Parsley Hay railway station

Parsley Hay railway station was located at gbmapping|SK146637 in Parsley Hay, a hamlet about 15 km south east of Buxton, Derbyshire, on the LNWR line to Ashbourne. The nearest large settlement is the village of Hartington.

It was originally built on the Cromford and High Peak Railway (which ran from Whaley Bridge to Cromford) when it was extended to Buxton in 1894 by the LNWR which had acquired it. In 1899 the LNWR built a junction just south of the station for a line to Ashbourne.

In common with the other stations on this line, the platforms and buildings were of timber construction. From this point on to Ashbourne the line was single with passing loops at the stations, though provision was made for doubling which never occurred.

In contrast to the first part of the line from Buxton, from the previous station at Hurdlow the line had dropped gently and this continued to the next at Hartington, though the curves involved limited the linespeed to 40 mph.

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thumb|The meeting of the Tissington & High Peak Trails at Parsley Hay.The station closed in October, 1963 while the line southwards closed in October, 1967 with that to Hindlow following in November.

Today these two disused trackbeds form the route of two walking and cycling routes. The High Peak Trail follows the old Cromford and High Peak.

The track bed from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay was acquired by Derbyshire County Council and the Peak National Park to become the Tissington Trail which was one of the first of such ventures in the country. Later, Ashbourne Tunnel was acquired by Sustrans. Parsley Hay, being located at the junction of these walk/cycleways, is ideally located for a cycle hire centre (run by the Park Authority).

The trackbed at this point is also part of the Pennine Bridleway, a 130-mile leisure route which includes 73 miles through Derbyshire.

ee also

* Cromford and High Peak Railway

External links

* [http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/hptt/ Tissington & High Peak Trails - access and facilities]
* [http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/penninebridleway.html The Pennine Bridleway]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/SK1463 Images at geograph]