Settle-Carlisle Celebration
6th July 2006 Within the rolling hills and rugged landscapes of England, there lies a railway line that has stood the test of time - the Settle-Carlisle extension, a former Midland Railway jewel, marks an auspicious anniversary this year. In 1986, several of its stations were reopened after a period of closure, and to celebrate this momentous occasion, a commemoration is planned for all those who cherish the line's rich heritage.
The fight to keep this vital artery operational during Britain's tumultuous economic journey and Beeching's infamous "axe" wielding was fierce, but I never truly appreciated its tenacity until now. The reopened stations gracefully dot the picturesque landscapes of Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Ribblehead, Dent, Garsdale, Kirby Stephen, Langwathby, Lazonby, and Armathwaite. Yet, it is challenging to envision their former selves, shrouded in the veil of time, as they lay dormant. For a more comprehensive understanding, I invite you to delve into the captivating world of the Settle-Carlisle Partnership's website.
The enchantment of these once-abandoned stations now serves as testament to the indomitable spirit of those who fought tirelessly to preserve them. Each station, in its rejuvenated glory, offers a glimpse into a bygone era and beckons the curious to explore the tales that lie hidden within their walls.
Horton-in-Ribblesdale, a quaint village nestled at the foot of the famous Three Peaks, boasts a station that is an architectural marvel, designed with intricate stonework that seamlessly blends into the surrounding landscape. Ribblehead, with its commanding position above Wensleydale, showcases the line's engineering prowess as it traverses the challenging terrain of the Ribblesdale Moors.
Dent Station, a Grade II listed building, stands proudly amidst the lush dales and valleys of Cumbria, while Garsdale is tucked away in a tranquil corner, offering breathtaking views of the Howgill Fells. Kirby Stephen's station, nestled in Eden Valley, offers a charming insight into rural England, as does Langwathby, which straddles the border between Cumbria and North Yorkshire.
The picturesque villages of Lazonby and Armathwaite complete the line's ensemble, offering a taste of the timeless charm that has drawn visitors for centuries. As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, these stations remind us of the rich tapestry of history woven into the fabric of our great nation.
As we gather to commemorate the reopening of these treasured sites, let us take a moment to reflect upon the perseverance and dedication that made their resurrection possible. The Settle-Carlisle Line serves as a poignant reminder that sometimes, it is not merely the destination that matters but the journey itself - the struggles, triumphs, and camaraderie forged along the way.
If you find yourself in the enchanting regions of North Yorkshire or Cumbria this year, be sure to take a step back in time aboard the Settle-Carlisle Line. Embark on a journey that transcends mere travel, immersing yourself in the rich history and the resilient spirit of those who dared to preserve a piece of our nation's past for future generations to cherish.
Yorkshire to Cumbria: A Ramble
5th July 2006 As I write this, the World Cup is coming towards its climactic end and a heat wave has nearly run its course. While I certainly know what has been happening with the football, I have tended to find other things to do instead of watching it. I have nothing against football but, as you might tell, I am light years from being obsessive about it. Even so, someone (a total stranger to me) was asking if I was watching Germany playing Italy and opined that I didn't like football when he heard that I wasn't. As it happened, when I completed my ramble last Saturday, England were playing Portugal and it was easy to sense the excitement. However, I had no inclination to watch, for reasons that may become apparent in a while.
Saturday was forecast to be cooler than Sunday so that's when I decided to walk from Ribblehead to Sedbergh, Yorkshire to Cumbria. This area was subject to country boundary changes in the 1970's when Cumbria was created from Cumberland, Westmoreland and parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire. The result is that part of Cumbria is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the boundary of which still follows the old county border. Further confusion is likely if, as has been put forward, the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks are extended to protect area lying outside of them such as the Howgill Fells (near Sedbergh) and Borrowdale (the one near Tebay). Planning permission for a wind farm in the former has recently been refused. The whole issue highlighted the natural beauty of the areas left out of the two nearby national parks.
The Howgill Fells cannot be missed if you are going on either the M6 or the West Coast Mainline. My ramble to Sedbergh allowed me a closer, if fleeting, look at them and the journey from Sedbergh to Kirkby Stephen really shows their extent. A word of warning though: don't drive and look at the hills simultaneously for there are sheep likely to be walking the road.
From Ribblehead, I skirted around Whernside on the Craven Way (a bridleway unpleasantly rutted in places) to join the Dales Way which I followed until near Sedbergh. Part of my journey took in the lower section of the bridleway headed for Whernside's summit (subject of an earlier day out) but these had so many out on it that it was the walker's equivalent of the M6 but I got off it and things soon became quieter and more pleasurable, an amazing sight when you see the hoards heading a different way from less than 100 metres away from you. I was glad that I tackled Whernside earlier in the year.
After not following my instincts, I lost 15 minutes finding the Dales Way from the Craven Way (someone put a church on the map but you couldn't see it!). From here I strode past Dent to Sedbergh (covering something like 6 miles in a bit of a hurry) but missed my bus. I was a little worse for wear after my exertions, my excuse for missing out on the football, so I waited a while before calling a taxi to get to Kirkby Stephen railway station and begin my train journey home.
This was not my first foray along the Yorkshire-Cumbria border since I was hopping over and back across the line in question while exploring Garsdale in 2004. I got some heavy showers that day, unlike last Saturday, before the evening cleared up and showed me what the area offered. If it is wild country that you are after, this part of the Yorkshire Dales has it in spades. It also means that public transport provision isn't what it might be, so you need to be careful.
Rail Changes Afoot
4th July 2006 As I pen these words, a sense of melancholy lingers over me, as I ponder the impending alteration to one of Britain's railway networks: the CrossCountry rail franchise. In November 2007, the northern segment of the West Coast Mainline will vanish from the network, allowing trains to be redirected towards the London-Holyhead route. This change, while not imminent, stirs unease within me.
The consequences of this reconfiguration are suboptimal: CrossCountry services will no longer extend beyond Manchester or Crewe. According to recent reports in Rail magazine, Transpennine Express (TPE) has been earmarked for the responsibility of managing services between Manchester and Scotland. I cannot help but view this as a step backwards.
The first challenge that presents itself is capacity. The Voyagers, the trains slated for these services, are four to five-carriage affairs. This may seem adequate, but when considering the sheer volume of passengers that travel northwards, it becomes clear that capacity will be strained.
Another concern lies in the quality of train travel. So long as TPE operates their newer trains, this might not be a significant issue; however, historically, their offerings have been two to three-carriage affairs. One can only hope that we do not encounter the older models, where air conditioning failure is a very real possibility.
Yet, there remain alternative options for those who wish to journey north. Virgin West Coast trains will continue to serve Glasgow, offering solace to those with an appetite for adventure beyond Manchester and Crewe. And if the spirit of extravagance stirs within you, the East Coast Mainline awaits, ready to whisk you away on a journey through England's heartland.
As I gaze out at the horizon, I cannot help but reflect on the changes that lie ahead. The West Coast Mainline, a veritable artery of movement and connection between our great cities, will soon be incomplete. But as one door closes, another opens: a new chapter awaits. Let us hope that it is one filled with comfort, efficiency, and the spirit of adventure that has defined the West Coast Mainline for generations.
New Yorkshire Photos
24th June 2006 The duller weather that we have been having recently has allowed me to stay away from the hills and engage in a blizzard of website updates. Since the holiday year at my work starts in July, I took some time off to use up my allocation and got through a few things. I'd probably have headed off somewhere but for the weather forecast and my needing a breather after all these weekends that I have been away over the last month. Even so, I did get out on my bike when the sun came out yesterday evening.
Last December, I got to York to do a spot of Christmas shopping (yes, that!) and my camera came too. For a few months, a picture of the York Minster taken from the city's old walls graced my desktop. Now it graces www.assortedexplorations.com and my desktop features a view of the Isle of Arran (more on that later).
Ribblesdale in the Yorkshire Dales features some of the wilder country in the area. It is also home to Yorkshire's Three Peaks. Although, they are not peaks as such, the three peaks in question are among the highest in the Pennines, that hilly English backbone extending from Derbyshire to the border with Scotland. There was a time when one of their number, Ingleborough, was thought to be the highest point in England. That honour has since gone to Scafell Pike in the Lake District.
My acquaintance with the Three Peaks started with a view from a train window while on journeys between Yorkshire and Edinburgh in 2000, while I was working in the former. It wasn't until 2004 that I scaled Pen-y-ghent, the one that I first saw four years earlier. That day started off cloudy, a bit like what's outside my window right now, before the cloud cover broke up to give a fantastic evening.
However, it wasn't until earlier this year that I surmounted the other two: Ingleborough and Whernside. Apart from meeting slushy snow, my day out on Ingleborough was as uneventful as my exploration of Pen-y-ghent and nearby Plover Hill. Also, the sun showed its face as I neared Ingleton (Ribblehead station was my starting point). After this, I decided to complete the trio with a yomp over Whernside, the highest of the lot. The trek has everything going for it: views of the Howgill Fells and the country around Ribblesdale. However, to see all this you need the weather. It started well and I had ample opportunity to sample views of Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough, but there were plenty of grey clouds up north. This was a sign of things to come: as I contended with iced-up flagged paths (I preferred the snow-covered banks by the side) on my final approach, the clag came in. Armed with a good map and provided with a clear track and an almost continuous wall, I was safe (my concern for safety meant that I missed out on the trig point atop the hill: a minor point in the circumstances). In addition, there were other folk about (a mad bunch, us hill bums). Apart from the odd snowflake, everything remained dry. Going down, though, I encountered rain and it was a damp trudge back to Ribblehead station (and a cold wait until the train home arrived: need to get a new waterproof jacket; the water resistance of the one I have has given up the ghost).
Following that experience, you'd think that I wouldn't return but I do have designs on a ramble from Ingleborough to Dent. There is more to see in these parts yet.
Peak District Photos Added
22nd June 2006 Recently, I have added a few photos to my online photo gallery from a number of rambles in the Peak District. The first of these was last September when I walked from Edale to Glossop, over Kinder Scout on the Pennine Way before following the Doctor's Gate path to my final destination. This is countryside that I have walked before, though not maybe using this route. The day was glorious, even if the sky was more milky than I would have liked.
The other occasion featured is from March of this year, when the idea of a trip to the Derbyshire Dales was rejected when I saw the snow on the hills between Macclesfield and Buxton. Then, I got off the bus at the Cat and Fiddle Inn and headed around Shining Tor into the Goyt Valley and on to Buxton on the Midshires Way. Last winter, my boots saw more snow than usual and the powder dry snow underfoot on that day was a joy to walk on, even if I had misgivings about leaving footprints on a pristine white coating.
The Peak District is on my doorstep and I get to experience it when the distractions of more distant destinations are not so strong. It also makes for an easier getaway when energy levels are not what they should be, too. The hills between Macclesfield and Buxton are a local treasure that are less well regarded than they ought to be.
Britain's first national park was established here to manage the development of the area so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. The quality of the countryside and its industrial past mean that this is a very important need. The park covers parts of Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire, and it should come as no surprise that the area is well frequented thanks to its being surrounded by the populous cities of Manchester, Sheffield, Derby and Stoke-on-Trent.
Though many do come by car, the good public transport links are more than needed too. To save having the roads thronged by motor traffic at busy times like bank holidays, it would be better is more used bus and train connections than they do.
