JUST minutes from a faux ‘seaside’ town filled with ice cream parlours and arcades is one of the most rural train stations in the UK.
Cromford Station in the Derbyshire Dales welcomes just one train an hour and it is one of the most quaint in the country – there’s even a holiday cottage right on the platform.
Cromford Station opened to passengers in 1849 and is often considered one of the prettiest in the UK.
In 2024, it was highlighted by the BBC as one of the “plenty of picturesque stations closer to home.
The rural station was also named one of the ‘best’ British railway stations by The Telegraph by a writer who has visited more than 500 across the country.
The small station has two platforms, but since 1968, only platform one has been in use.
Trains are operated by East Midlands Railway and head to Matlock – a journey that takes 6 minutes – Lincoln Central and Cleethorpes.
There’s usually just one train to each destination per hour.
The building that sits on platform two is what was once the old waiting are, now used as a holiday cottage aptly called ‘The Waiting Room Holiday Cottage‘.
The quaint cottage has been completely transformed with a bedroom, new kitchen, cosy living area with an open fireplace and even underfloor heating.
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It has one bedroom but can sleep up to four people thanks to its pull out sofa and can be booked from £325.
This disused platform might also look familiar to Oasis fans as it was used for the Some Might Say single cover in 1995,leading to fans rushing to stay there.
Cromford itself is a small village with some of the prettiest spots being around Cromford Mill Pond.
Just minutes up the road is the larger town of Matlock Bath which has long been considered a ‘seaside town’ despite it being 70 miles from the coastline.
However, when you’re strolling along the River Derwent during the summertime, it will feel like you’re by the seaside as there are fish and chip shops, ice cream parlours and arcades.
You can get beautiful cliff-top views over the water, and there are boat parades too – also known as the Matlock Bath Illuminations.
Discovering the town’s seaside charm is exactly what travel writer Catherine Lofthouse did when she visited a few years ago.
She said: “You will find this lively town at the bottom of a limestone gorge in deepest Derbyshire — not a county ordinarily known as a must-visit for a bucket and spade holiday.
“But Matlock Bath has been ignoring its inconvenient geography for centuries. Once famed as a spa resort, the town saw a decline in the fashion for mineral bath treatments.
“Instead there was the rise of railway travel in Victorian times, which encouraged locals to turn this village into an eccentric destination, caring not a jot that the nearest beaches are in Skegness or north Wales.”
Similar to other seaside towns like Llandudno, Matlock Bath even has a cable car.
Called the Heights of Abraham Cable Car, which is around a third of a mile long, it takes visitors right up goes up to the into the Peak District hillside.
When you get to the top of Masson Hill, visitors can explore Masson Cavern which has been turned into an immersive experience.
There’s also Great Rutland Cavern, Womble Mania, multiple viewing platforms, a sculpture trail, playground and a hilltop restaurant and cafe.
For families, Matlock Bath has another must-visit tourist spot – Gulliver’s Kingdom theme park.
In spring last year, the theme park opened a new thrilling ride called ‘Tree Top Drop’.
The drop ride at the park gives riders an incredible view of the park before suddenly plunging 15 metres.
Gulliver’s Kingdom has around 30 rides and attractions – it will reopen on March 14, 2026 for the season.
Entry to the park can cost as little as £24 if booked in advance, or £27 on the day.
Here’s another attraction minutes away from Matlock Bath…
Head to Crich Tramway Village for a fun day out – writer Catherine Lofthouse reveals why it’s the perfect family day out…
“My boys love a visit to Crich Tramway Village on the edge of the Derbyshire Dales, with its dramatic scenery over the Derwent Valley, trams of all shapes and sizes, historic buildings and fun for all the family.
“It’s the perfect place to visit if you’re gutted by the news that Blackpool’s heritage trams will no longer be spotted along the seafront as they cost too much to run.
“But luckily Crich has several Blackpool trams from different eras, including an unusual open-topped one that looks more like a barge than a bus, that sometimes runs in nice weather.
“Once you’ve paid to visit Crich, your ticket is valid all year so you can go back as much as you like to ride the rails.
“A ticket covering either one adult and four children or two adults and three children is around £50, so it’s good value if you live close enough to make the most of visiting lots of times during the summer season.
“One little touch that my boys love is receiving an old coin on arrival, which is used to pay the conductor for your ticket on the first tram you board.
“Adults are given an old penny and children a halfpenny. It certainly helps get you in the spirit of days gone by, before you even step foot on a tram.
A visit to Barnett’s sweet shop, with jars of goodies and ice creams to choose from, is a hit with the little ones, while adults can enjoy a drink in the Red Lion, a pub that’s been reconstructed brick by brick from its original site in Stoke.”
For more on Derbyshire, here’s why Derby makes one of the best city breaks for an affordable holiday and fun attractions.
If you’re heading to the Peak District, discover these lesser-known spots from one local who grew up there.