Crich Tramway Village is near Matlock in Derbyshire. It is one of our favourite places to visit and we buy an unlimited entry ticket for 12 months. Travelling there via the stunning Peak District we stopped at the attractive small market town of Bakewell, where we had a cream tea. We also bought a Bakewell Pudding (not tart) to take home for our next-door neighbours. On our return journey, we stopped at Hulme End – a small village where there is a visitor centre constructed from a former railway station. Here we had tea and cakes bought from the Tea Junction cafe.
When we visit Crich, we usually stay at the Premier Inn in Butterley on the outskirts of Ripley. We have found that the breakfast plus evening meal deal at the Cookhouse & Pub is good value. I like the fact that they seat families in a separate area, so other diners are not disturbed. In the evenings, we like to take a short cut through Carr Wood up to a friendly pub called the Talbot, where they have a good selection of real ales on tap.
The National Tramway Museum is a charity run by enthusiastic volunteers. There are various events throughout the year and it was Steampunk Weekend when we visited. The site is a former abandoned quarry and it has been developed as a period village with buildings that have been recreated brick by brick from other locations. As well as a pub, cafe and shops there are indoor exhibitions. Of course, for steampunk, they also had a number of vintage stalls. Visitors can ride up and down on the trams and there is the sculpture trail with extensive views of the countryside.
On the day of the Steampunk the weather was really hot and most people were glad to keep in the shade of the trees. There was plenty of fun entertainment including live music on the bandstand. I would recommend Crich for a great day out.
