CHURNET VALLEY RAILWAY
Heritage Steam Trains in Staffordshire Moorlands
The English countryside
is laced with rail lines from the first days of steam transportation
to modern high speed commuters. Heritage railways
where one can take a journey back to the steam and smoky days of yore
can be found in many places. Some made famous from movies like the “Harry
Potter” series to the nearly forgotten rail lines once used for
hauling freight or passengers to local destinations, fallen into disuse
for commercial purposes. Traveling the back roads from Stoke-on-Trent,
with its famed pottery works (see Wedgwood Museum) can be found in the “hidden
valley” of the Churnet River in Staffordshire, the Churnet Valley
Railway.
The line first opened
in 1849 as the North Staffordshire Railway, known as “the Knotty” for the knot logo of its company. The line
provided an alternative route from Derby to Manchester, rather the longer
route of the London main lines, but mostly serving local traffic among
the mills dotting the valley, serving the potteries of Stoke. Much of
its later life was as a goods line, with passenger service ending in
1965 and even the land cars hauling sand from the quarries ceased in
1988. The Churnet Valley Railway now operates as a heritage railway on
10 ½ miles of track through the Staffordshire moorlands from the
preserved Victorian era station of Cheddleton, past industrial age Lime
Kilns and green woods of the nature preserve to the Railway Inn at Kingsley
Froghill within view of the hills of the Peak District. The line can
be accessed at both the Cheddleton station near Leek or the Froghall
station at the south end. The Consall Station in the midst of the picturesque
Churnet Valley where the Caldon Canal and the Churnet River meet is a
little hamlet lost in the last century.
A
changing variety of steam locomotives operate on the line, while others
are in refurbishment. The Churnet Valley Railway center has a mighty
yellow and blue Deltic Diesel locomotive, once the most powerful engine
on rails which pulls the trains in an alternating schedule with the
steam engines. The
steam trains run principally on weekends with a wide selection of theme
events 1940’s Wartime in April, Sounds of the 60’s
music in August, a Ghost Train at Halloween, Steam Gala in November and
Victorian Weekends of Christmas Carols and a Santa Train in December.
The line operates a dinner train for romantic evenings and a Sunday Brunch
train. They will even arrange an on board civil wedding or reception.
Cheddleton village
is on the A520 Leek to Stone road between Leek and Cellarhead. The
The Kingsley & Froghall station is on the A52 between
Stoke-On-Trent and Ashbourne. Some quaint pub inns lie near the railway,
the Boat Inn and Black Lion on the Caldon Canal and the Red Lion in Cheddleton
or the Railway Inn at Froghall. There is a Bird and Falconry Center at
Kingsley and boat trips on the canal are available from the Froghall
Wharf. A visit to the Churnet Valley Railway can be easily combined with
tours of Wedgwood or the other earthenware makers in Stoke-On-Trent and
the Alton Towers amusement theme park located on nearby land once served
by the railway. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Find
best hotel and travel deals in Staffordshire
Web
Info
Churnet
Valley Railway
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
See Also:
CRICH TRAM MUSEUM VILLAGE - MATLOCK
NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILROAD
YORK
NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM
LLANGOLLEN
STEAM RAILWAY - WALES
