The first station was opened in 1852 by the North Staffordshire Railway on its branch from Rocester on its Churnet Valley line.

[4] Unlike the earlier station, which had been of brick and stone, the new one was timber construction throughout to a standard LNWR design.

After the move to a joint station, the line became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923.

The factory had its own private sidings connected to the station's goods yard, which allowed milk trains to access the facility, and distribute product as far south as London.

[7] The track bed from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay was acquired by Derbyshire County Council and the Peak National Park in 1968 for a cycle and walking route.

The course of the line as it heads southwards towards Uttoxeter has been partly interrupted by a retail park, but it can be traced to the rear of the retail park via a culvert under the A52, through a still-existing short cutting and then along a low embankment into the village of Clifton, and can then still be traced all the way to Rocester.