Sunday 20^th October 2019

We were again up early to watch the rugby. Wales with a one-point victory over France and South Africa knocking Japan out. However, we did not see the end of the South Africa match before leaving to catch the 11:15 departure from Cheddleton on the Churnet Valley Railway. This was the reason for remaining in Cheddleton. We had decided we could not leave without going on the train.

‘Hotspur’ pulled the coaches through the delightful countryside, stopping at Consall, before reaching Froghall, where we spent 35 minutes before returning. On the return journey the train passes through Cheddleton and the 581-yard-long tunnel, to Leekbrook Junction where the track used to divide, one continuing to Leek, the other travelling to Stoke-on-Trent. The railway has funding in place to extend to Leek but the Morrisons supermarket has been built on the site of the original station, so another has to be built. The line to Stoke still has the rails in place. I thought this line was closed as a result of Dr. Beeching’s cuts in the 1960’s, but apparently, it was still in use until the 1990’s servicing Bolton’s Copper Works in Froghall, hence the rails being in place. There are hopes that the Caldon quarries will reopen at some point in the future and bring this line back to life. 

     

There is something very British about travelling on a rickety old piece of steaming history, but the novelty never quite wears off. We have been on the Churnet Valley Railway several times now, but still enjoy it along with all other restored railways we travel on. The experience was somewhat spoilt though, on learning that ‘Hotspur’ is a Polish engine.

We called into the Boat Inn again on the way back, a busy little place, but stopped for just the one, making it back on board ahead of the rain, to a steak dinner.