, he said you can almost feel the foundations shake, and sea spray reaches the windows despite the 150-foot elevation.
Grylls added that they only ever have one family to stay at his island home at one time, as poor weather conditions could leave them stranded there.
In August 2013, he faced a planning investigation by Gwynedd Council after installing a huge 80ft steel slide from his island into the sea, due to the island being part on area of natural, outstanding beauty. He later removed the slide, saying it was never intended to be permanent and that he would clear it with the council before using it again.
Grylls recently secured planning permission to build a 129-meter slipway on his island. Local conservationists had objected as they claimed it would disrupt an ancient sea cave feature nearby. The proposed slipway would be supported on 12 steel columns, 10 of which would stand on rock below and two on the existing landing stage or adjacent rock, the Daily Post reports.
Bear will be returning to TV with his new Amazon Prime Video series, World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji.
The 10-episode adventure show, hosted by Bear himself, tells the story of the ultimate expedition race, in which the 66 competitors race non-stop for 11 days, 24 hours a day, across hundreds of miles of rugged Fijian terrain complete with mountains, jungles and oceans.
World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji comes to Amazon Prime Video on August 14th. To see what else is on, have a look at our TV Guide.
