Sci-fi superfan builds £9k Star Wars spaceship in backyard – full with fully-stocked bar
Chester Walsh, 29, from Northamptonshire, spent three months and £9,000 building a Star Wars-inspired spaceship in his back garden –and it even has a fully-stocked bar
Chester Walsh built a star wars inspired spaceship(Image: James Linsell Clark / SWNS)
A sci-fi enthusiast has splashed out £9,000 to construct a Star Wars spaceship in his back garden. Chester Walsh, 29, dedicated three months to the project at his Northamptonshire home.
The final product is a 7m-long and 3m-wide spaceship, kitted out with monitors mimicking a windscreen, speakers embedded in the walls and a fully-stocked bar. Chester, a professional prop maker, said: “I am a big Star Wars fan and nerd in general. I had this idea for a good couple of years prior to build what looks like a spaceship as a bar and social space in the garden.
“Everyone thinks it is very unique and cool. None of them have asked me to build one in their garden yet but I have been asked to decorate some spare rooms.
The end result is a 7m-long and 3m-wide spaceship (Image: James Linsell Clark / SWNS)
“I am a bit of a perfectionist so I am not 100% happy, but overall I enjoyed building it and it is a nice thing to have. There are just minor details I would like to refine over time.”
Chester embarked on the project in June 2025 when an extension was being built on his house, rendering his workshop unusable – and he wanted to keep himself occupied. He laid a concrete base and says the rest is essentially a glamping pod.
The structure comprises a frame covered with plywood and some rubber, with fibreglass used for the exterior detailing. The base was the priciest part, and the remaining supplies and decorations added up – totalling a cost of £9,000.
Chester and his creation(Image: James Linsell Clark / SWNS)
There are monitors and a PlayStation set up for gaming, as well as a seating area which can be converted into a single bed for guests to stay.The creation, dubbed ‘The Halikon’, is named after a now-defunct hotel in Florida known for its immersive Star Wars experience. Fortunately, his fiancée, whom he met at a comic convention, is also a “nerd” and was fully supportive of the project.
Chester said: “There were a lot of things to keep my mind occupied as there were always problems to solve. I had a lot of creative freedom with it being my own design so I could adjust things for convenience if I needed to rather than follow any strict plan.
“My fiancée was excited. I think she was worried it would look a bit more intimidating or overpowering in the garden than it has done in the end. She was quite happy with it in the end. It is not a subtle thing, but we have a decent sized garden so you don’t have to look at it.”
His girlfriend is ‘excited’ (Image: James Linsell Clark / SWNS)
Chester began attending comic conventions at the age of 17 and started making costumes – which eventually became his side business. He then took the plunge and left his day job at a law firm just over two years ago to focus on creating art and props full-time.
Chester said: “It was a good job but I didn’t get tons of joy out of it. I had the opportunity to turn what was my hobby and then a side hustle into my full-time thing and I took the leap.”
His favourite items to create are flexible urethane rubber costume arms, which resemble metal, and plush wire-frame poseable cats.
Chester Walsh, with Star Wars actor Ivanna Sakhno(Image: Chester Walsh / SWNS)
He has also crafted costumes including human Shrek from Shrek 2 and Ben 10, which he says have garnered the best reactions. He added: “I like being creative. It has always been in. my DNA in a way.”
When people see me at conventions it makes them remember something nostalgic that they forgot. I get quite a lot of joy bringing that smile to people’s faces.”
Chester has no immediate plans for further major projects – but he dreams of one day constructing a Lord of the Rings-inspired pergola.
