Crich is a small village in Derbyshire, in the middle of England. That's probably why they call it the Midlands. It's home to the Crich Tramway Museum, a working celebration of trams, and home to many examples of a form of transport that was one of the most popular forms of public transport, and due to its environment credentials, one that's making a bit of a comeback in city transport systems throughout the world.
This working museum feels a little special, being position on the top of a hill in a lovely part of Derbyshire, not far from the Peak District National Park. There's about a mile of tramlines that meander up the hill through some wonderful countryside, taking you past a working quarry and up onto the open hilltop.
They have around 60 trams that were in operation from 1873 through to the 1980's, so you can really get a feel for how we used to live. You can ride these trams throughout the day, with 3 or 4 different trams running each day.
Part of the sight is the period village, which has authentic buildings from the local area. There's a pub called the Red Lion, which used to be in nearby Stoke. The dismantled the building brick by brick and reassembled it on site. The same with the assemble rooms, a public building from Derby, the front of the building is now located in the museum. Quite a feat, and something that shows the commitment to preservation by the museum.
I hope you enjoy the pictures, and if you're a transport or history geek, I recommend you check it out if you're in that part of the UK...
