Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
4.5
About
With its headquarters in the fine old Peak District market town of Wirksworth, the Ecclesboume Valley line, at nine miles, is Derbyshire's longest heritage railway. The line runs through some of the most pleasant scenery in the White Peak, from its joint station with the main line at Duffield to its northern terminus at Ravenstor, close to the High Peak Trail and the National Stone Centre. The line provides services mainly operated by heritage diesel railcars, with four trains a day on summer weekends and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the high summer. The timetable is designed to connect with East Midlands Trains' services to and from Derby and Nottingham. Visitors may wish to take advantage of a 'zigzag choo choo' all Day Rover Ticket issued by the railway and Trent Barton providing an excellent opportunity for discount travel through the beautiful derbyshire countryside by bus and rail. Steam hauled services are also operated at peak periods, please call us to check what is running. If you would prefer to see the line from the Driver's cab or realise a childhood dream by taking the controls of one of our heritage steam or diesel locomotives then you can book that day to remember direct on our website. We offer a range of experiences to suit any occasion and budget.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

See what travellers are saying
  • Katie J
    1 contribution
    Awful Santa and terrible customer aftercare
    Booked the Christmas train and couldn't recommend it less. Santa was shocking. No interaction with the children, very badly fitted suit, no Christmas cheer whatsoever. Customer service don't even acknowledge complaint never mind apologise or resolve. Would never book again
    Hi there Katie! I am so sorry to read that the experience was not what was expected and that you felt the Christmas cheer was not present. Our wonderful Railway volunteers and performance team worked very hard to bring the station, and Santas station, to life for the 12 days of shows and all worked hard to ensure the event was a success. As they do year on year. I am also saddened to know that you felt our after care was not what was expected, I have checked the systems and seen we responded right away to your complaint, and even discussed this with our performance team, who were also keen to set this right for you for next time. We do our utmost to provide a great experience for the community, our customers and the volunteers. If you’d be happy to email me again, or call our ticket office direct, we will do our utmost to ensure this is resolved for next time.
    Written 7 February 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 19 December 2022
  • TTT1_19
    Nottingham, United Kingdom115 contributions
    Shabby
    Went on the fish and trip steam train ride today. We were a little early so had a coffee from the cafe carriage. £3 each for half a cup, from an automatic machine. Ouch. The steam engine itself (the front bit) didn’t stay in the station for very long before moving to the back of the train, so no real opportunity to get any decent photos. There was no interaction from the staff with my grandad, who will tell anyone about the 15 years he served as a firer on a steam train - I thought this would be what this heritage railway is all about. We were directed to the back of the train, passing through the nicer carriages with white linen tables laid with flowers and cutlery until we got to the end carriage which was old, shabby and in desperate need of a good clean. The windows were also dirty which ruined the views. The seats are really quite small but you’re crammed in, sitting opposite another couple that you don’t know - all rather awkward. We were given a bag at the end of the line with some wooden cutlery and a flapjack (random) then were given fish and chips for the ride back, but we’d nearly eaten ours by the time we got going again. Fish was ok but chips were pretty soggy - no sauce offered, no peas etc. Paid £70 for two people, feel massively ripped off.
    Hi there TTT1_19, This is a very upsetting review to read, with being a small community ran heritage railway we pride ourselves on the service provided by our strong team of volunteers, so I am very saddened to read such a review. The fish and chip service is a popular service we provide year on year after countless fantastic bookings. The service is provided by an events management company who we work together with and they also pride themselves on their service. I am sure this feedback will sadden them. The fish and chips are provided from a local chip shop in Duffield as we work together with our local community. The dining coach you speak of is a separate booking and is used for fine dining services such as afternoon tea and Sunday lunches. You can see these options online at www.E-v-r.com. Your Granddad would be more than welcome to take a tour of the steam engine with the team when it arrived back to Wirksworth, you would only need to approach one of the very many friendly volunteers on site who would have been more than happy to assist - on this I can assure you as this happens every time we run services. The engine itself also has ‘run around’ time at Wirksworth and is able to view from either platform 1 or the north end of platform 2. There is ample time to view and get pictures so I am again, saddened to read you missed such an opportunity. Our steam team are always more than happy to show people the engine and even encourage pictures and time to chat. If you’d kindly provide your booking details to us, we will look into this further for you. If you send an email to ticketoffice@e-v-r.com. Please provide full name and booking details when emailing us. With thanks, Helen
    Written 11 April 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 8 April 2023
  • Colin Y
    Rotherham, United Kingdom47 contributions
    Not good
    Not worth the money. Did the curry train for 2. Popadoms were burnt. Bhajis were cold AND burnt. Lamb curry was tasteless and no flavour. Drinks server told us there was no bottled lagers left ( he had only served 2 tables before us ) so ordered a white wine. This was served unchilled. While drinking this a drinks trolley was pushed to another carriage with about 20 bottles of lager which were not ordered and were being sold. Chicken curry was thigh/wing meat, so not the best but sauce was nice. At £90 for 2 with another £16 for drinks, it was not worth the money. Complained to Ollie who did apologise but really dismissed the complaint by saying “others had said it was nice” and that “you come for the train ride” Perhaps others were just being nice, not being one’s to complain, but come on, the price being charged does not represent value. Ollie did say the facilities in the train are restricted but if you cannot do something well, don’t do it at all. Do what you can do, and do it properly
    Thank you got taking your time to leave a review. Unfortunately food is very much to personal taste and therefore we appreciate that not everybody will enjoy every meal. The curry is made in house by our train chef and we are confident that many passengers enjoyed their evening by the many positive reviews that have been left about the evening on other social media sites. Your booking was through a third party events company and I’m sure if you have any queries they will be more than happy to help.
    Written 7 July 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 July 2023
  • Marion B
    212 contributions
    Not the greatest of journeys
    Was ok but the weather couldn't have been worse which spoilt it quite a lot. The steam train was great but the fish and chip carriage wasn't very comfortable. My husband is disabled and went with a rollator walker which we checked previously with the company and were told help would be available if needed to board the train. Not so! We had no help whatsoever. The only offers of help were from other passengers. I'm afraid as with many other companies they claim to cater for the disabled but only do it half heartedly. We also had to get off the train to fetch the fish and chips in the rain, which again was not what we expected. The carriages for the afternoon tea looked better with tablecloths and place settings so would recommend you try that not the fish and chips, which by the time you got back to your seat they were not very warm.
    Thank you for taking your time to leave us a review. We’re glad you enjoyed the steam train. The carriage is an original 1950s British Railways carriage and the seating is authentic to the period, many people prefer it to modern trains so it is unfortunate you found it uncomfortable. Our volunteers regularly assist our visitors in boarding and disembarking the train and are more than happy to oblige when asked. The fish and chip experience is organised and ran by a third party events company, not by the railway itself but they would be more than happy to discuss any issues you have. The railway regularly runs it’s own Derbyshire Countryman luxury dining experiences which is likely to have been the area of the train you saw. We look forward to seeing you again in the future.
    Written 10 September 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 July 2023
  • Alison K
    1 contribution
    Fox and Edwards fish and chip train.
    On September 9th, 4 of us went on the fish and chip train in Wirksworth. It was a disappointing experience. The train was lovely, it was just everything else that wasn’t. The train station itself was run down and looked neglected. There wasn’t much of a view, although once we got into the countryside it was lovely. The fish and chips were mediocre, the fish was awful. It all felt very rushed, then we were back at the station. Underwhelming and overpriced. I have been on lots of steam trains but I won’t be going on this again !
    Thank you for your review. We’re glad you thought the train ride was lovely. Our volunteers lovingly care for all of our stations. Granted we have an area that is partitioned as we construct the remainder of our beautiful new station building but the platform areas with their flower-lined borders are enjoyed by many. The fish and chip train is a 1hr45min return trip with the food provided by the local fish and chip shop and is organised and ran by a third party events company. I am sure they will be happy to assist with any issues that you experienced.
    Written 10 September 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 9 September 2023
  • John Wilson
    7 contributions
    Disappointed experience
    This was an overpriced and understated experience that isn’t a true reflection of the advertised event online. The carriage was dirty, unclean and required substantial upgrades. The fish and chips you collect yourself off the train in a queue like going to the food bank. Food is provided in horrible brown sweaty boxes with wooden forks not served to you on a plate like the website shows. No choice or drink’s just water or no sauces which let’s be honest is a small fish special with peas or curry sauce. I wouldn’t recommend this experience at all and after raising this disappointing experience with the provided I just got fobbed off and advised that they have updated their website. Please don’t be coned into purchasing this overpriced experience as I have.
    Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. The fish and chip train experience is arranged and organised by a third party events company and not by the railway itself, however we do know it is regularly enjoyed by many. I’m sure they would be more than happy to listen to suggestions and discuss any issues you may have. We operate a range of premium dining experiences ourselves which can be booked directly including afternoon tea and Sunday roast dinners.
    Written 24 September 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 September 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
553 reviews
Excellent
362
Very good
141
Average
27
Poor
13
Terrible
10

Ellen P
1 contribution
Dec 2023 • Friends
We were lucky to have gone on Santa’s enchanted journey on a day where it had snowed so the countryside views were a winter wonderland.
The experience was fab and well organised. We went with a 4 and 2 year old and a small baby. All the elves and Santa engaged with all the children and the 4 year old in particular absolutely loved it “best day ever”.
The cookies and hot chocolate were yummy (and the reminders to the kids that hot chocolate is hot were helpful, they listened better to the elves than us!).
Santa was really authentic and gave the impression of a genuine interest in the kids.
Parking was no trouble even in the snow and the staff were working so hard to make sure the snow was cleared.
We’ll definitely book for another year, we’ve been on this experience for 3 years running now and will definitely book again for next year. It was really magical and a lovely way to start Xmas festivities.
Written 4 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review of our Santa trains, it really means a lot to us. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Written 7 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Louise C
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
**Santas Enchanted Journey**

Wow, what an amazing morning we all had! From the minute we stepped onto the platform we were greeted with Christmas magic. Christmas music, snow flurries and lots of interaction with the cheeky elves! Seeing the train roll into the station through a cloud of billowing smoke was wonderful.
Once inside the carriages were festively decorated and so was our comfy compartment. Elves frequently pop by for a chat, for some magic, a sing-song, to deliver hot chocolate and cookies and even to have a cheeky 40 winks! Each and every one we met were fabulous and magical just as elves should be!
Santa was lovely, spent time with the children having a chat and then sat for photographs with them. A lovely quality gift was given which neither child put down for the rest of the day. 10/10 experience which we booked as a whim and so glad that we did, the children already want to go back next year!
Written 26 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review of our Santa trains, it really means a lot to us. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Written 7 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Claire R
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
We visited the Santa Enchanted Journey this afternoon and it was amazing. The platform was beautifully decorated, santas elves were great and it had a lovely atmosphere. When we got on the train there was lots of interaction with the elves, everyone got a hot chocolate and a cookie and the carriages were decorated lovely. Santa was amazing, he interacted with the kids in a really authentic way and came by again at the end of the journey to say goodbye. It was a great experience from start to finish
Written 26 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review. We're so glad you had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing you again in the future!
Written 7 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rebecca_Andrews
Derby, UK29 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Fabulous time today on the Santa train.
Great elf characters this year and plenty of time with Santa too. The pre-train activities were improved from previous years with a photo opportunity, a chance to mix ‘reindeer food’ already for Christmas Eve and a drinks/snacks area plus music festive music, a snow machine and cheeky elves! Perfect Santa experience with grandparents and for families. The train was comfy and warm and the staff friendly and helpful. More parking on offer too 🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻
Written 26 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review. We're so glad you had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing you again in the future!
Written 7 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Karen Bennett
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Went on Santa’s Enchanted Journey from Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. Had the most amazing time with the family including 2 grandchildren. The atmosphere from start to finish was magical. The elves were funny, helpful and amazing with all children and adults. Santa was the best Santa we have seen anywhere, interaction with children and adults was outstanding and the gifts for the children where of high quality along with complimentary hot chocolate and cookies from the elves ideal for a cold November afternoon. Would highly recommended a visit if you have young children or grandchildren. Already looking to book again for next year.
Written 25 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review. We're so glad you had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing you again in the future!
Written 7 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Chloe H
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
We’ve just been on the first Santas enchanted journey ride of the year. My 11 month olds first time on a train and meeting Santa and he loved it! We all got hot chocolates, cookies and the little ones got a gift from Santa (a pretty decent teddy bear in a festive jumper! A much greater gift than other Christmas events we’ve attended. Something I’m sure they will have for a long time) he visited each compartment individually. I have to say he was probably the best Santa I’ve seen. Outfit was great, very interactive with us as we’re all the elves. Definitely recommend. We had a standard compartment which is great value for money!
Written 24 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review. We're so glad you had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing you again in the future!
Written 7 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kitt M
4 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
My husband had this as a gift and I went along to keep him company. From start to finish it was a great experience. The volunteers running the railway deserve the highest praise and made the experience a truly wonderful experience. I was involved in the vast majority of the day but took advantage of the chance to explore the local town. There was so much time for my husband to drive the trains and the people looking after him were great. If you have a train buff get this trip!
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a positive review. We’re really glad he had a great day and hope to see you again in the future.
Written 20 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Deborah D
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Couples
Fish & chip trip 11th November.
Really disappointing. Was a trip booked for husband's birthday but was really poor experience as had booked on a friends recommendation.
Car park:
Yes free at the station but was rammed and absolute chaos when we got there and no staff managing this and after very stressful 10 minutes ended up squeezing into a space on the street with dozens of others.
Waiting to board:
No F & E staff around as advised in email and had to find our own way to book in.
Again queue was chaos with people repeatedly pushing past to 'get thier seat ticket'....come on people, your seat already allocated so need to shove people out the way-but again no staff around manage the queue.
We then had to wait to 20 minutes after planned departure time to board as the train had only just come back and disembark passengers. Then another 10 minutes waiting for the other passengers to arrive as they came in stressed and rushed as couldn't park saying it was the worst organised event they've been too.
Train itself:
Thankfully got great photos of it coming into the station, good job really as given no other chance to take photos as train had disappeared by the time we got off at the end.
Seats were bit cramped but ok as is meant to be steam train experience but carriage was bit tired looking and agree with other reviews about the cream tea section looking much classier.
Anyway we had our dog with us and just about adequate space and carriage was heated.
Again no attentive staff about and only saw them for drinks trolley-£2.50 for a bottle of coke!
We didn't go as far as Duffield as ended up being served the food at the station before. Again no available staff and not told anything and only saw a very harressed looking F & E staff member giving us the food which was practically thrown at us in a bag.
We only found it was because of a landslide on the line to Duffield from a lovely lad giving out the drinks.
Food;
As others said very bland meduim size fish and chips. Meal was warm but soggy batter was OK overall although our dog was offered a lot of people's leftover fish.
The 'goodie bag' promised was the meal, wooden cutlery, salt and vinegar and a flapjack. Drink with the meal was a bottle of cheap supermarket water (as was taken from packs that cost less than £2 for 12 that I buy myself).
Whole meal felt just a bit cheap.
Yes F & E I know it is outsourced locally but it is served under your name so own it!
Views:
Would be good I'm sure if could see properly but windows too dirty to see out.
Because the train was so delayed it meant the return journey was in the dark and highlight was seeing some pretty lights in someone's back garden!
Journey time:
Lost count how many times it stopped and in the end on the train for nearly 2 hours in rather cramp seating and no break at Duffield as led to believe when booked.
Overall experience:
So yes we got we booked-steam train journey with fish & chips supper and the steam train looked magnificent but everything was just a cheap and I know some events (the landslide) are outside of thier control but felt it was profit over customers.
I work in customer facing role and communication is the key to happy customers and visible attentive staff on hand.
We have a large family who would love this type of experience and we had planned to buy a number of gift vouchers as Christmas presents but not now as frankly would be embarrassed.
Would I recommend to others- sorry no!

Written 12 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. We’re really glad you enjoyed riding on the steam train in general. The day of your visit was a particularly busy day as it was the last Saturday of the season and visitor numbers were high due to it being the last opportunity for visitors to come who were disrupted in recent bad weather. Unfortunately the bad weather has influenced two other areas too as Duffield station is currently inaccessible due to a problem with the line after flooding. This has meant increased visitor numbers using the parking facilities at Wirksworth and extra complexities in serving your fish and chips which are being delivered to the station at Shottle rather than being served at Duffield as they normally would be. The fish and chip train is organised by a third party event company who I am sure will be happy to discuss any issues you had directly. The railway do sell dining experiences directly including our Luxury Afternoon Tea so please consider revisiting in the future. maybe on one of these experiences instead. We look forward to seeing you.
Written 12 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

navyman2016
Lincoln, UK10 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Completed the bronze drive a diesel train experience yesterday. Absolutely fantastic! Had a great time on both trains. Lovely Buffett lunch. Very friendly people. Highly recommend it.
Written 10 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for leaving such a positive review of your footplate experience day. We’re glad you had a great time and hope to see you again in the future.
Written 14 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Geoff T
Doncaster, UK119 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
A really excellent trip to Duffield and return. The carriages have been refurbished to a high standard. We sat in the restaurant carriage which was stunning. Diesel out steam back. Can't fault it.
Well done to all the staff
Written 3 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a positive review. We’re really glad you had a great time and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Written 4 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Showing results 1-10 of 553
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

ECCLESBOURNE VALLEY RAILWAY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Ecclesbourne Valley Railway


Restaurants near Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: View all restaurants near Ecclesbourne Valley Railway on Tripadvisor