April 6th & 7th 2025 will bear witness to the 100th Anniversary of the official opening and first public passenger services of the Ashover Light Railway which ran from an eastern terminus at Clay Cross & Egstow via Stations or Halts at Chesterfield Road, Holmgate, Springfield, Clay Lane, Stretton, Hurst Lane, Woolley, Dalebank, Milltown, Fallgate and Salter Lane to a western terminus at Ashover (Butts).

The Ashover Light Railway was formed and constructed in the early 1920’s by the Clay Cross Co. Ltd. In order to construct the line, The Clay Cross Company was legally obliged to obtain a Light Railway Order. The Order, as eventually granted, required the Company to provide a public transport service. As built, the line was a narrow gauge railway of 60 cms (nominally 2ft) between the rails.

Such a railway required appropriate steam locomotives, coaches and goods wagons. The Company owners, the Jackson family achieved this by purchasing second hand six Baldwin steam loco’s and umpteen wagons which had first seen service with the British Armed Forces during the latter part of the 1914-1918 1st World War. Four coaches were ordered to be newly constructed by the Gloucester Carriage and Wagon Co on 11 July 1924. They were built mainly in 1924 but finally delivered in January 1925. The ALR officially opened for passenger traffic on 7 April 1925. The GVLR will be celebrating the 100th Anniversary on Sunday, 6th April with fully restored ALR coach no 4 being accompanied by the resident 1914 built Orenstein & Koppel steam loco with departures from the Butterley Park Station at 11.50; 12.30; 13;15; 14.00; 14.45 and 15.30.

At the official opening of the ALR in April 1925, the train was greeted at Ashover Butts by the Ashover Brass Band. When ALR Coach No 4 was launched back into passenger carrying service by the GVLR in 2014 the Ashover Brass Band was again in attendance. In keeping with this tradition, the Ashover Brass Band will be in attendance once more to celebrate the occasion and entertain our visitors during the afternoon. Entrance to the event is by standard gauge train from the Butterley Station of the Midland Railway – Butterley – please visit www.midlandrailway-butterley.co.uk or www.gvlr.org.uk for further information nearer the date.