Name: Midland Railway – Butterley
Rating: 5.0

Midland Railway – Butterley

Butterley Station, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3QZ, England

1-90 Years

Paid

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Description

Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway attraction in Derbyshire offering a full family day out. Visitors can step back in time and travel on historic trains in a scenic countryside setting. It combines railway history, museums, and outdoor spaces in one location.

The site includes Butterley Station, a working signal box, a large railway museum collection, and several narrow-gauge, miniature, and model railways. Visitors can explore a Victorian railwayman’s church, enjoy the garden railway, walk through the country park, and let children play in the playground. Shops and buffets are available, and free parking is provided at Butterley Station.

Entry prices are £18.00 for adults, £17.00 for seniors (65+), £10.00 for children (3–15 years), free for under 3s, and £46.00 for a family ticket (2 adults & 3 children). Disabled visitors and carers are £9.00 each, dogs are £2.00, and annual memberships start from £10.00, with life membership options available.

With its mix of train rides, museums, countryside walks, and hands-on railway features, Midland Railway – Butterley offers something for all ages. It’s a great place to learn about Britain’s railway past while enjoying time outdoors. The variety of attractions makes it an engaging and memorable place to visit for families and railway enthusiasts alike.

Features

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Host birthday parties: No

Features

Butterley Station: Butterley Station is the entrance to the Midland Railway – Butterley, where there is a large FREE car park*. The station building is the main admission point and as you step through the doors into the Booking Hall you begin your journey back through time. Train tickets are available from the ticket window on the left and the souvenir shop is on your right. As you pass through the Booking Hall, you will find yourself on the station platform, from where you can begin to explore.
Model Railway: Butterley Station is the home of a large model railway layout run by the Alfreton Model Railway Society (AMRS) on the platform just past the Buffet. The 4mm/00 gauge layout, called Midland Road, is usually open at weekends and on seasonal peak days. The layout features a variety of scenes including stations, tunnels, goods yards, farm yards and much more besides. Children of all ages, including those “over 21”, love watching the model trains on the move and hunting for the hidden gems amongst the scenery.
Signal Box: Signal boxes are rapidly being phased out in today’s modern railway system. The Butterley signal box is a rare chance to see a historic operational signal box. The early Midland Railway signal box is located opposite the former goods yard. It is used operationally to provide access between the two tracks on the main line, as well as to the former goods yard. We offer training courses for suitable applicants to operate this and other signal boxes at the Midland Railway – Butterley.
Garden Railway: The Garden Railway Layout is to be found in the former goods yard, opposite the signal box, it is operated by the Butterley Garden Railway Association (BGRA) and live steam trains are usually in action on Sundays. Both 32 and 45mm gauge trains can operate on the layout. This layout is operated by an independent organisation and the Midland Railway – Butterley cannot guarantee its running days and times.
Country Park: Why not take a nice stroll through the countryside at the Midland Railway – Butterley. With its wildlife, industrial heritage and views of passing trains, we would definitely recommend it. A walk through the Country Park will reveal an area that has remained hidden and unspoilt with glimpses of an industrial past. The remains of old collieries, tramways, reservoirs, the Cromford Canal with its Butterley Tunnel and the abandoned village of Grumblethorpe have merged with the natural landscape and are waiting to be re-discovered.
DMU Driver Experience Day: Experience the way travel used to be with a chance to drive a DMU through the wonderful Derbyshire countryside on one of the Midland Railway – Butterley’s heritage Diesel Multiple Units.
Museum Collection: The Midland Railway – Butterley is the home of a vast Museum Collection. The objects come in all shapes and sizes, from locomotives to tickets. The range is huge.

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Ticket Price

Adult: £18.00
Senior 65+: £17.00
Child (3-15 years): £10.00
Under 3 Free
Family (2A&3C): £46.00
Dogs: £2.00
Disabled: £9.00
Carer: £9.00

Annual Membership Rates

Full Member: £20.00
Family Member (2 adults, 3 under 16): £40.00
Unwaged Member: £18.00
Junior Member: £10.00

Life Membership Rates

Single Life Membership: £400.00
Joint Life Membership: £410.00

The Heritage Rail Ticket vary depending on which service is operating or if it is a special event day. Prices for each day are displayed on our calendar.

Pricing URL: https://www.midlandrailway-butterley.co.uk/prices/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

We have plenty of special events throughout the year which can be found on the calendar, along with normal operating days. Check which category your event falls under from the event information to check the timetable for the day!

Address: Butterley Station, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3QZ, England

Post Code: DE5 3QZ

Council: Amber Valley

County: Derbyshire

From M1 Junction 28

Take the A38 exit at the roundabout heading for Ripley / Derby. Continue on A38 until the first major turn off (sign posted Chesterfield/Matlock, B6179).
At the roundabout off the slip road take the first left (signposted Midland Railway Centre) exit onto B6179 (Derby Road) heading for Ripley.
Continue on the B6179 to Butterley. The Midland Railway – Butterley is located just over the railway bridge adjacent to Butterley reservoir which is on your right.

From WEST A610/A38 Junction/Roundabout

Take the exit at the roundabout heading for Ripley Town Centre. Continue up the hill into the town. As you join the one way system (Church Street), take the left hand lane and bear left on the B6179 (Butterley Hill).
Now follow the instructions from the second paragraph describing the directions from the town centre below.

From SOUTH A610

Take the left exit onto B6441 (Nottingham Road) at the mini roundabout by Sainsburys heading for Ripley Town Centre (signposted Midland Railway Centre). Follow the B6441 until you reach Ripley Town Centre then follow the directions for Town Centre route shown below.
Travel along the B6441 (Nottingham Road) until you reach the one way system around Ripley Town Centre. Follow the left hand route onto the B6179 (Grosvenor Road) follow the B6179 to the traffic lights then take the right turn continuing on the B6179 (High Street) until the next junction.
Turn right at this junction onto Church Street continuing to follow the B6179 to the next junction. At this junction bear left continuing on the B6179 (Butterley Hill) past Lidl on your left. Continue on Butterley Hill (B6179) for some distance until you see the Butterley Reservoir ahead of you.
After negotiating a sharp right handed bend, with the reservoir on your left, you will see the Midland Railway – Butterley signposted a short distance from this bend.

By Train

Alfreton Station is the nearest mainline railway station to Butterley. It is a short 25 minute bus ride on the 9.1 and 9.3 buses.
Derby Midland Station is a short walk from Derby City Centre. We are a 30 minute bus ride away using the 9.1 bus. For further information about bus services from Derby please see below.
Langley Mill Station is served by the Rainbow 1 bus, which goes to Ripley. We are reachable via ‘The Nines’ bus service which run regularly from Ripley town centre.

By Bus

The Nines run from Derby (from Corporation Street, outside the Quad), Ripley, Alfreton, Sutton and Mansfield. These buses call at Butterley Station.
The Rainbow 1 runs from Ripley, Langley Mill, Heanor, and Nottingham. This Bus does not call at any of our Stations, however connections can be made at Ripley for ‘The Nines.’
The Comet operates from Derby Bus Station to Chesterfield and stops at Butterley Station in both directions. It operates every hour.