The Travelling Post Office - St Germans, Cornwall
The Travelling Post Office offers quality self catering holiday accommodation with lots of character, sleeping up to 6. It is located on a railway siding adjoining the station platform at St Germans, in South East Cornwall, UK. There are fine views of passing trains on the adjacent GWR Plymouth to Penzance main railway line and over the Lynher
valley.
TPO No. 841 went into service in 1889 having been built for the Great Western Railway. Originally built with broad gauge bogies with a narrow body, it was converted to standard gauge in June 1891. It was withdrawn in 1934 and for many years formed part of a house near Brecon in Wales. It is now mounted on a reconstruction of the original chassis and has been restored externally to the original colour scheme. The inside has been sympathetically converted into high standard holiday accommodation for the rail enthusiast.
The railway station at St Germans was built in 1858 to a design by Brunel. Although the main railway station building is now lived in by your hosts, the platform is still in use - served by over 20 stopping trains per day. The St Germans Rail Users group produce a Train Timetable for St Germans - or you can visit their websitefor current timetables and information. The railway siding on which the Travelling Post Office sits was used for loading agricultural produce. Guests have a key to a private gate onto the platform and access to ten acres of our own woodland.
The TPO measures 48 feet by 8 feet and offers the
following facilities :
- flushing toilet with washbasin, shaver socket and shower
- galley style kitchen with fridge, hob and microwave/conventional oven etc
- double bed room
- bunk room with 2 bunks c/w safety bars (top bunk suitable for child or agile adult only)
- dining/lounge area with colour TV/DVD and hi-fi with seating converting into 2 singles or a double bed
- enclosed garden area with seating and BBQ facilities
- free on-site car parking space
- ample electric heating included in prices
- mains electricity, water and drainage
- use of childrens play area, games room with air hockey table, washing m/c and dryer, freezer, swing ball, etc
- unrestricted free broadband access
Pets are welcome by prior arrangement and a cot and high chair are available at no extra cost. Our prices are totally inclusive of all services, bedding, towels etc. If you're looking for somewhere to stay in St Germans close to Port Eliot, the elegant and spacious Travelling Post Office is the perfect place - only two minutes walk from the estate, with your own garden to relax in and ten acres of woodland to enjoy in the mornings.
Visit the TPO Gallery for full internal and external pictures of the carriage.
Visit the St Germans Village for information about the village or the St Germans Area Page for the wider environs.
Railholiday and the TPO were featured on the BBC series "Great British Railway Journeys" in early 2010.
This fabulous video by our guest Tom does need to be watched via the link to youtube due to copyrighted material, but captures perfectly the essence of a Cornish holiday in the Travelling Post Office.