A couple have turned a 19th-century railway station in Herefordshire into a luxury Airbnb after spending £50,000 on its renovation. Cecilia Chavez-Brandon and Paul Kirwan purchased Rowden Mill Station in 2017, having searched for a year to find their dream renovation project.
The station, which stopped serving passengers in the 1950s as car travel became more popular, had fallen into disrepair. The couple paid £395,000 for the 2.7-acre site in Bromyard, which included a section of track and original buildings.
After years of work, visitors can now experience the station as it was in the 1950s and 60s. The booking office has become the kitchen, the waiting room the lounge, and the gentleman's toilet a full bathroom. The parcel office was converted into a studio with an ensuite.
The couple also bought a run-down 18ft saloon railway coach and fitted it with 1960s furniture. They maintain 250 metres of disused track. The main station building rents for £430 for two nights, the brake van for £260 per night, and the parcel office for £220 for two nights.
Cecilia, originally from Mexico and trained as an architect, said they have become train enthusiasts since taking on the project. The station opened to holidaymakers in July 2022.
