• Settle to Carlisle Line Guide
• Southbound line guide - Carlisle to Settle
• Settle-Carlisle Days Out - German translation

Settle to Carlisle Line Guide (Northbound)

This line guide aims to describe the route from Settle to Carlisle so that you may enjoy the journey more by knowing what you see. We hope it is useful to you.

At Settle station the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line have restored the former Settle signal box which is now open for visitors to look round. The station buildings incorporate a plaque unveiled by Richard Whiteley to commemorate the line's 125th Anniversary in 2001. The particularly well-tended station was Highly Commended in the Station of the Year Competition 2001. If you look West from the station across the valley you will see a dome on the hill - this is the chapel of Giggleswick School where Russell Harty taught and Richard Whiteley attended as a pupil. The other stone buildings around the chapel are the main school buildings.

As you leave Settle the church on the right-hand side contains one of the memorials to those who died building the line.

The line is climbing at 1 in 100 as it travels through the Stainforth Gorge. This was created in the last Ice Age when the River Ribble's previous path was blocked by ice and the river was forced to cut a deep and narrow gorge to drain into the Irish Sea via Settle. The rate at which this valley climbs is illustrated by the difference in height of the river across the three viaducts which are passed in the next section. The two Sheriff Brow viaducts are first - the river sweeps in from the left and underneath the railway, changes direction and then comes back under the railway very shortly after but considerably higher. River and railway then run parallel until Helwith Bridge where the river passes under the railway again, the two being almost level. The valley reopens here as the river used to flow to the left through the break in the hills. The railway gradient flattens for half a mile over the site of a glacial lakebed and then the climb at 1 in 100 continues. Along the valley on the right, Pen-y-Ghent will come into view. This distinctively shaped mountain of over 2200 feet is the first peak of the Three Peaks Walk and whilst the base of it is limestone the top of it is sandstone.

Horton-in-Ribblesdale station is then reached, which has volunteer-tended gardens. The station buildings have been comprehensively refurbished by the Settle and Carlisle Railway Trust. This Domesday village lies on the Pennine Way and is the start and finish of the Three Peaks Walk. The café in Horton-in-Ribblesdale keeps a time clock of all those undertaking the 24-mile walk. Pen-y-Ghent can be seen directly across the valley from the station. The other Peaks will come into view later. The landscape changes from Horton as the land becomes higher and pastures give way to moorland. The many clusters of small humps in the landscape are known as drumlins and are another legacy of the last Ice Age.

About 8 minutes after leaving Horton, the train arrives at Ribblehead station, from where it is possible looking from the right of the train to see Ribblehead Viaduct in the distance, curving to the right. The station buildings, having lain derelict since 1970, are now an award-winning visitor centre. As the train approaches the viaduct which is visible on the right, directly behind the viaduct is Whernside, the second of the Three Peaks and at the right-hand side looking back is the flat top of Ingleborough, the third Peak. Both are over 2300 feet above sea level. Ingleborough has an extensive network of underground tunnels in the limestone beneath it used by cavers and its flat top once saw a Roman hill fort and even chariot races!

Ribblehead viaduct itself has 24 arches and every 6th arch is a stronger arch known as a King arch. It is 104 feet above the surrounding moorland which was covered with a shanty settlement whilst the line was being built. Some 6000 men worked on building the Settle-Carlisle Line between 1869 and 1876. It is also possible to see shakeholes where water percolates into the limestone. A couple of miles down the valley towards Ingleton is Chapel-le-Dale church where another memorial exists for those who died building the line. Having crossed the viaduct, the train then passes Blea Moor signal box on the right before entering Blea Moor Tunnel. It is 1½ miles long and 500 feet below the moor above it. It was dug simultaneously from 16 faces primarily by hand. On emerging from the tunnel the view down Dentdale to the left is spectacular. The train then crosses Dent Head viaduct, goes through a cutting and then across Arten Gill viaduct. The line is now travelling at over 1100 feet above sea level. Between Arten Gill viaduct and Dent station are the remains of snow fences built by the railway to stop snow drifting onto the line. Despite this, in 1963 the snowdrifts were over 20 feet deep and they blocked the line! In the winter of 1947 the line was blocked for 2 months.

Dent station itself is 4 miles from the village it serves and some 500 feet higher. It is the highest mainline station in England at 1150 feet above sea level. The line then passes through Rise Hill Tunnel at ¾mile long and then emerges into Garsdale. The highest water troughs in the world were situated here to enable steam locos to pick up water whilst still moving on the long climb up from Settle.

Garsdale station with a row of railway cottages on the left used to be a junction station for the line to Hawes which closed in 1959. The line then curves to the left over Dandry Mire viaduct and into Moorcock tunnel. The viaduct was originally intended to be an embankment but the very boggy nature of the ground meant that a viaduct built up from the bedrock was necessary. The line then crosses Lunds viaduct as the line continues to climb. Shotlock Hill tunnel is next and is followed by the highest point on the line at Ais Gill Summit. This is marked by two maroon signboards, one at each side of the line. It is 1169 feet above sea level and marks the end of the 24 mile climb from Settle. Shortly after passing under the bridge, if you look backwards and to the right there is a waterfall - Hell Gill Force, which is the first glimpse of the River Eden which we follow all the way to Carlisle. The line then runs round the flanks of Wild Boar Fell. Approximately 3 minutes down the valley are the ruins of Pendragon Castle. The ruins can be seen straight across the valley shortly after passing a small village in the valley bottom. Birkett Tunnel is followed by a glimpse of Lammerside castle to the right and arrival at Kirkby Stephen station.

Kirkby Stephen is a pleasant market town in the Eden valley. It has a large Parish church known locally as the "Cathedral of the Dales". About 2 minutes after leaving Kirkby Stephen, the line curves to the right and Smardale Hall (a turreted building) comes into view on the right. This is closely followed by Smardale Viaduct, the highest on the line at 135 feet above the valley bottom. The trackbed of the closed Kirkby Stephen to Tebay line passes underneath the viaduct and if you look to the left at the Carlisle end of the viaduct, at the very head of the valley you will see a viaduct on this line. Crosby Garrett tunnel is next, followed by a viaduct through the centre of the village of the same name. Just before the next tunnel (Helm Tunnel) is the halfway point between Settle and Carlisle. Ormside viaduct marks the first crossing of the River Eden, followed by arrival at Appleby station.

Appleby station won the Best Small Station award in the National Rail Awards 2003. Bishop Eric Treacy, a renowned railway photographer, died here in 1978 and his life is commemorated by a plaque on the station buildings. The town holds a gypsy horse fair each year when local fields are taken over. Appleby Castle can be seen if you look backwards and to the left as the line leaves Appleby. The observant traveller will notice a covered conveyor belt passing under the line about 5 minutes north of Appleby. Gypsum used to be mined here and the industrial works which are passed on the left is where gypsum is used to manufacture plasterboard. Gypsum is brought up the Settle-Carlisle line from Drax power station near Selby as a result of the de-sulphurisation process used there. The line continues to follow the River Eden which is now on the left of the train. After two tunnels the river seen joining the Eden is the River Eamont which flows out of Ullswater in the Lake District. Indeed the distant fells on the left of the train in the far distance are those of the Lake District. To the right of the train can be seen a white radar station on Great Dun Fell. The mountain immediately to its left is Cross Fell, the highest Pennine peak at 2930 feet above sea level.

Langwathby station is reached where the red sandstone buildings now house a restaurant and café "Brief Encounter", though the famous film was produced at Carnforth near Lancaster. Shortly after leaving Langwathby on the hillside (but not visible from the train) is Long Meg and Her Daughters stone circle. This is the second largest stone circle in the country, it being a 300 foot ellipse. The one large stone and 66 small stones represent Long Meg and her 66 daughters, who were reputedly committing heinous acts on the Sabbath and as a result turned into stone! The line then crosses the River Eden again on Eden Lacy viaduct as the line changes its side of the valley. The river verges off to the right, forming a gorge.

Lazonby & Kirkoswald station is reached, named after twin villages on either side of the Eden. The line passes through Lazonby. The goods shed here, on the left as the line leaves the station, is now Bells of Lazonby bakery. The Eden gorge continues on the right of the train with some spectacular views into it as the line approaches Armathwaite.

Armathwaite is a pleasant Cumbrian village and features a working watermill and superb walks along the river. The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line have restored the signalbox here on the right as the line leaves Armathwaite station. The line continues towards Carlisle as the Eden valley opens out once more, passing Low House level crossing and its signalbox on the right. Another line trails in from the right near to Carlisle - this is the line from Newcastle and Hexham which opened in 1839, some 37 years before the Settle-Carlisle.

Carlisle Citadel station signals the end of the line. Some 8 different railway companies used the station prior to the grouping of railway companies in 1923. The City of Carlisle is an ancient border settlement with a fine cathedral and castle. The red sandstone buildings in front of you as you leave the station are not the castle - these are the old court house and toll bar for entry into Carlisle. There is a pleasant pedestrianised shopping area, via which the cathedral, castle and Tullie House Museum can be reached.

I hope that you enjoyed your journey on the Settle-Carlisle and that this line guide has assisted you in viewing the items of interest along the line.

John Peter Buckley
Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line

www.settle-carlisle.co.uk

Second edition - 17 January 2004

© John Peter Buckley

						The longest (but not the highest - Smardale) viaduct is Ribblehead at 440 yards long and 105 feet at its highest point