Crich Tramway Village

In Brief.

The Crich Tramway Village is one of a wide range of heritage destinations within striking distance of Manchester, with a focus on trams to complement others on cotton and aircraft manufacturing. Here there is a mini village, a tram line and a fine collection of trams from the 1860s to the 1960s. It must be super if you are into trams, but may be of rather more passing interest for the wider public.

A tram leaves the village.

What's Here?

Perhaps the centrepiece of the Crich Tramway Village is the tramway itself, which runs from the village, though a wooded area adjacent to a quarry, and on to a mine (though the latter stage was closed on my visit). I travelled on a beautifully preserved early 20th century tram; there is no doubt that they have a good and carefully looked after collection, though a short and slow ride on an ancient tram is not in itself especially exciting.

Adjacent to the tramway is a rather lame woodland walk and sculpture trail; let's just say that if you fancy a woodland walk with a sculpture trail, The Pendle Sculpture Trail is altogether more engaging.

The Great Exhibition Hall

The other potential centrepiece is the exhibition hall, with a Century of Trams exhibition.  Arranged chronologically, this tracks the transition from horse-drawn trams, to stream and electric trams, including the technical challenges faced and solutions adopted. With the large collection, and well curated information boards, this provides some interesting historical background, even to those who don't generally give trams a second thought.

Practicalities.

Distance from Manchester Town Hall: 55 miles

Drive Time: 1 hour 45 minutes.

Price: $$

Parking: Included.

Food and Drink: There is a cafe and a pub in the village. Most visitor attractions have more engaging catering; I had a much-too-sweet cello-wrapped flapjack, and for lunch a white bread roll with tasteless grated cheese.  While the village is trying to give a period feel, it should probably have moved on from 1970s catering.

Retail therapy: There is a small souvenir shop with assorted books on trams and related topics, and a curious, somewhat random, collection of souvenirs.

Child Friendly: Probably the target audience here is young kids; in addition to a ride on the tram, there is a play area, a pleasant field for running around in, and a woodland walk with child-focused wooden sculptures.

Toilets: Yes - by the pub.

Do it justice in: 2 hours.

Inside-Outside: 50:50

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chester Zoo

Image
In Brief. Chester Zoo is a substantial modern zoo, with a remarkable collection of animals of all sizes, from land, sea and air. The Zoo is divided into several zones, for example there is an islands zone and a Madagascar zone, though it's hard to sense that you are really focusing on anything in particular with such diversity on hand.  The zoo itself is a pleasant environment, with lots of greenery, there are eateries spread across the site, and the enclosures seem in good condition and not too cramped. The flamingos What's Here? This is rather a formidable zoo, with everything from an aquarium and a butterfly house to large mammals (elephants and rhinos) and predators (jaguars and lions). There is so much to see that any day trip is unlikely to do it justice, and you can't help but find yourself wandering past potentially interesting things on the way to something you spotted on a sign or in the app.  For a typical animal, there will be some signs highlighting area of or
Read more

Hardwick Hall

Image
In Brief. Hardwick Hall is a grand, well preserved Elizabethan country house, run by the National Trust, with a walled garden and extensive grounds. The adjacent garden includes an orchard and some fine views over the fields, but the highlight is the house. Built for a grand dame of the Elizabethan period, the hall retains many of its original features, being largely spared from generations of home improvements. The site also includes the adjacent  Hardwick Old Hall , which is run by English Heritage, but they certainly drew the short straw as only the shell of the Old Hall survives. What's Here. Hardwick Hall was built to suit the needs and reflect the status of Bess of Hardwick (1521-1608), who was born on the site, outlived a succession of husbands, and accumulated significant wealth in the process.  Her initials (ES - Elizabeth Shrewsbury) adorn the towers. The house spent a considerable time in the possession of descendants who also owned the even more imposing Chatsworth ,
Read more

Liverpool Waterfront

Image
In Brief. The Liverpool Waterfront, on the tidal River Mersey, is one of the most recognisable urban spaces in the UK. Though stripped of its World Heritage status because of unsympathetic modern developments, the core of the current waterfront area around the Albert Dock both preserves and repurposes historical landmarks and hosts a variety of cultural venues that enable a rich and varied visit. The Three Graces beyond the Museum of Liverpool What's Here? This is a destination that combines a collection of things to look at (notably the Three Graces from the early 20th Century and the surviving Victorian Docks), and things to go inside (such as Tate Liverpool, The Museum of Liverpool, The Maritime Museum, The International Slavery Museum and The Beatles Story). A colourful ferry heads across the Mersey. One way of combining looking at with going inside is on The Mersey Ferries,  which offer a 50 minute cruise with a single stop in Birkenhead on the south bank of the Mersey. This c
Read more