Free events at Peak Rail for Heritage Open Days
Walks covering the history of the railway in the Rowsley area will take place on the mornings of 20 and 21 September. In the afternoon these will be followed by talks about the history of Darley Dale station. Both must be prebooked.
This is the first time that walks from the old station at Rowsley to Peak Rail’s station at Rowsley South, tracing the route’s history, have taken place for at least 15 years. The walks will take place at 10.30 am on both days. In the afternoon talks about the history of the station and the restoration of the footbridge will be taking place at 2.30 pm at Darley Dale station. After the talk a tour of the station and the adjacent Briddon Rail depot will be available. The tours are free but need to be booked in advance by 18th September through https://peakrail.digitickets.co.uk/tickets
The walk is limited to 12 persons. Trains are running both days and tickets will need to be purchased separately to ride on them. Our Rowsley South site has a large car park and a buffet.
The afternoon talk at Darley Dale, which must be booked separately, will take place in a smaller station building and is also limited to 12 persons. Free car parking will be available in the station yard. The talk on the history of the station and the restoration of the footbridge will take about 25 minutes followed by a guided tour of the station site and Briddon Rail which will take about an hour.
Peak Rail operates on part of the former railway from Matlock to Buxton and Chinley which closed as a through route in 1968. We have re-opened 3.5 miles of the line and our Rowsley South site includes an engine shed and restoration facilities.
2025 is the 50th anniversary of our formation. Rowsley South station is signposted off the A6 between Matlock and Rowsley. Please turn down Harrison Way and at a roundabout turn left and follow the road past Ashbrook Roofing onto our site. The postcode is DE4 2LF.
The site will be fully open both days and is normally open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sunday but please check our website [email protected] before travelling.