Here at Railway Retreats we take pride in conserving old carriages to become welcoming, unique spaces for you and your family to stay.

We are located in the beautiful Rother Valley on the Kent and East Sussex border in Northiam.

Located near Bodiam, Tenterden, Rye and Hastings, the carriages provide a fantastic base for you to explore the local countryside and coast with attractions and activities to suit everyone.

The carriages are situated within Northiam Steam Railway Station, a working station on the Kent and East Sussex Railway line. You don’t even need to leave the carriages to get the full railway experience as the steam trains will pull up at the station just over 20ft away.

We have painstakingly given some wonderful, care-worn rolling stock an exciting new life as modern, clean, inviting bases for you to relax in. We carry out as much of the work ourselves as we can, transforming the interiors into unique quirky spaces. The exteriors are painted in period colours and we retain as many original features as possible.

The Plum and Custard Mk1 railway carriage sleeps up to six guests with one family bathroom, one en-suite bathroom, a fully functional kitchen, two double bedrooms, a bunk room for kids and an open plan lounge/dining area. The carriage benefits from an elevated glass balcony giving you the opportunity to get the best view of the station, railway line, surrounding countryside and the beautiful sunsets we get in Northiam.

Emerald Express sleeps up to five guests with two separate bedrooms, one with a double bed, one with a double bed and single bunk above, family shower room, open plan lounge and dining area, a fully functional kitchen and a large balcony with outdoor seating area. Emerald Express gives you a wonderful elevated view over the steam railway and the Rother Valley beyond.

Pipe Dream sleeps up to four guests with one double bedroom and one bunk bedroom, open plan kitchen, lounge and dining area, fully functional kitchen, family shower room, TV’s at the end of each bunk bed, Bi-fold window over-looking the steam railway water tower and a garden with BBQ and seating area.

The Great Western 'TOAD' Brake Van sleeps two guests with its own en-suite shower room. The 'TOAD' faces directly on to the station platform and is perfect for relaxing on the veranda, either watching the steam trains roll by during the day or soaking up the beautiful sunsets.

Our ‘Guns & Roses’ Ammunition Wagon has an en-suite shower room, individual private garden and can accommodate up to four guests. Get the full British heritage experience staying in this wagon built for the War Department in 1944.

The ICI Salt Van sleeps up to three guests with a double bed with a single bunk bed above, en-suite shower room, tea and coffee making facilities, TV and private garden with BBQ.

The gallery below will show you just a fraction of the hard work that has gone in to rejuvenating not just the carriages, but the area which they now call their forever home.

Sophie & Ben