Retired Railway Carriages Become a Countryside Stay Near Ely
A former Great Western Railway carriage in Little Downham, Cambridgeshire, has been converted into an unusual countryside stay. Known as The Carriage Ely, the property combines two retired coaches named Paddington and Penzance. Original railway details remain throughout, including luggage racks, tables, seats, sliding glass doors, windows and safety signs, while modern additions turn the carriages into a self-contained holiday rental.
What Comes With the Railway Stay
- Location: Little Downham, near Ely, Cambridgeshire
- Accommodation: Two connected railway carriages
- Carriage names: Paddington and Penzance
- Price: From £180 per night
- Minimum stay: Two nights
- Facilities: Kitchen, lounge, sofa bed and Smart TV
- Outdoor space: Garden, patio, fire pit and hot tub
- Optional extra: Delivered afternoon tea
- Nearby city: Ely, around five minutes away by car
Paddington contains the kitchen and several preserved railway fittings, including the overhead racks and original seating. Penzance adds a lounge, sofa bed and further tables and seats. Roller blinds provide privacy, while the original red emergency lever is still in place. Outside, guests have access to a private garden where the hot tub and fire pit make the stay feel less like a museum piece.
The location places visitors close to Ely Cathedral and Oliver Cromwell’s House, both reached within a short drive. The surrounding Fens add flat walking and cycling routes through open countryside, waterways and small villages. Guests can also order afternoon tea with sandwiches, cakes, scones, jam, cream and English Breakfast tea, adding another distinctly British element to the railway theme.
Staying here costs more than a standard countryside B&B, but the experience is very different. Guests get a restored railway carriage with its original features, a private hot tub, outdoor space and a peaceful rural setting just outside Ely. It suits anyone looking for a short break that feels memorable without giving up the comfort of a modern holiday stay.