Heights of Abraham Celebrates Cable Car 40th Birthday with Flights into History

Cable car engineers (old and new) join the Pugh family to celebrate the 40th anniversary. Pictured left to right: Andrew Gaskell, Guy Slater, Sophie Pugh, David Webster (retired), Andrew Pugh, Stephen Scott, Adam Bowling (Chief Engineer with cake), Bradley Jenkins, Vanessa Pugh, Rupert Pugh and Tim Peet

On Sunday 21st April the Heights of Abraham celebrated the 40th anniversary of the cable cars, which first began their flights to the award-winning visitor attraction on April 21st 1984.

Musicians, actors and dancers gathered at the 60-acre estate in Matlock Bath to celebrate in the glorious sunshine, and cable car engineers old and new gathered at the base station to receive a special commemorative cake from the Pugh Family.

The day began when five-year-old “cable car super-fan” Essie Fletcher from South Normington pushed the big green button to start the cable car on it’s 40th birthday. Essie had been nominated for her flight into history by her grandfather, Gary Coope, after visiting the Heights more than 20 times in 2023.

Throughout the day local musicians and dancers performed at the summit, including popular Wirksworth Morris troupe T’Owd Man Border Morris, four-piece country band Kootch, Matlock music legend John Gill, and violinist Arjay. Living History actors and Victorian cavern guides joined in the celebrations, which included cavern tours through the Great Masson Cavern with new lighting and sound effects added earlier this month.

Every child who visited the Heights on Sunday 21st April was offered a special commemorative certificate to mark their own flight into history on the cable car birthday.

The Heights is celebrating both the Ruby 40th anniversary of the cable cars and the Golden 50th anniversary of the start of the restoration work at the Heights, which began in May 1974 when the Pugh family became stewards of the estate.