The only thing better than a magical tiny home you build yourself is two such tiny homes, one more magical than the other. Just ask Frankie.
The tiny home movement, which has been around for over two decades but only went mainstream over the past five years, is showing no signs of slowing down. Rising environmental concerns and the ongoing economic crisis continue to fuel the search for alternative housing solutions, with more people opting to downsize to make ends meet or satisfy multiple needs.
Whether you choose to downsize to cut down expenses or to be able to travel more, we have a feeling inspiration is always welcome. Or maybe you're just window-shopping, which is also fine: this tiny delivers inspiration with its beautiful finishes, its whimsical styling, and, last but not least, its colorful history.
This is The Circus Wagon, a former circus caravan now located at Penn Meadow Farm, Beaconsfield, in Buckinghamshire, England. You might not be able to tell at first glance, but the name actually refers to two similarly-styled tiny homes, both based on old and out-of-order circus wagons, with sheep farmer Frank Lloyd in charge of both conversions. The main difference between the two tinies is that one served as the blueprint for the other. So, the more recent conversion is actually more polished and sophisticated, fancier, and more impressive because of all these things.
Photo: The Circus Wagon Project
Both wagons started as Coventry Knight wagons, built in the 1970s and initially used as Natwest bank trailers, touring the country to help people set up bank accounts. Once they outlived their utility, they were sold to Jolly's Circus, which is still operational today. Frank bought them from Peter Jolly, the current owner of the circus, who had parked them on his property, convinced that they could never be used again.
As per his own words, Frank is a Jack of all trades but the master of none: he's a farmer and an aspiring carpenter and, since the first round of lockdowns in 2020, a DIY-er of tiny homes. His first project as a DIY-er was one of the two wagons, with help from his lifetime friend Phil. It proved so successful that the two started a business of conversions, following it up with the second, fancier wagon and, hopefully, a Boeing 737 and a 1959 London Underground carriage conversion.
The conversion of the first wagon made the cut for an episode of George Clarke's Amazing Spaces reality series, bringing Frank exposure and the confidence he lacked to launch into the second project. The result is nothing short of impressive: a space that feels regal in finishes, with heavy rustic touches and incredible attention to detail. Features employed in the first conversion appear again but in a more polished form with near-perfect execution.
Photo: The Circus Wagon Project
The exterior of the wagon is close to the original one, with the only difference being that the lettering on the back reads "Frankie's Circus" now instead of "Jolly's Circus." The interior offers several living areas that make up for the basic creature comforts of a home: a bedroom with a full king-size floating bed, a living room that hides a gorgeous, oversize bathtub, a kitchen, and an impressive bathroom.
Like in the majority of tiny houses, these "areas" bear only a slight resemblance to actual rooms inside a house. The bedroom is just the bed, with a large TV screen at one end. The living room is the bench with an integrated, hidden tub, while the kitchen is a single block with a stove, sink, and prep space. The only actual room is the bathroom, with a large custom shower, a custom sink, and the golden throne teased in the headline.
It's not the layout that makes this tiny impressive, but the details. The countertop in the kitchen and the cover for the sink are live-edge Scottish elm. The showerhead is a brass bowl hanging under a skylight, the sink bowl is a repurposed brass bucket, and the "throne" is an old wooden chair painted gold. But the most impressive part of the build is the resin and teak lattice parquet flooring, which has now been upgraded to include blues and gold over the original brown in the first wagon conversion. Frank is convinced that he's the inventor of this type of lattice flooring. While we can't verify that beyond doubt, we will concede that the result is striking, with no two tiles alike.
Photo: The Circus Wagon Project
Neither wagon conversion is road-worthy anymore, so they're not exactly mobile homes. But they are self-sufficient units, and because of it, worthy of taking up a place on your DIY tiny house mood board. If you're skilled with your hands, you could even make a profit with your build: Frank's budget for the first conversion was about £9,000 ($11,100 at the current exchange rate), and he listed the one for sale for £40,000 after completion. Not bad for half a year's work, is it?
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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