Churnet Valley Railway

An Act of Parliament formed the North Staffordshire Railway in 1846. Whilst it was a relatively small railway company it did become widely known as "The Knotty", due to the Staffordshire Knot logo on its rolling stock and on staff uniforms. The headquarters were at Stoke, in the heart of the smoky Potteries, but the N.S.R. did operate a small number of scenic lines too, one of which used the valley of the River Churnet.

The line opened on July 13th 1849, its double track stretching from North Rode, near Macclesfield, to Uttoxeter in the south, a distance of 27 ¾ miles.

Nowadays, the Churnet Valley Railway is an organisation operated almost entirely by volunteers, offering a delightful 10 1/2 mile return journey through Staffordshire's hidden valley.