The Peak Forester

Join us on this very special train from London to Matlock in the beautiful Peak District of Derbyshire. There we shall travel over ‘Peak Rail’ the Heritage Railway line between Matlock and Rowsley. There is also an option to alight at Duffield to travel on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. Our train will be steam hauled throughout. The journey includes fast running stretches of high profile main lines as well as highly scenic secondary routes.

We leave London King’s Cross at around 09:00 and we can expect some fast running as we head north along the East Coast Main Line. We stop at Potters Bar, Stevenage and Peterborough for further passengers and then take the former Syston and Peterborough Railway line that links the ECML to the Midland Main Line. We pass through Stamford and Oakham, the county town of Rutland. When this line was built, between Oakham and Melton Mowbray, it had to make a significant detour because of opposition from the then owner of nearby Stapleford Park.

We join the Midland Main Line at Syston Junction and head northwards through Loughborough and Trent Junction to Derby. The train will make a brief stop at Duffield, where passengers can alight for optional travel on the nearby Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. We then take the Derwent Valley Line to Ambergate Junction and along the Matlock Branch. This was formerly the Midland Main Line to Manchester Central which closed as a through route in 1968. We are now in the Peak District and we travel up the picturesque valley of the River Derwent, passing through Cromford and Matlock Bath to Matlock.

At Matlock passengers have the option of alighting from the train or continuing with our train along the Heritage Railway ‘Peak Rail’ through Darley Dale to Rowsley.

Our train leaves Rowsley late in the afternoon and stops at Matlock to pick up those passengers who have been visiting the town and Duffield for passengers who went on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. We return via Derby, Trent Junction and Melton Mowbray to Peterborough, Stevenage and Potters Bar where we stop to set down passengers. Our journey ends at London King’s Cross after an interesting and enjoyable day out.

On Board Catering