Your Visit
Please note:
The Roundhouse is currently closed for its annual winter break. We will re-open to the public on Saturday 1st March 2025.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who visited and supported the Roundhouse in 2024. We have had another successful year thanks to the generosity of our visitors and the hard work of our volunteers. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again in March, when the Roundhouse will be joining in the national celebrations for Railway 200.
The Roundhouse Team
Turntable & Signal Box Demonstrations
During your visit you can visit Barrow Hill signal box and see our turntable in action. Visitors can experience for themselves the complexities of the interlock system and other signalling mysteries. The signal box is also a marvellous spot for taking photographs, thanks to its bird’s eye view of the Barrow Hill yard.
The signal box is connected to a semaphore and colour light signalling system, which visitors can operate themselves during the demonstrations by our volunteers.
Demonstrations will take place on Saturdays and Sundays at the following times:
11.00am – Signal box demonstration
12.00 noon – Turntable demonstration
1.00pm – Turntable demonstration
2.00pm – Signal box demonstration
3.00pm – Turntable demonstration
Other Information
Toilets
Toilet facilities, including accessible toilets, are available. A Baby Change facility is available in the Café toilets. Please see the site map below for the locations of these facilities.
Dogs
Well behaved dogs are always welcome at the Roundhouse. Please could we ask owners to keep their dog under control at all times and tidy up any mess. Thank you.
Family Activity Packs
We have Activity Packs available in the Shop for you to use during your visit. Aimed at the younger visitor, they contain ideas for activities and games as you walk around the Museum. We also have special Activity Packs for those with additional aural or visual needs. A small refundable deposit is required for the Packs. Please ask in the Shop for more information.
How to find us
Travelling by car…
If travelling by car, there is is plenty of FREE parking on site. Please use the clearly signed public entrance on the left hand side of Campbell Drive, approximately 100m from the junction with Station Road. Please do not use the commercial entrance to the site or residents’ parking spaces in and around Barrow Hill. Thank you for your cooperation..
Barrow Hill is located in the centre of the country just off junction 29a or 30 of the M1 motorway.
Barrow Hill Roundhouse Railway Centre, Campbell Drive, Barrow Hill, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S43 2PR.
Sat Nav code S43 2PR
Travelling by train…
The nearest main line railway station is at Chesterfield
Train Routes:
- East Midlands Railway provides a direct service to Chesterfield from Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham, Loughborough Leicester and London St. Pancras
- Newcastle – York – Doncaster – Sheffield – Chesterfield (Cross Country Trains)
- Manchester – Stockport – Sheffield – Chesterfield (East Midlands Railway)
- Lincoln – Sheffield (Northern for connections to Chesterfield)
- Leeds via Barnsley to Chesterfield (Northern)
- Bristol – Birmingham – Burton – Derby – Chesterfield (Cross Country Trains)
- Leeds – Wakefield Westgate – Doncaster – Chesterfield (Cross Country Trains)
There is a taxi rank at the train station.
Travelling by bus…
Stagecoach service 90 buses run from Chesterfield (New Beetwell Street to Barrow Hill. A half hourly service runs from Monday to Saturday; the Sunday service is hourly. For full details of the timetable please visit: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/routes/yorkshire/90/yew-tree-duckmanton/xuao090.o.
There is a taxi rank at the train station.
Travelling by coach…
There are restricted height bridges on two of the approaches to the Roundhouse: 3.96m/13’ and 3.12m/10’ 3*. If your vehicle is too high for these restrictions, we recommend you use the following routes:
From Chesterfield Town Centre
Follow the A61 to the roundabout signposted for the M1 North/A619 Worksop, Brimington and Staveley. Follow the A619 through Brimington and Staveley until the Duke Street Roundabout signposted for the B6053/Eckington. Take the first exit off the roundabout and then immediately bear left onto Hall Lane. Follow this road across the Chesterfield Canal and a traffic-light controlled railway bridge before turning left onto Station Road and then right onto Campbell Drive.
From Sheffield City Centre
The most suitable route from Sheffield is to take M1 southbound and follow the instructions below for “Travelling South on the M1”.
Travelling South on the M1
Leave the motorway at Junction 30 and take the first exit off the roundabout signposted for the A616 Chesterfield and Newark. At the next roundabout take the fourth exit onto the A619/Chesterfield Road. Continue to follow the A619 until the Duke Street Roundabout in Staveley signposted for the B6053/Eckington. Take the second exit off the roundabout and then immediately bear left onto Hall Lane. Follow this road across the Chesterfield Canal and a traffic-light controlled railway bridge before turning left onto Station Road and then right onto Campbell Drive.
Travelling North on the M1
Leave the motorway at Junction 29a and take the third exit off the roundabout signposted for M1 North/A6192 Staveley. At the next roundabout take the first exit and continue on the A6192/Erin Road. Continue past Poolsbrook Country Park and take the first exit at the next roundabout, signposted A619 Chesterfield, Worksop and Staveley. At the next roundabout take the exit signposted Barrow Hill and Nether Handley. Follow this road across a traffic-light controlled railway bridge before turning left onto Station Road and then right onto Campbell Drive.
Where to Stay
Special Offer
Wanting to make the most of your visit to the Roundhouse and Chesterfield? Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa is a beautiful 19th century Grade 2 listed manor house set amongst 6 acres of formal award-winning gardens and surrounded by 29 acres of parkland. The hotel is only a short hop in the car or a 20-minute walk to Barrow Hill Roundhouse.
These two locations have more in common than may meet the eye. Ringwood Hall was built in 1829–30 by George Hodgkinson Barrow, the owner of Staveley Ironworks, and was later occupied by his son Richard Barrow. Local folklore has it that the origin of Private Drive, which runs from the hotel towards the Roundhouse, was that it was the “private drive” of the Barrows when visiting the Works.
Use the discount code “Barrow10” when booking your stay and you will get 10% of the hotel’s best available rates. Visit the hotel website www.ringwoodhallhotel.com to make your booking and use the discount code when requested..
Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa, Ringwood Road, Brimington, Chesterfield, S43 1DQ
Tel: +44 (0)1246 280077