Barrow Hill Roundhouse

Founded (heritage operation)	1989
Reopened to public	1998
Length	Depot site with short demonstration line
Gauge	Standard 4 ft 8½ in
Headquarters	Barrow Hill, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Principal stations	Barrow Hill (depot site, no through passenger services)
Original line	Midland Railway
Original line closed	1991
Annual visitors	~30,000
Website	barrowhill.org

Barrow Hill Roundhouse was built by the Midland Railway in 1870 to provide locomotive servicing for the heavy mineral traffic generated by the Staveley iron and chemical works in north Derbyshire. The roundhouse was of the classic radial-pattern design, with a central turntable feeding individual stalls, and was capable of holding around two dozen locomotives under cover.

The depot passed to the LMS at the 1923 Grouping and to British Railways in 1948. It outlived every other operational roundhouse in Britain, partly through luck and partly because the surrounding industrial yards continued to generate enough heavy traffic to justify keeping it open. BR finally closed Barrow Hill as a working depot in February 1991.

The Barrow Hill Engine Shed Action Group, later the Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society, was formed in 1989 by Mervyn Allcock to campaign for the building's preservation in the face of the impending BR closure. The roundhouse was Grade II listed in February 1991. After several years of negotiation, Chesterfield Borough Council took ownership of the shed and yard in December 1996 and granted a maintenance lease to the Society, which secured and refurbished the site, including the restoration of the original 1870 roof glazing.

The roundhouse reopened to the public in July 1998. The site has since hosted regular Barrow Hill Live galas, drawing both heritage and main-line operators, and has become an important resting place and operating base for visiting locomotives between main-line tours.

History

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse was built in 1870 by the Midland Railway as a locomotive stabling and servicing depot for the Staveley area, serving the nearby ironworks and the Midland's Erewash Valley routes. The roundhouse format — a circular building with locomotive stalls radiating from a central turntable — was the standard Victorian approach to locomotive depot construction, efficient in its use of land and allowing individual engines to be moved in and out of stalls independently. Barrow Hill's shed survived into British Railways use and continued as a stabling point for diesel locomotives until 1991, making it one of the last roundhouses in operational use anywhere in the country.

Following closure, local campaigners led by the Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society (formed 1990) secured listed building protection for the Grade II* structure and raised funds for its purchase and restoration. The roundhouse opened as a heritage centre in 1998 and has since established itself as a major venue for diesel and electric locomotive rallies as well as a permanent home for a varied collection of preserved locomotives.

Original line history

The Midland Railway's Staveley and Barrow Hill area lines served the intensive coal and iron traffic of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire coalfield. The Midland Railway expanded aggressively through this industrial area from the 1840s, and the Barrow Hill depot was established to service the growing motive power requirements of the heavy freight traffic from the region's collieries and ironworks to the Midland's broader network.

Stations and infrastructure

The centrepiece of the site is the roundhouse itself — a complete 24-stall circular engine shed with its original turntable and radiating track, allowing locomotives to be positioned in individual stalls. The building's circular brick construction with its central open roof is a remarkably complete Victorian survival. The site also contains adjacent yard space used for locomotive storage and events, workshop facilities, and a visitor reception area.

Special events and operations

Barrow Hill is particularly well known for its diesel and electric locomotive rallies, which attract large numbers of traction enthusiasts from across Britain and are among the largest diesel-focused events on the heritage railway calendar. Steam events are also held. The roundhouse's dramatic interior provides an atmospheric backdrop for photography events and locomotive gatherings. A programme of regular open days supplements the event calendar.

Visitor information

Barrow Hill Roundhouse is located at Staveley, approximately 5 miles north-east of Chesterfield town centre, accessible from the A619. Chesterfield railway station (on the Midland Main Line) is approximately 5 miles away with bus connections. Parking is available on site. Check the website for current opening days, event dates, and admission prices, as the site operates primarily on event days rather than daily.

Engines based here

45105 — Preserved Class 45 Peak.
81002 — Sole preserved Class 81 AC electric (BR “AL1”).
82008 — Sole preserved Class 82 AC electric (BR “AL2”).
83012 — Sole preserved Class 83 AC electric (BR “AL3”).
84001 — Sole preserved Class 84 AC electric (BR “AL4”).
85101 — Sole preserved Class 85 AC electric (BR “AL5”).
D9009 Alycidon — 55009 Alycidon, owned by the Deltic Preservation Society, based at the DPS depot at Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Chesterfield. Main-line certified.
D9015 Tulyar — D9015 Tulyar, under major overhaul at the Deltic Preservation Society depot at Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Chesterfield.
D9019 Royal Highland Fusilier — 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier, Deltic Preservation Society, based at Barrow Hill Roundhouse. Visits heritage railways for galas; not currently main-line certified.