Hulme End
| Hulme End | |
| Staffordshire | |
|---|---|
 Hulme End Station | |
| Location | |
| Location: | 53°7’50"N, 1°50’33"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Buxton |
| Postcode: | SK17 |
| Dialling code: | 01298 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Staffordshire Moorlands |
Hulme End is a small hamlet in northern Staffordshire, close to the border with Derbyshire. It is located in the Peak District National Park about 10 miles north of Ashbourne. A natural gateway to the Manifold valley, the settlement is located beside the river Manifold where it crosses the road from Hartington (the nearest small town) to Warslow.
The Leek and Manifold Light Railway
The hamlet's primary significance stems from its position as the northern terminus of the former Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway, an independent narrow-gauge (2ft 6in) line built following the legislation of the Light Railways Act 1896 which let companies to construct short lines to serve more isolated places.
The line primarily acted as a service for milk trains and tourism. On the timetable Hulme End was described as "Hulme End for Hartington" (Hartington is some three miles distant, in neighbouring Derbyshire).
During the railway's lifetime there was some talk of extending the line northwards towards Buxton (10 miles to the north), whereby Hulme End, with its engine and carriage sheds, would have become a natural half-way point of the line, with probable considerable resultant growth - and survival of the railway - but this never materialised.
Today the old station building has been fully restored, complete with mock beams, and is now a staffed visitor centre, open most weekends & during school holidays. Information displays outline a brief history of the railway and there is a small collection of memorabilia from the line. The centre supplies the usual range of souvenirs, guide books, maps & leaflets. Within the building are public toilets, and there is a pay-and-display car park.
Adjacent to the station, the former engine has been rebuilt to a similar design as the original; a small part of the original frameworks exists inside. The former coach sheds, which similarly had two roads, have not survived.
In 1937 the former railway was re-opened by the County Council as the Manifold Way, an eight-mile tarmacked leisure route for walkers and cyclists, some of whom use the local campsite. The only such route in the Peak District to have a metalled surface throughout its entire length, it is also ideally suited to wheelchairs and prams. Hulme End, which is served by buses, is now the start point at its northern end.
The Manifold Inn
The Manifold Inn, formerly called The Light Railway, is located beside the river Manifold. Despite its name, it is a 200-year-old coaching inn. Opposite the pub is the Old Toll House, which at one time served the turnpike and river ford. The bridge that the Toll House sits on was originally built in 1790, but most of the original bridge has subsequently been replaced due to damage and collapse. The current bridge has been there since 1819.
References
Keys R and Porter L (1972) The Manifold Valley and its Light Railway, Moorland publishers
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Hulme End) |