SETTLE & CARLISLE RAILWAY - HELLIFIELD to HELWITH BRIDGE

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Hellifield to Helwith Bridge
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Sheriff Brow » Helwith Bridge

LONG PRESTON
Traveller's tale . . . Just over a mile northwards from Hellifield lies the delightful village of Long Preston which still boasts its railway station. It's best days are history of course, but it is not alone there, better that though than just an empty space and memories.

SETTLE JUNCTION
Traveller's tale . . . We pass the Midland signal box at Settle Junction where the line to Clapham and Carnforth diverges to the left. We diverge to the right and start the 1 in 100 climb up to Settle, drivers prefer to have a good run past here.	Local tittle-tattle ... The first sod was cut near Settle Junction at Anley in November 1869, of course it wasn't called Settle Junction then, it was just a straight line to Clapham. The train in the last photograph (bottom right) climbing the bank is approaching Anley.

Mouthwatering trivia. . . The line to Clapham was the original route to Carlisle which opened as far as Ingleton over the "Little North Western" in 1849 and then joined the Lancaster & Carlisle railway at Low Gill to the south of Tebay in 1860.	Not many people know that: There was once a station at Settle Junction. It opened in November 1876 and closed exactly one year later, in November 1877 - there is no one alive today who can remember catching a train there!

SETTLE STATION
Traveller's tale . . . It's uphill all the way from Settle Junction to Blea Moor Tunnel some 15 miles away and our first station is Settle, the market town that gave it's name to the line - enshrined forever in railway folklore! After Settle we enter the Yorkshire Dales National Park.	Mouthwatering trivia. . . The "Friends of the Settle & Carlisle" have preserved the signal box adjacent to the southern end of the station although it no longer has a role to play nor sidings to protect, they also have a little souvenir shop in the main station building.
Local tittle-tattle ... Settle is believed to date from the 7th century and was first "settled" by the Angles though at that time it was known as Setel. It received it's market charter from Henry III in 1249 and to this day it still holds a market every Tuesday. Much of Settle is now designated a conservation area with many grade II listed buildings.	Not many people know that: The footbridge at Settle is an incumbent, having originally been located at Drem near Edinburgh. It didn't have one until the early 1990's, to get to the other side you had to go over the line.

LANGCLIFFE
Traveller's tale . . . Climbing away from Settle we cross Settle Viaduct and then Church Viaduct, past the church yard and then across Langcliffe embankment with Giggleswick Scar on the left and Langcliffe Scar on the right.		VIDEO ... We've added a nice little video. It depicts 37405 with 37408on the rear on the 09.47 Leeds-Carlisle climbing the bank.
Local tittle-tattle ... Langcliffe Quarry and the adjacent Hoffman lime kiln, formerly owned by the Craven Lime Company, started operations in 1873 and had a rail-connected siding in use before the line was fully opened to Carlisle. It closed in 1931 and is now a preserved ancient monument.		My favourite footbridge ... and Rosie's too! We've crossed this bridge together hundreds of times - one day we shall cross it for the last time.

STAINFORTH TUNNEL (south)
Traveller's tale . . . Past the former sidings of the Craven Lime Company, of which nothing now remains, we enter a rock cutting and then Stainforth Tunnel and emerge into Stainforth Gorge.	Mouthwatering trivia. . . Stainforth Tunnel is also known as Taitlands Tunnel and is a mere 120 yards in length. It is the first tunnel on the line out of Settle and passes under the grounds of Taitlands house and gardens, hence it's name. The aforesaid house is now a youth hostel.

SHERIFF BROW
Traveller's tale . . . We cross the Ribble twice now and this is where the river was diverted to allow the building of the line. There are two viaducts in close proximity to each other which we cross and then Helwith Bridge comes into view.		Mouthwatering trivia. . . There are two viaducts at Sheriff Brow just 300 yards apart. The first one is named Sheriff Brow Viaduct (no surprise there) and lies to the south and the most northerly of the two is named Little Viaduct sometimes called Ribble Viaduct. The photograph shows the latter one which is easily seen from the road.

HELWITH BRIDGE
Traveller's tale . . . The Ribble is now to our left as the distinctive contours of Penyghent dominate the surrounding landscape. Grazing sheep turn and flee as we pass the Helwith Bridge Hotel and head for Horton.
Mouthwatering trivia. . . Until 1969 granite was quarried here by the "Helwith Bridge Granite Co." whom had sidings to the south on the down (northbound) side of the line. Walking around you can still find remnants of the quarrying that once took place here.
VIDEO ... We've added a nice little video. It depicts GBRf's 66708 on empty gypsum containers.

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