CRICH TRAMWAY VILLAGE
50 Years of Trams History in the Peak District
The
tiny little village of Crich, a place of memories and a town of imagination,
lost in time
and hidden away in the hills of England’s Midlands Derbyshire
Peak District near Matlock, comes alive with the sights and sounds of
yesteryear when the gates open and the trolleys and trams begin to awake.
A trip to the National Tramway Museum at Crich Village is a special journey
in the wayback machine, an outing for families and history
buffs alike to experience living
in a bygone age.
After
WWII the use of trams in the cities of Britain began to decline and a
group of enthusiasts formed the Tramway Museum Society. In 1959,
after a long search, they found a stretch of disused rail track which
ran up the hills above the Derwent Valley to a former mining quarry in
the Peak District, envisioning the ideal spot to start their
museum of trams and trolleys. Trams were acquired from all over England
and
elsewhere
and
gathered in former maintenance buildings. Starting in 1967, other buildings
were added until an Edwardian era village was created around the garages
housing the curious and fascinating vehicles. Today the Crich Tramway
Village outdoor living museum allows the chance to enjoy these machines
in the setting they once inhabited.
The
village itself is small with only a few buildings and one street of cobblestones
where the tram tracks run down the center, making the
entire journey from one end of the town to the picnic area and back about
a half mile, with the trams of different varieties and ages passing one
another with narrow space to spare between as they trundle under
a former railway bridge. To ride the trams one gives the conductor a
token
(comes
with admission) and boards. Riding the trams has it charms, but watching
the conductors moving them in and out of the yard holds a rather more
historical fascination. Aside from the running trams, the exhibition
hall holds a collection of non-operational tram cars and exhibits dedicated
to the history of this unique form of transportation. The Crich Tramway
Village
has
other activities for a day out beyond the trams. Indoor and outdoor play
areas for children, picnic grounds, a woodland sculpture walk and labyrinth,
and for the hungry, an ice cream parlor, tearoom, sweet shop and restaurant.
A
few weekends a year, special theme events are held. The 1940s Weekends,
held at Easter and in early August, dresses the village as it would have
been during wartime Britain, to replicate life on the homefront, complete
with air raid sirens, Home Guard officers, armor vehicles and blackout
curtains. The Edwardian Weekend is held in July with a chance to relive
the Edwardian period with soldiers home from the Boar War, suffragettes
marching for the vote, period vehicles, and the only chance to ride on
the horse drawn tram. Other special theme weekends are held throughout
the year, including events for tram enthusiasts, model builders and classic
car owners.
Crick Tramway
Village is open on weekends from the end of February until the beginning
of
April from 10.30am to 4pm and daily from April trough
October from 10am to 5:30pm. Adult admission is £10.50 - £12.50
for Premium Weekends, and allows for free return for 12 months (except
for the special event weekends) and includes Parking, the Exhibition
Hall and Museum Facilities, Tram Depots, the playgrounds, Unlimited Vintage
Tram Rides, Woodland Walk and picnic areas. Five Premier Event Days are
held during the year – Easter Monday, August 1940s Weekend and
Transport Extravaganza Weekend.
1940s in Derbyshire
The National Tramway Museum in Derbyshire offers two 1940s weekends during the year. In April and August visitors to Crich Tramway Village experience the rationing and air raids frequent of British life during the second world war. Period cars, lorries and military vehicles will be active, with living re-enactors dressed in period costume. The attraction will host a vintage ENSA concert party, and the Tramway Village’s Red Lion Pub and Tearooms will serve real local ale and a 1940s era menu.
By car, the
Crich Tramway Village is 8 miles from Junction 28 of the M1 in the
Midlands, or by roadway from Sheffield,
Derby,
Nottingham,
Leicester, and Stoke-on-Trent. By public transportation the nearest rail
station is Whatstandwell, from which
it's a quite
steep
mile walk
uphill. Local bus services run from the stations at Belper, Matlock
and Alfreton. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Crich Tramway Village
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See Also:
WILLERSLEY
CASTLE HOTEL - DERWENT MILLS
CHURNET
VALLEY RAILWAY - PEAK DISTRICT
DONINGTON
PARK GRAND PRIX RACE CAR MUSEUM
LORD
BYRON'S NEWSTEAD
ABBEY
LLANGOLLEN
STEAM RAILWAY
