This week we were staying at what AirBNB class as a Unique stay. It is certainly that! A renovated 1952 first-class Pullman carriage, fitted out for a luxury stay for two, and placed on a disused railway embankment on a fabulous private estate in Ullock. It was a great staycation, and the views in that part of Cumbria are amazing.
The Carriage
The carriage itself was discovered by Robert Gate at a Yorkshire scrapyard where it had been put after sustaining fire damage. He purchased it and had it brought to his family estate in Cumbria where he brought it back to life in 2016. It isn’t a completely faithful renovation, with numerous touches such as the ‘Platform 9 3/4 – Gate Station’ plaque above the door, but it certainly gives the occupant the illusion of being back in the 1950s. It now sits proudly at the edge of the estate on a disused railway line embankment where every passerby can admire it. For those who want to take a closer look they can book a few days holiday there and really have the first-class experience.
The main entrance is at the end of the carriage, going straight into a large lounge area with numerous lounge chairs and tables, and plenty of nostalgic touches. There is a TV at one end, which obviously isn’t in keeping, but the aim here appears to have been to meld the 1950s with the 2020s for a unique experience. Continuing from the lounge you enter the modern kitchen, with all mod cons. It is impressive what Gate did with the space available, even including a small boiler for the gas central heating which extends the length of the carriage.
From the kitchen you enter a narrow corridor, as per the original layout, and pass a cabin with benches and table, then a similar cabin with no benches, but with an old-fashioned dressing table. At the far end of the carriage is a larger cabin which holds a lovely double bed with a grand headboard. The en-suite which makes up the very end of the carriage is modern and wouldn’t look out of place in any executive house.
The Surroundings
The Carriage is positioned at the edge of Robert Gate’s private estate. There are portions which are understandably off-limits to the occupants of the Carriage, but those that aren’t are breath-taking. The immediate surroundings of the Carriage are in keeping with the theme, and ornaments include an old red telephone box (complete with gnome!) and a small hut masquerading as a stationmaster’s hut. The hut doubles as a bicycle shed or other storage. Notice the phoenix which adorns many of the items here – this is also the name of the Carriage.
The veranda set along the side of the Carriage includes two seats perfectly placed for you to admire the view down to the River Marron below. The lawns are kept perfectly and the wildflower areas are lovely. From here you also get to see one of Cumbria’s enchanting stone bridges over the river.
If you fancy taking a stroll along the river then the views continue. The sound of the river and the birds all around make this a wonderful little stroll. Every now and again there are rest areas for you to sit and relax and soak in the ambience.
Further Out – Northwest Cumbria
St Bees Beach
We took a 25 minute drive to St Bees beach one afternoon to have bit of a play and let our little one run around. It was a quiet beach at the time, although the large parking area and children’s playground points towards it getting busier at peak times. The tide was low, but on its way back in as we arrived. Getting down to the sand took a little work over the large pebbles, until we realised that there was a concrete slope all the way down a little way up the beach.
Once we got down to the sand we found a nice clean beach, with no rubbish and nice sand. The sea was around 200 yards away so we took a walk towards it. Our little one had lots of fun jumping in the puddles and letting the sea chase her back up the beach as it came in.
Lake District Wildlife Park
The wildlife park is a great little gem, hidden just north of Keswick. It isn’t huge, but it isn’t tiny either. There are plenty of animals to see, from pigmy goats to Grants zebras, and from macaws to flamingoes. We had a lovely few hours there on a Tuesday afternoon, with barely anybody else around at all. Admission is very reasonable – our two-year-old went free, but she probably loved it more than we did!
As well as the animals there is a remarkable children’s playground and ride-on karts. The cafe is decent and there is a gift shop on-site.
The Wild Duck Inn
For our final night at Ullock we went for a meal at the lovely nearby Wild Duck Inn. Just five minutes away at Branthwaite, this homely pub is reasonably priced and the meals were superb. Our toddler got the fish fingers and mash – homemade fish fingers which looked fab. I’m sure they tasted great too! We got the Wild Duck Ssliders (mini burgers) with one cajun chicken, one steak and cheese, and one cod. We got these with a salad and sweet potato fries on a fancy wooden board.
We also got the House Grill, with gammon, rump steak, cumberland sausage, lamb chop, black pudding, salad, and chunky chips. This was piled high on a humongous plate, and was an amazing sight. Everything tasted fantastic and we all had a great meal. The service was top-notch, and it wasn’t too busy at all. All in all, a very nice place to eat.
Conclusion
So, we have been to Cumbria before, but this corner was relatively unknown to us. Everywhere we went the scenery was lovely and the experiences were peaceful and high-quality. The Carriage was a unique experience, and we found plenty to do in the local area. We would definitely visit again!