Dowlow Halt was opened in 1894 at Dowlow, near to Brierlow Bar to the south east of Buxton

Buxton

Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...

, Derbyshire

Derbyshire

Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...

 on the London and North Western Railway

London and North Western Railway

The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...

 line to Ashbourne

Ashbourne, Derbyshire

Ashbourne is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales, England. It has a population of 10,302.The town advertises itself as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'.- Local customs :...

 and the south.

History

The line utilised part of the Cromford and High Peak Railway

Cromford and High Peak Railway

The Cromford and High Peak Railway in Derbyshire, England, was completed in 1831, to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal wharf at High Peak Junction and the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge -Origins:...

 (which ran from Whaley Bridge

Whaley Bridge

Whaley Bridge is a small town and civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England, situated on the River Goyt. Whaley Bridge is approximately south of Manchester, north of Buxton , east of Macclesfield and west of Sheffield, and had a population of 6,226 at the 2001 census. This...

 to Cromford

Cromford

Cromford is a village, two miles to the south of Matlock in the Derbyshire Dales district in Derbyshire, England. It is principally known for its historical connection with Richard Arkwright, and the Cromford Mill which he built here in 1771...

) joining it at Hindlow and proceeding to a branch to Ashbourne

Ashbourne Line

The Ashbourne Line was a railway from Buxton via Ashbourne to Uttoxeter. It was built by the London and North Western Railway using a section of the Cromford and High Peak Railway and it joined the North Staffordshire Railway at Ashbourne, proceeding to Uttoxeter with a junction onto the main...

 at Parsley Hay.

After leaving Hindlow

Hindlow railway station

Hindlow railway station was opened for goods in 1833 near to Hindlow near King Sterndale to the south east of Buxton, Derbyshire on the Cromford and High Peak Railway and the LNWR line to Ashbourne and the south....

 the line began to climb at 1 in 60 through Hindlow Tunnel to Brigg's Sidings and its summit at Dowlow Halt. 1260 feet (384 m) at the summit, this was the highest main line in England at the time. From Dowlow Halt the line travelled downhill at a gradient of 1 in 60 to Hurdlow

Hurdlow railway station

Hurdlow railway station was near to the hamlet of Hurdlow to the south east of Buxton, Derbyshire on the LNWR line to Ashbourne and the south.-History:...

.

Brigg's Sidings served Messrs. Briggs and the Dowlow Lime and Stone Company (later Steetley, then Redland Aggregates).

The halt itself was unstaffed with two short stone platforms and without buildings, since it was initially used by workmen's trains for the nearby works. It was opened for public services in November 1929. Passenger services on the line finished in 1954.
One section still exists, serving Buxton Lime Industries, and terminating a short distance further on at the Lafarge

Lafarge

Lafarge is a French industrial company specialising in four major products: cement, construction aggregates, concrete and gypsum wallboard. In 2010 the company was the world's second-largest cement manufacturer by mass shipped behind Holcim.-History:...

Dowlow sidings.