This little building with its tall chimneys, steep roof and gables is in marked contrast to another station on the line, Alton Towers (see Alton Towers Station entry). Here is the flavour of Victorian Gothic revival, in keeping with the style favoured by the Earls of Shrewsbury. It has been suggested that Pugin himself had a hand in the design but this is not certain. Closed in 1965 it was threatened with demolition, but local protest prevented this and it is now the headquarters of a heritage railway, the Churnet Valley Railway.

This was a case where a Society formed to preserve artefacts, in this case the North Staffordshire Railway Society, became the nucleus around which a whole railway became preserved. In 1973 Cheddleton Railway Centre was formed at the station. In 1977 it became a restoration base when ex LMS 0-6-0 No 44422 was acquired from Barry. A Hunslet industrial tank engine was acquired from the NCB and a small collection of rolling stock, carriages and wagons. It was then gradually expanded with a signal box brought from Elton Crossing near Sandbach, a 274 m (900 ft) demonstration line and a three road shed or museum building.

In 1978 the Society formed a limited company to enable it to operate a railway - when the mineral line through Cheddleton was closed in 1988, discussions with BR and the County Council made apparent the need to raise money by a public share issue. A plc was launched 30 October 1992 as Goldenlaunch, shortly afterwards changed to Churnet Valley Railway (1992) plc. This was all successfully accomplished, the money was raised, a Light Railway Order was obtained, and the railway between Leek Brook Junction and Oakamoor Sand sidings was acquired. The first public train ran over a 1.6 kn (1 mile) section of track 24 August 1996.