Route
The North Staffordshire Railway's branch from Leek ended at Waterhouses (53°02′54″N 1°51′53″W / 53.0484°N 1.8647°W / 53.0484; -1.8647 (Waterhouses station)Coordinates: 53°02′54″N 1°51′53″W / 53.0484°N 1.8647°W / 53.0484; -1.8647 (Waterhouses station)). The L&MVLR continued from an end-on junction with this line. It ran for 8.25 miles (13.28 km) down the valley of the River Hamps as far as Beeston Tor, before turning up the limestone gorge that the River Manifold had formed, through to Hulme End (53°07′52″N 1°50′49″W / 53.1310°N 1.8470°W / 53.1310; -1.8470 (Hulme End station)). The line had a large number of stations in a relatively short distance, and there were refreshment rooms at Thor's Cave and Beeston Tor. In all the line crossed the river Manifold dozens of times - including nine times in the short section between Sparowlee and Beeston Tor.
All stations had rather grand signs (sometimes grander than the facilities) and platforms were just 6 inches (152 mm) high. All stations had sidings except for Beeston Tor and Redhurst Halt.
- Hulme End station was a large building, with adjacent engine and coach sheds (two roads in each). On the timetable it was described as "Hulme End for Hartington". Hartington being some 3 miles (4.8 km) distant.
- Ecton station had both a standard gauge and narrow gauge siding, with a narrow gauge extension to the milk factory. The presence of the railway did not kick-start the local mining industry, as hoped.
- Butterton station (also known locally as Ecton Lea) had a waiting room. There was a siding.
- Wetton Mill station had a station with waiting room, and a standard-gauge siding. (It had ceased to be a working mill before the railway was built.)
- At Redhurst Halt an old coach served as a waiting room. There was no siding here.
- Thor's Cave station largely served Wetton village. It had a waiting room. Its refreshment room was moved to Wetton in 1917.
- Grindon station, located at Weags Bridge, had a loop containing a 75 feet (22.86 m) standard gauge siding.
- Beeston Tor station had no siding, but a refreshment room.
- Sparrowlee station served Lee House Farm, but nowhere else, and there was not even a waiting room here. The siding included a 60 feet (18.29 m) standard gauge section.
- At Waterhouses station the platform had booking offices, and there was a goods shed. There were two short loops, and three short sidings which joined with standard gauge lines. (A road-widening scheme in the 1960s has subsequently removed much of the evidence.)
Read more about this topic: Leek And Manifold Valley Light Railway
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