Churnet Valley Railway - Leek Brook station
BEST FOR
Ages 0-16
ENTRY
from £20
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Leek
What it’s like
Steam trains through the Staffordshire Moorlands, with up to four kids travelling free per paying adult.
You hop on a heritage steam train and get off wherever takes your fancy, whether that's exploring the locomotive sheds with a volunteer guide or just staying on for the whole loop through the Staffordshire Moorlands. Rover tickets let you get on and off as many times as you like in a day, which makes it feel less like a single train ride and more like a day out with a train running through the middle of it. Consall station can only be reached by rail or on foot, so if you fancy stretching your legs there, factor that in.
The pricing is the clever bit: up to four children aged 0 to 15 travel free with each paying adult, as long as you book online in advance. That takes the sting out of an adult fare that's £20 online (£22 if you leave it to the day), because a family of four could be looking at just the two adult tickets. Seniors get a discount too. The special trains are a different budget altogether, mind. Polar Express starts from £28.95 and the Sunday Lunch Train is £64.50, so those are treat-day prices rather than a regular outing.
A visit from Froghall runs just over two hours, which is a fair chunk of a morning or afternoon but not an endurance test for younger children. There's a tea room at Froghall for hot food and cakes, plus refreshment stands at Cheddleton if you're stopping there instead. Boarding does mean a step up into the carriages, so it's not the easiest with a pushchair in tow, though you can leave it on the platform or stow it in the guard's van during the ride.
Dogs are welcome for £10 (assistance dogs travel free), and the trains are steam heated, so a chilly day out shouldn't mean a cold one. Wheelchair access has some real limits worth knowing before you set off: there's a ramp at Froghall only, space in the guard's van rather than at tables, and no accessible toilet on board. Leek Brook station itself is closed during 2026, so check which station you're travelling from before you book.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 0 to 16, with older kids getting more from the loco sheds
- Booking
- Pre-booking online required for Kids Go Free offer
- Parking
- Free parking at Froghall and Cheddleton
- How long to allow
- Just over two hours from Froghall
- Food
- Tea room at Froghall with hot/cold drinks, cakes, lunch options
- Pushchairs
- Friendly at stations
- Wheelchairs
- Wheelchair ramp at Froghall only
- Dogs
- Welcome for £10. Service dogs free on all services
- Worth knowing
- Up to four children (aged 0-15) travel free with each fare-paying adult on heritage train rides
- Rover tickets let you hop on and off all day, not just a single trip
- Kids-go-free only applies if you book online ahead of time, not on the day
- Consall station has no parking and is only reachable by rail or on foot
- Some station shops have steps at the entrance
- Polar Express doesn't open the site until 1pm, so there's no point turning up early
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£20 for an adult if you book online, £22 on the day. Up to four children aged 0 to 15 travel free per paying adult, but only if you book online in advance.
Do we need to book ahead?
For the kids-go-free offer and for Polar Express, yes, online only. Heritage train tickets can otherwise be bought online or on the day.
How long does a visit take?
Just over two hours from Froghall. Polar Express is shorter, around an hour and a half.
Is it suitable for a toddler?
Ages run from babies up to 16. There's a step up to board the carriages, so you'll want a hand free if you've got a pushchair or a toddler who can't climb it themselves.
Can we bring the dog?
Dogs are welcome for £10, and they need to stay on the floor rather than the seats. Assistance dogs travel free.
What's there to eat?
A tea room at Froghall does hot and cold drinks, cakes and lunch. Cheddleton has refreshment stands instead.
Is the train wheelchair accessible?
There's a ramp at Froghall but nowhere else, and wheelchair users travel in the guard's van rather than at a table. There's no accessible toilet on board, so it's worth planning around that.
Are the trains actually steam powered?
All services are meant to be steam hauled, with a diesel kept as backup. Occasionally an older locomotive gets swapped for another due to its age.
What about food allergies?
They can cater for allergies if you tell them in advance. Otherwise you're welcome to bring your own alternative drink and snack.
Can we do birthday parties or special trains?
There are themed trains like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party with Alice in Wonderland characters, plus dining trains including breakfast, lunch and a Staffordshire cream tea, though these are priced separately from the standard heritage fare.
Is there parking?
Free parking at Froghall and Cheddleton, with limited disabled bays at Froghall. There's no parking at Consall at all.
Which station should we use in 2026?
Leek Brook station is closed during 2026, so you'll want to travel from Froghall or Cheddleton instead.
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