Middleton Top Engine House

A walk not too far from the village of Cromford is a well known trail 'The High Peak Trail'. Most of that runs over the old railway line. At one place there is a very steep hill and so a solution had to be found to overcome that. This was part of it. A steep railway line where the wagons were pulled up and lowered down with chains driven from a wheel by this Engine house. You can just see two of its great boilers in the red brick. You can also just see the top of the railway incline at the signal. A fascinating place to walk by. See PIPS

"Situated at the top of Middleton Incline on the High Peak Trail is the restored Middleton Top Engine House, which was built in 1829. In the past it was used to haul wagons up the incline.

Middleton Top Engine House is the sole survivor of nine that once stood at the top of every incline along the Cromford and High Peak Railway. It is designated as an Ancient Monument, together with its Butterley beam engine which in the past hauled the cables up the track. Originally timber was supplied daily to fire the boilers, now it is compressed air that does the job." www.derbyshire-peakdistrict.co.uk/middletontop.htm

See Pips