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Someone’s built an amazing apartment inside an old railway tunnel

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 8th July 2022

An old abandoned railway tunnel has been converted into an apartment that guests can spend the night in.

The Portal in West Yorkshire sleeps up to four guests and is built straight into the mouth of the Butternab Tunnel.

One of its most impressive features is a 30-foot natural waterfall which crashes into a pond outside the front door, reports The Hoot.

The owners have also built a winding decked footpath up to the two-storey studio apartment on the outskirts of Huddersfield.

The Portal is an Airbnb built in an old railway tunnel.
The outside space at The Portal. Credit: Airbnb

Visitors are then greeted by a huge arched double-height window filling the entrance to the old stone tunnel.

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The studio itself is bright and modern, with space for up to four guests between the bedroom and a sofa bed. It’s also pet-friendly.

Outside is a south-facing seating area on the terrace next to the waterfall.

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Butternab Tunnel was closed in 1969, but before that it had been part of the Huddersfield to Meltham line.

The owner of The Portal, Stephen Attmere, told the Huddersfield Examiner: “An eccentric millionaire decided to make the blocked southern end of the tunnel into an art studio for his wife and a home cinema was put there in the 90s.

“Fast forward to December 2020 we bought the property and decided to make it more sympathetic to its history, so we got rid of the rainbow arch and tacky art pictures. We have now decided to share it on Airbnb as a self-contained studio.

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“When we saw it we fell in love. At first we were going to turn it into a dance studio but our joiner suggested putting it on Airbnb and we thought it made sense.

“We are surrounded by ancient woodland. There’s a 30-foot waterfall cascading into a pond. It’s like a little bit of heaven. It’s so private and peaceful.”

You can see The Portal on Airbnb here.

Featured image: Airbnb