Hulme End

Hulme End is a small hamlet in Staffordshire, England. It is located in the Peak District National Park about 10 miles north of Ashbourne. A natural gateway to the Manifold valley, the settlement is located beside the river Manifold where it crosses the road from Hartington (the nearest small town) to Warslow.

Although in the county of Staffordshire, the hamlet lies close to the Derbyshire border, and in fact has a Derbyshire postal address, i.e. Hulme End, Hartington, Buxton, Derbyshire.

The hamlet's primary significance stems from its position as the northern terminus of the former Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway, an independent narrow gauge (2 ft 6 in (762 mm)) line built following the legislation of the Light Railways Act 1896 which let companies to construct short lines to serve more isolated places.

The line primarily acted as a service for milk trains and tourism. On the timetable Hulme End was described as "Hulme End for Hartington" (Hartington is some 3 miles distant).

During the railway's lifetime there was some talk of extending the line northwards towards Buxton (10 miles to the north), whereby Hulme End, with its engine and carriage sheds, would have become a natural half-way point of the line, with probable considerable resultant growth - and survival of the railway - but this never materialised.

Today the old station building has been fully restored, complete with mock beams, and is now a staffed visitor centre, open most weekends & during school holidays. Information displays outline a brief history of the railway and there is a small collection of memorabilia from the line. The centre supplies the usual range of souvenirs, guide books, maps & leaflets. Within the building are public toilets, and there is a pay-and-display car park.

Adjacent to the station, the former engine has been rebuilt to a similar design as the original; a small part of the original frameworks exists inside. The former coach sheds, which similarly had two roads, have not survived.

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Wikipedia