Alex Coomber
The Monsal Trail. It opened between 1849 and 1863. It closed in 1968. Matlock to Buxton and Chinley. Matlock to Buxton. Matlock, Darley Dale, Rowsley South, Bakewell, Hassop, Great Longstone, Monsal Dale, Millers Dale and Buxton. Matlock to Chinley. Matlock, Darley Dale, Rowsley South, Bakewell, Hassop, Great Longstone, Monsal Dale, Millers Dale, Peak Forest, Chapel En Le Frith and Chinley. Completed by the Midland Railway in 1867. This highly engineered line through the Derbyshire Dales featured numerous tunnels and viaducts and was dubbed by the company's publicity department as Little Switzerland. It was used by through trains between London St Pancras and Manchester for 101 Years until complete closure in 1968. Despite closure. Sections of the route are very much alive today in the form of a National Rail Network Branch Line, A Heritage Railway, A magnificent footpath and cycleway and a freight only line.
