Crich Tramway Village

Crich Tramway Village is Britain’s national tramway museum and is located in the heart of Derbyshire on a former quarry railway line. The museum holds a superb collection of vintage trams not just from the UK, but from other parts of Europe too. At the bottom of the line is a ‘village’ complete with pub and shops and there are further stops as the line heads up the hill including a bandstand area, a mining stop and a stop right at the top of the hill superb views of the Derbyshire countryside.

If you are allowed off at this stop, you can follow the walkway to the Crich Stand monument for more incredible views. The trams are operated on rotation for visitors to ride on and many more are on display in the large tram sheds. The ride to the end of the track and back takes around 30 minutes depending how many trams are running and how busy they are. The various stops all have something to see if you choose to get off and you can simply get back on the next tram that comes along. Some of the stops on the way up the line are ‘request’ only, although the trams all stop on the way back down.

One thing that shouldn’t be missed is the ‘Woodland Walk’ which runs from the mining stop to the bandstand stop (or vice versa). On the walk there are some great views of the Derbyshire countryside and wooden sculptures along the way. There’s a picnic area too. Other highlights at the tramway village include a large adventure playground, mining display, tram history display and an indoor children’s soft play area. Some of the buildings at the museum have been transported from other locations. For example, the beautiful pub in the village was moved brick-by-brick from Stoke On Trent where it was facing demolition and the frontage of Derby’s old Assembly Rooms is also located here.

All in all, we thought the tramway village was a great family day out. You can easily spend a day here and there are decent places to eat if you want to. Also full-priced tickets allow admission for a full year, which is great if you live nearby and can easily return. Crich Tramway Village is open daily from mid March to late October with special ‘starlight’ trams at the end of the season. Hours vary but typically the museum opens from 10am to 5.30pm Adult admission at the ticket booth is £23 and a family ticket is available for £52 (2024 prices).

LOCATION & MAP

Address: Crich Tramway Village, Crich, Matlock, DE4 5DP
Tel: +44 1773 854321

Crich Tramway Village is located in the small Derbyshire village of Crich. It’s around 8 miles from junction 28 of the M1, Crich can also be easily accessed using the A38, the A6, and the A61.