Penistone Line Partnership has engaged communities along the line with a series of creative events and activities during the Penistone Arts Week festival, celebrating the area’s rich cultural and historical heritage.

In preparation for the festival, which ran from 19-29 March, Penistone Line Partnership partnered with seven members of Penistone Archive and Heritage Group, who began an in-depth research project exploring the history of Penistone and its surrounding areas.

Drawing on the research, and with the expertise of John from Creative Smith, and support from Northern and ISS, a four-panel heritage timeline was installed on Platform 1 at Penistone Station. The display offers both residents and visitors an opportunity to explore the area’s past, highlighting notable individuals from the 15th century to the present day.

As part of the Arts Week celebrations themselves, the partnership hosted a Folk Revival Music Train on Friday 20 March, in partnership with Northern. This unique event marked a first for 21 members of Penistone Folk Ensemble, led by Chris McShane, as they performed live acoustic folk music on board the train. Two groups entertained passengers between 12-4pm on journeys between Barnsley and Huddersfield, creating a lively and uplifting atmosphere, with plenty of foot-tapping and audience participation along the way.

On Thursday 26 March, Penistone Line Partnership launched the area’s first Metro Poetry Train, delivered with support from Dr Garance Maréchal (University of Liverpool) and Emeritus Professor Stephen Linstead, University of York. The event was met with overwhelming enthusiasm, with 20 participants embracing the challenge of creating poetry within strict constraints while travelling on a return journey between Penistone and Huddersfield.

The experience concluded with a buffet at the St John’s Centre in Penistone, where participants shared their emotive work and took part in a lively discussion exploring how this inaugural “Poetry in Motion” session could develop in the future.

Sarah Wells, community rail officer for the Penistone Line Partnership, said: “It was fantastic to see so many smiling faces and such a joyful atmosphere on board. The Music Train was a perfect way to celebrate Penistone Arts Week and bring people together through music.”

Building on this success, the Penistone Line Partnership has announced its next Music Train event, taking place on Monday 1 June to celebrate the launch of Community Rail Week. Departing Huddersfield at 19:11, the group Crazy Hearts will perform acoustic sets en route to Silkstone Common, followed by an amplified performance at the Station Inn. Keep an eye on Penistone Line Partnership’s online calendar, where further details will be available soon.

Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from the Penistone Line Partnership via their website.