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The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I transformed abandoned UK train station into ultimate Airbnb steeped in Victorian character – now I make £200 a day
A RAILWAY fanatic who lives in an old station has spent thousands converting a former train carriage in to a luxury AirBnB apartment. Nigel Brooke, 68, lives in the old Delph railway station in 7 Nigel Brooke was inspired by fittings from the original period when he designed the interior Credit: William Lailey 7 The carriage sits level with the old Delph station, where Nigel lives Credit: William Lailey 7 Passenger train services ceased in the area in the 1950s, but - thanks to a loving £27,000 restoration - visitors can once again step inside a carriage at the station. Instead of a ticket price, they'll have to part with the £200 per-night cost for the luxury accommodation. The second class 1895 Nigel used on the outside with original colours from old drawings and charts, while the interior has been given a stunning makeover. READ MORE IN NEWS The inside has been given a stunning makeover to create a cosy bedroom in the style of the same period. Some additional features , such as a bed and stove, were necessary to make it inhabitable. Retired wallpaper designer Nigel said: "I designed all that interior decor, but it was led by original pieces that I found doing the restoration. "The carriage was built in 1895 in Swindon, it's a GWR carriage. Most read in Money "It ran on the Metropolitan Railway. It was decommissioned in 1940, it was all painted in dark colours because of the war, I think. "It was just chocolate brown everywhere, it became a workman's carriage static somewhere." End of an era as King Charles AXES royal train after 150 years as cost of keeping iconic vehicle going hits £1.2m a year Nigel splashed £8,000 on the carriage, which was hauled up from Gloucester by road. It now stands on two concrete walls designed to keep it completely level to Delph station's original platform, making it accessible step-free. In total, the dad-of-three says he spent £27,000 on the restoration. He added: "One side was covered in tin - that must have been put there in the 50s or 40s to protect one side. "The woodwork of the frame was in great condition with it being built of oak, they built these in Swindon out of oak. "What I had to do was take each piece off carefully that was rotten and replicate it and rebuild it, using the original bits. It was in reasonable condition. 7 Before Nigel got his hands on it, the carriage was a dusty, unloved shell 7 Nigel is expanding his offerings with another chamber in the station's former waiting room 7 A stay in the plush room will set you back £200 a night Credit: TNT SPORTS "It's quite early, 1895, for a carriage - it's getting towards disintegration at that age if they've not been restored, this will be good for a long time now." Nigel is now planning on expanding his Airbnb offering with a new chamber in the station's former waiting room, to allow larger groups to visit. Nigel said: "People absolutely adore it, there's a lot of history here. It's a beautiful place. "It is beautiful, and it's quite unique here, I bought this place in the 80s when I was in my 30s, I was quite lucky to acquire such a nice old historic building. "I may turn one of the waiting rooms into an Airbnb with an ensuite, so when people stay in this carriage, if they've got friends they can stay in the waiting room at the station house." 7 Nigel says that people absolutely love his creation Credit: Splash News
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
I transformed abandoned UK train station into ultimate Airbnb steeped in Victorian character – now I make £200 a day
The carriage was a dusty, unloved shell before this enthusiast had his way GOING LOCO I transformed abandoned UK train station into ultimate Airbnb steeped in Victorian character – now I make £200 a day A RAILWAY fanatic who lives in an old station has spent thousands converting a former train carriage in to a luxury AirBnB apartment. Nigel Brooke, 68, lives in the old Delph railway station in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester. Advertisement 7 Nigel Brooke was inspired by fittings from the original period when he designed the interior Credit: William Lailey 7 The carriage sits level with the old Delph station, where Nigel lives Credit: William Lailey 7 Passenger train services ceased in the area in the 1950s, but - thanks to a loving £27,000 restoration - visitors can once again step inside a carriage at the station. Instead of a ticket price, they'll have to part with the £200 per-night cost for the luxury accommodation. The second class 1895 Great Western Railway carriage has been restored to its former glory on the outside and finished in the original colours - gleaned from old drawings and charts. Nigel used on the outside with original colours from old drawings and charts, while the interior has been given a stunning makeover. Advertisement READ MORE IN NEWS 'BRIGHT LIVES LOST' Heartbreaking tributes to Brit pals who drowned in Algarve pool The inside has been given a stunning makeover to create a cosy bedroom in the style of the same period. Some additional features, such as a bed and stove, were necessary to make it inhabitable. Retired wallpaper designer Nigel said: "I designed all that interior decor, but it was led by original pieces that I found doing the restoration. "The carriage was built in 1895 in Swindon, it's a GWR carriage. Advertisement "It ran on the Metropolitan Railway. It was decommissioned in 1940, it was all painted in dark colours because of the war, I think. "It was just chocolate brown everywhere, it became a workman's carriage static somewhere." End of an era as King Charles AXES royal train after 150 years as cost of keeping iconic vehicle going hits £1.2m a year Nigel splashed £8,000 on the carriage, which was hauled up from Gloucester by road. It now stands on two concrete walls designed to keep it completely level to Delph station's original platform, making it accessible step-free. Advertisement In total, the dad-of-three says he spent £27,000 on the restoration. He added: "One side was covered in tin - that must have been put there in the 50s or 40s to protect one side. "The woodwork of the frame was in great condition with it being built of oak, they built these in Swindon out of oak. "What I had to do was take each piece off carefully that was rotten and replicate it and rebuild it, using the original bits. It was in reasonable condition. Advertisement 7 Before Nigel got his hands on it, the carriage was a dusty, unloved shell 7 Nigel is expanding his offerings with another chamber in the station's former waiting room 7 A stay in the plush room will set you back £200 a night Advertisement "It's quite early, 1895, for a carriage - it's getting towards disintegration at that age if they've not been restored, this will be good for a long time now." Nigel is now planning on expanding his Airbnb offering with a new chamber in the station's former waiting room, to allow larger groups to visit. Advertisement Nigel said: "People absolutely adore it, there's a lot of history here. It's a beautiful place. Advertisement "It is beautiful, and it's quite unique here, I bought this place in the 80s when I was in my 30s, I was quite lucky to acquire such a nice old historic building. Advertisement "I may turn one of the waiting rooms into an Airbnb with an ensuite, so when people stay in this carriage, if they've got friends they can stay in the waiting room at the station house."
BBC News
13-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Combine harvester fire sparks rail chaos in Cornwall
A combine harvester fire has spread to surrounding fields and closed the main railway line in and out of Fire and Rescue Service said it had received multiple 999 calls reporting the blaze near crews from Liskeard, Lostwithiel, Callington and Bodmin were at the scene, supported by water carriers from Liskeard and Wadebridge. Due to the fire's proximity to the railway, train services in the area were halted. The fire service said the line would remain closed until it was deemed safe to reopen it. Train operator GWR confirmed that all lines were blocked near between Par and Plymouth were particularly affected, with delays and cancellations likely, it are advised to check for updates before travelling and to expect significant disruption while emergency services work to bring the fire under control, it added.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- BBC News
Train passengers warned 'not to attempt to travel'
Passengers are being warned "not to attempt to travel" on two train services due to staffing Western Railway (GWR) said there will be no trains running between Westbury and Weymouth and Swindon and Westbury on Sunday.A reduced service will also be operating between Westbury and Bristol Temple operator said on Saturday that the changes were due to "crew availability", and journey planners may not reflect the changes before the morning. There will be no replacement bus service between Westbury and Weymouth, and "a very limited one" between Swindon and trains will run between Westbury and Bristol and are likely to be "extremely busy", with GWR advising people to "change their plans if possible and only travel if necessary".Those who have already bought tickets between Westbury and Weymouth can travel on Saturday or Monday, or can claim a full refund, GWR train company also asked passengers to plan for high temperatures and to travel prepared, checking for updates and bringing a refillable water bottle.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Gloucestershire in pictures: Stunning skies and lavender fields
Yet another heat wave hit Gloucestershire this week - and the views have been beautiful. We have seen golden hours, charity walks and fields and fields of lavender. Take a browse through some of our favourite moments of the week in this corner of the world. Golden hour: What a beautiful start to any day! This photo was taken at the start of the day this week at Berkeley by our weather watcher, SantaSusie. Nothing beats a sunny Gloucestershire morning, does it? Among the wildflowers: What a stunning view at Cotswold Lavender. It is now peak season for them as visitors from all over the world come flooding in. They opened up early this year because of the heat. It meant that the lavender came out early so they had to get the gates open slightly earlier than normal. One foot in front of the other: GWR colleagues have been walking up and down Gloucester train station's platform through the night in pairs to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK and support colleagues living with the disease. Clever work: This picture — taken by photographer Still Photo Malone — is essentially lots of photos stacked on top of each other, 217 photos to be exact, with a 30-second exposure on photos were taken over a two hour period between midnight and 0200 BST at the Old Severn Railway Bridge. Up in the clouds: This is how the Missing Link project is looking on the A417 - taken from a 1940s Boeing Stearman biplane by Martyn £460m scheme will end up being a three-mile dual carriageway between Gloucester and Cirencester. Never enough: We are loving the sunrise photos this week. Look at this sky in Colesbourne earlier this week.
