Settle to Carlisle Railway


There is actually more to Settle than its attractive railway station*
There is actually more to Settle than its attractive railway station

Proposed simply as a bargaining tool, the Settle to Carlisle railway was never intended to be built - the route was simply too difficult. However parliament did not like having its time wasted and MPs insisted that the proposal, officially approved, be carried out. The result is one of the triumphs of Victorian engineering, a railway line that soars above green valleys on slender viaducts and crosses bleak moors haunted by ghosts and thousands of sheep.

Today, with a diesel loco at the front, much of the romance has been lost and, I have to admit, you see more of the railway from a car than you do from the train: those wonderful viaducts pass without notice when you are actually crossing them. Still, riding the Settle to Carlisle railway has been one of our ambitions for years and we thoroughly enjoyed the day we spent on the train - and not the least of the attractions was the friendliness of everyone, from station porter to ticket collector. Thanks, guys.

However in summer the railway runs steam trains on Wednesday and Saturday - presumably at extra cost. I'm indebted to Michael Murray for the two short clips of steam trains passing the place where he stays with his wife Carol.