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National Stone Centre

Museums in DerbyshirePeak DistrictUse British English from February 2023
National Stone Centre 1734149 faeb4fc8
National Stone Centre 1734149 faeb4fc8

The National Stone Centre is a museum, an industrial heritage discovery centre and a Site of Special Scientific Interest at Wirksworth, near Matlock Bath in Derbyshire.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article National Stone Centre (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

National Stone Centre
Old Lane, Derbyshire Dales

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Wikipedia: National Stone CentreContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 53.0936 ° E -1.5736 °
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Address

National Stone Centre

Old Lane
DE4 4FP Derbyshire Dales
England, United Kingdom
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Website
nationalstonecentre.org.uk

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National Stone Centre 1734149 faeb4fc8
National Stone Centre 1734149 faeb4fc8
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Nearby Places

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is a 9-mile (14.5 km) long heritage railway in Derbyshire. The headquarters of the railway centre on Wirksworth station, and services operate in both directions between Wirksworth and Duffield and from Wirksworth to Ravenstor. Passengers are able to board and alight heritage services at Duffield where a station platform (3) has been re-constructed. Heritage services are timed to connect with East Midlands Railway Nottingham – Derby – Matlock service at the adjacent Duffield Network Rail platforms and therefore it is now possible for passengers to travel to and from Wirksworth by train from anywhere on the national network. The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is named after the River Ecclesbourne and the track follows the river from its source to its confluence with the River Derwent at the Derbyshire village of Duffield. Despite being a branch in itself, there is also a separate 1⁄2 mile (0.8 km) branch operating from Platform 3 at Wirksworth Station up a 1 in 27 (3.27 %) gradient incline to Ravenstor (for the National Stone Centre and the High Peak Trail). The line is operated by a large fleet of heritage diesel multiple units (DMU), as well as diesel and visiting steam locomotives. Locomotive hauled trains initially only operated on enthusiast and special event days often alongside the DMU fleet, whereas now locomotive hauled services make up a larger part of the railway's timetable.

Middleton-by-Wirksworth
Middleton-by-Wirksworth

Middleton or Middleton-by-Wirksworth is an upland village and civil parish lying approximately one mile NNW of Wirksworth, Derbyshire, England. Middleton was, in 1086, a berewick (a supporting farm) of the town and manor of Wirksworth. Middleton was formerly known for its lead mines and high quality limestone quarries, including the underground quarry site at Middleton Mine. The Middleton Mine networks underground for approximately 25 miles (40 km) with tunnels on three different levels running under Middleton Moor to the Hopton Wood quarry works at the other side of the hill below Ryder Point Works’. Part of the tunnel collapsed in the 1980s leaving a noticeable depression in the ground above on the eastern side of Middleton Moor. The population of the parish as taken at the 2011 Census was 775.The attraction towards Middleton becoming a village had much to do with the fact that it is one of the few Derbyshire villages in the limestone area that has a ‘perched’ water table due to the impervious volcanic rock and shale formations within its topology. The availability of water was the incentive behind it becoming a choice of settlement. Middleton formed originally in the Saxon times as a small farming hamlet which settled around a very high spring. The former Cromford and High Peak Railway passes close by the village. The local quarries were linked to this line by a short branch spur, Killer's Branch, part of which now forms the track bed of the Steeple Grange Light Railway. The branch line was operational until the late 1960s. In the 1970s, the disused track bed of the Cromford and High Peak Railway and some surrounding land were purchased by the Derbyshire County Council and the Peak Park Planning Board, who then worked collaboratively to turn the former railway into the 17-mile (27 km) High Peak Trail for walkers and cyclists. Middleton Top lies near the southern end of the trail, which starts at High Peak Junction. There is a car park and visitor centre at Middleton Top, where cycles may be hired. Middleton Top Engine House (grid reference SK275552) houses a preserved steam engine formerly used to haul trains up the 700-yard (640 m) long 1-in-8 (12.5%) gradient of Middleton Incline. The engine, built by the Butterley Company of Ripley in 1829, still runs for demonstration purposes and is occasionally open to the public. The northern part of the village on the west side of the main road out towards New Road is called 'The Hall' due to the location of the now demolished Middleton Hall. The cold winter of 1947 combined with the exposed nature of Middleton meant that snow was present even during the summer following the heavy snowfall. Middleton is dependent on the market town of Wirksworth for many of its services, such as its health centre, leisure centre, high school (the Anthony Gell School) and nearby shops, petrol and so on. The closest railway station to Middleton is Wirksworth on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.