Restored Aircraft Displayed At Vanguard Self Storage

A Vanguard Self Storage facility in Bath, England has a new tenant – a carefully restored Vampire T11 aircraft, a symbol of British aviation excellence. Now, it takes center stage in the building’s entrance.

The WZ450 Vampire was originally delivered to the RAF in 1952 and spent most of its service life based at Pembrey Sands Air Weapons Range, a Ministry of Defense in Wales, as an advanced training aircraft before being acquired by Vanguard in 2023. It was restored and transported to the new Bath facility in eight carefully managed sections.

Once inside, a dedicated team reassembled the aircraft over five days, followed by three days of intricate work to suspend it securely in its striking display position.

Commuters traveling on the A40 past Vanguard’s West London branch have seen an eclectic array of rooftop exhibits, including a helicopter, a Doctor Who TARDIS, a Mark IV tank, and a Supermarine Spitfire.

“Restoring and displaying these iconic pieces of history is a personal passion for us," says Will McCullagh, Managing Director for privately owned and family-run Vanguard Self Storage. "Our business roots were in industrial moving and engineering services which led us to acquire numerous items over sixty years. We are delighted to share some of these treasures with local communities and welcome visitors to our stores."

Once open in early 2025, the new Vanguard facility in Bath will offer 45,000 square feet of lettable storage space for business and private customers, together with a business lounge. Storage units will be individually alarmed, and the site will be monitored 24/7 by CCTV.

This latest addition continues Vanguard’s unique way of creating talking points by incorporating historic and cultural artifacts into and onto its facilities. As you may recall, MSM previously reported on Vanguard's installation of a Harrier jump jet at a facility in Portsmouth, England.

Read more about that endeavor here.