Railway enthusiasts will want to choo-choo-choose this charming property
We're not sure many property hunters will have a sit-on model railway on their list of must-haves, but a handsome home in Northamptonshire boasts just that.

The Old Rectory in Collingtree has plenty of lovely features, but it's what's outside that makes it stand out from the crowd. Hidden behind the 13th century home is a giant model railway running around the perimeter of a pretty walled garden.
The railway comes complete with a sit-on train and carriages, sure to delight train-lovers old and young. A summer house and stone shed is currently used to house the vehicles.
Currently on the market with Michael Graham for £1,350,000, the Grade II listed property features six bedrooms, three bathrooms, three reception rooms, a cellar and garage space for four cars.
The former rectory is arranged over three floors and constructed with local limestone and ironstone, with a Welsh slate roof and sash windows.
The current owner has extended the property to provide an open plan kitchen/breakfast room while maintaining the traditional architecture. There are also two double garages, one of which has a first floor room which could be used as a home office or a games room
Train enthusiasts looking to embrace their passion on a bigger scale (minus the impressive house) may be interested in another prospect.
Earlier this month, Country Life reported that Hayling Seaside Railway was on the market.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The two-ft-gauge railway, which runs for a mile from Eastoke Corner to Beachlands, on Hayling Island, can be leased for seven years for £60,000 or bought outright for £300,000.
It is supported by about 70 volunteers, runs for three days a week (daily during the school holidays) and comes with two diesel locomotives, five carriages and volunteer driver and conductor Robert Hazelton.
According to the listing, it has a turnover of £60,000 and a profit of £20,000.
But the real joy of owning the railway is meeting the people who ride on it, according to retiring owner Bob Haddock, who plans to go travelling.
Fancy having a railway of your own? The Hayling Seaside Railway can be yours for £60,000
The two-ft-gauge railway, which runs for a mile from Eastoke Corner to Beachlands, can be leased for seven years for
London property of the week: Mayfair's smallest house
A one-bedroom house - what believe is the smallest house in Mayfair - is now on the market
-
The King's favourite tea, conclave and spring flowers: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 22, 2025
Tuesday's Quiz of the Day blows smoke, tells the time and more.
By Toby Keel Published
-
London is the place for me* (*the discerning property buyer)
With more buyers looking at London than anywhere else, is the 'race for space' finally over?
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
London is the place for me* (*the discerning property buyer)
With more buyers looking at London than anywhere else, is the 'race for space' finally over?
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
What's a 'wellness village' and will it tempt you back into the office?
The team behind London's first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ says it has the magic formula for tempting workers back into offices.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'
The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Hidden excellence in a £7.5 million north London home
Behind the traditional façades of Provost Road, you will find something very special.
By James Fisher Published
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtower
On Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in Kent
Grade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Some of the finest landscapes in the North of England with a 12-bedroom home attached
Upper House in Derbyshire shows why the Kinder landscape was worth fighting for.
By James Fisher Published
-
Could Gruber's Antiques from Paddington 2 be your new Notting Hill home?
It was the home of Mr Gruber and his antiques in the film, but in the real world, Alice's Antiques could be yours.
By James Fisher Published