RailEnquiry

Thanks to some rather outdated planning laws, a former Great Western Railway carriage that had stood on the grounds of a historic property in Ashton, Cornwall had to have a bungalow built around it by a retired transport manager. Created for his ex father-in-law Charles Allen, Buckinghamshire-native Jim Higgins restored the 130-year-old carriage which had been lived in since 1930 by a local woman named Elizabeth Richards.When she died in 1966, the property came to be known as ‘Lizzies Place’ and stood empty for a number of years. Mr. Allen came upon the property while he was hunting for a place to retire. The master carpenter wanted to build a retirement home out of the carriage though he couldn’t planning permissions because of a law known as 'grandfather rights' that prohibits the movement of structures that have stood in a place for a long time. Thus, his former son-in-law stepped in to build a bungalow around the carriage.Created for passengers travelling in the third class, the Great Western Railway carriage has been fully restored into a fully functioning home. Given the lack of information about carriages built in the era, getting the carriage to look as authentic after restoration is a challenge for Mr. Higgins who has builds bedrooms inside the carriage with the lounge and the kitchen being built in the bungalow structure around the carriage. Mr. Higgins plans on opening the carriage bungalow to the public or turning it into a museum if it garners enough interest.

Via: Daily Mail