Visiting Crich Tramway Village
Crich Tramway Village, Crich, Derbyshire, DE4 5DP, UK.
The town of Crich in Derbyshire, UK, is home to the Crich Tramway Village and the National Tramway Museum. The Village is in part of an old quarry once used as a source of limestone by George Stephenson, the "Father of Railways."
The Village and Museum hosts numerous restored trams from the first generation of British tramways, from the horse drawn trams first introduced into Britain by the American businessman George Francis Train to the last trams in general usage before almost all the tramlines were dismantled in the 1960s. The collection includes a number of trams from other countries and continents as well as the British trams. Some of the trams that have been restored are in exhibitions, others may be ridden and the Museum also lends out trams to other places and events around the country.
Crich Tramway Village has exhibitions featuring trams that represent the approximately century of usage of the first generation of British trams, with new exhibitions being opened to cover the second generation of tramways now seen in a growing number of cities as tram systems increase in popularity again.
The Village has appropriate street furniture and buildings collected from around the country and reassembled around the tramline. Building are used to house exhibitions or, like the Red Lion pub and restaurant, still serve their original purpose.
At the Village visitors can ride an actual tram from the collection on the working tramline constructed on site, with the trams on use on any particular day constantly changing. There are usually at least two trams operating every day, and visitors can ride them multiple times.
As well as the trams, exhibitions and Village, there is also a woodland walk and sculpture trail with several picnic places.
Tickets are valid for a year after purchase, allowing free re-entry to the Village, although this may not include certain events held at the Museum. Dogs are welcome around the village on a lead, except in the children's play area and catering establishments. The Village has a substantial car park.
