The Steeple Grange Light Railway — Attraction in Derbyshire Dales

Fantastic little railway run by dedicated volunteers. They have two lines and rides one is short that takes you down to the quarry area where they give you a talk on the geology and history, the second that is a longer line but has recently been affected by a rock fall so only half the line is open, normally it takes you up to the village where you can grab a drink before heading back. They have a number of battery powered tractor units sourced from a number of local places mines and cement works...lovingly restored by the volunteers. They also have one diesel power unit famous as it is the smallest ever built and operated by British rail. The railway is now an 18" narrow gauge originally the line was normal gauge. The site has only recently reopened after covid and the clearing of a rock fall, vegetation and more loose rock by specialised geologist's followed by safety inspections, they still have a lot of work to mesh the rock faces to maintain safety which will not be cheap. The rides are free but they do ask for a donation, considering the work these volunteers do and the cost they have coming they deserve a good donation to keep it open. Check the opening times as they vary and some of the published times like on Google are incorrect the day we visited...

First visit after seeing the signs at Black Rock. Run by volunteers is a supper narrow gauge quarry railway pulled by a couple of diesel locos. Some parking on the site but when busy you can park at the Black Rock carpark and follow the disused railway to Steeple Grange, about a 10 min walk. There were two rides, one along its main line and the other to one of the quarry's. At the quarry there was a super little talk about it and where the stone was used. There's a small shop in the ticket office which also sold drinks and simple snacks - cash or card which was very useful. All the staff were brilliant, happy to chat, helpful and very knowledgeable which really added to the visit.they run mainly Sundays in the summer but do check the website prior to travelling. We found it was only a 5 min drive from Cromford Canal and Mills so could be a great combination visit. Site is dog friendly and they can be accommodated on the train. We will definitely pay many more visits. Adult ticket £6.00 ...

A lovely little railway. Each ticket gets you 2 train rides. The first and longer ride goes from the train shed to Middleton and back along a line running through a tree lined cutting. On this journey, we had a young lad as guard on the train named Benjamin, who really knew his stuff. Gave us a great chat about the railway and its history. Very interesting. All the staff/volunteers were very friendly and funny and made the visit great. The second ride was much shorter and just went into the nearby quarry. There was a geologist who told us about about the rocks and fossils found in the quarry which was very...