Unique English tram village that’s like stepping back to the 1920s, where you can use old fashioned money

IF YOU love a vintage vehicle, there’s a retro family attraction in the middle of the England that’s like stepping back in time.

With trams trundling along tracks by an old-fashioned sweet shop, a bandstand in the park and a pub from the past.

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. 

The vintage vehicles are as much of a draw to the famous coastal town as the tower and the illuminations. 

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.

As many of the attractions are outdoors, the site isn’t open during the winter, but will be up and running again in March and then events continue until Halloween.

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.

Another building saved from the scrapheap is the 1763 Derby Assembly Rooms, whose facade was rebuilt here in the 1970s when the city centre building was replaced after fire damage.

Crich is just around the corner from Matlock Bath, which has its own autumn illuminations and lots of tourist attractions, including Gulliver’s Kingdom theme park and the Heights of Abraham cable car caves.

So it might be somewhere to check out for a 2025 staycay if you want that Blackpool feel of trams, bright lights and visitor attractions, but in a more central location.

There’s lots of tourist hotspots in this area and some of them even offer money off your ticket to Crich, so it’s worth checking out what reciprocal deals there are.

If you’re an English Heritage member, you can use your card to get two for one entry to Crich, but your ticket won’t be valid as an annual pass if you do that.

So it makes sense to work out if your visit will be a one-off and find a way to save cash, or if you’d be better off paying full price and having year-long access.

Another plus point is that dogs are welcome at Crich, apart from in the cafe and the indoor soft play.

They can even travel on the lower deck of the trams. So if you love a day out with your furry family member, this could be the place for you.

If you fancy a cracking day out, head to Crich for a trip down memory lane.