Full steam to the past as artist launches unusal holiday let

Artist Chris Ware has turned back the clock to the 1930s at Levisham Station and is offering guests the chance to literally step back into the boots of the old station master.

Walter Artley was the last full time signalman and de facto station master resident at Levisham from 1931 to 1946.

It was a visit by his daughter a couple of years ago that inspired the artist to make Mr Artley a key part of a visit.

People renting Station House will get a week’s membership in Walter’s name, entitling them to half-price travel up and down the busiest steam heritage line in the world, and if they want, a chance to dress up in a railwayman’s clothes.

Mr Ware, who is the resident artist for North Yorkshire Moors Railway, said: “Meeting Mr Ware’s daughter (who was born in the middle bedroom) was the inspiration. Her (short term) memory was fading then, but she had a really clear recall about the past.

“She bought her Dad back alive going round the house and telling me how it was used then.

“North Yorkshire Moors Railway agreed as a one-off to make the house a member of the railway in the name of Walter Artley and we are going to make a membership card with his photo on so when people come to stay they can be Walter Artley.”

The house is kitted out in pre-War style - with a few exceptions. Take the kitchen, outwardly 1930s, with sulphur yellow walls and original red and black North Eastern Railway tiles. However there is an oil-fired Aga and what Mr Ware calls “the larder of shame” with mod cons tucked away including dishwasher, washing machine and microwave.

“I think it will appeal to people who like railways, people who like history and above all people with a sense of fun.

“I’ve just been trying to get my grandfather’s valve radio going. My grandfather and I used to listen to John Arlott and I want to hear it working again.”

“All the modern stuff is out of sight, so if guests want to live in bygone style they can - I’ll just count the number of dishwasher tablets used at the end of the week,” he added.

“People will be encouraged to use the bone china, bakelite telephone and wind-up gramophone as well as cooking on the range. But it is not a museum - its primary aim is happiness and relaxation.”

Mr Artley’s life was no rural idyll, however. With money tight, the family ran a smallholding with horse and cattle and also made money by renting out the house to holidaymakers, retreating to the outhouse room by room.

“Walter lived a really hard life and I want to respect that, rather than say it was all lovely. There was a family a little further up the Dale who fell ill in the 1920s and the sheep farmer couldn’t pay for the doctor.

“Eventually they were really ill and he walked a sheep to Pickering to pay the doctor, but when they got back to the house they were all dead of scarlet fever. They weren’t cosy days.”

Mr Ware, who has been kitting out the house with some of his possessions, including his boyhood bed, and Georgian furniture bought for a song at auction, is not advertising the house publicly, and says it won’t be on any website. He says people are welcome to come and have a look before booking: “I want to see if they are smiling, if they look excited and they get the idea,” he added.