Ribblehead Viaduct & Dent On The Settle -Carlisle Railway- Highest mainline station in England

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• published: 24 Oct 2012
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(Pls Watch in Full HD 720 or 1080 ) We went to the beautiful & scenic village of Dent in Yorkshire last month.Through this village runs the Settle-Carlisle railway and we were really happy to travel in it. The Settle-Carlisle railway journey is a memorable one to anyone as it passes through some unspoilt landscape and dales which are truly breathtaking.It also passes through some beautiful meadows and lush riverside pastures.There are 11 stations, 22 viaducts and 14 tunnels on this line. The viaducts are truly breathtaking and are must see structures. I really wanted to see the magnificent & the longest 24 arch viaduct at Ribblehead.We took the train journey from Dent to Ribblehead and back.We also walked near it & went under it.I did the train journey for a sorter video for easy viewing. Welcome to England's most scenic railway ================================ Welcome to Settle-Carlisle country.The Settle - Carlisle Railway is without doubt one of Britain's most spectacular railway lines. The line is probably the most scenic railway journey in England. It has survived two attempts to close it - once in the early 1960s and later in the 1980s. Both attempts caused local and national outrage. However, fortunes have now changed as millions of pounds have been spent upgrading tracks and stations. The line opened in 1876 - we hope the line is here for many more generations to come. The 72 mile route from Settle to Carlisle takes you on a journey through the magnificent Yorkshire Dales, the line heads north up Ribblesdale between the towering gritstone capped fells of Yorkshire's famous Three Peaks - Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent. Over the 24 arches of the magnificent Ribblehead Viaduct before plunging in to the longest tunnel on the line at Blea Moor. Emerging onto the side of Dentdale,(one of the more remote - and dramatic - northern dales) the line leaves the Dales at Garsdale and makes it way through the gentle, lush rolling hills of the Eden Valley. with rural villages and market towns before arriving at the great border city of Carlisle. Ribblehead Station =============== Ribblehead Station is in one of the most beautiful areas on the Settle to Carlisle line.This was one of the most difficult sections of the line ever to be built.The station is unstaffed. The magnificent Ribblehead Viaduct - 24 arches crossing Batty Moss 100 feet below and 440 yards long, follows the station. Ribblehead station now houses a Visitor Centre in the refurbished station building. Shortly after the viaduct is Blea Moor Tunnel, at 2629 yards long & built1870-1875.This is the longest tunnel on the line.The area of Ribblehead station and viaduct is one of the wildest and most remote in the North of England. Frequently there is a very strong wind and the weather can close in very quickly. In 1938 Ribblehead became a meteorological report point. Dent station ========== Dent is the highest mainline station in England.Dent station first opened for public use in 1877 - it closed in 1970 and reopened in 1986. Dent village is situated 4 miles away and 600 feet lower than the station. The weather is the prevalent feature at Dent. Snow fences made from old railway sleepers can be seen on the right when travelling towards Carlisle. These were used to try and keep the snow off the tracks, but were not always successful, as was found to be the case in the winter of 1947. At the peak of its use 90 trains a day passed through the station.However it is unstaffed today. Dent Head Viaduct - 100 ft. high , 199 yds. long,10 arches, Built 1870-1875 Ribblehead Viaduct ================ Ribblehead viaduct is actually the largest and most famous viaduct throughout the whole of the Settle to Carlisle railway line. The viaduct has 24 arches, is 104 feet high and 440 yards long.Built 1870-1875. The wind is very prevalent around the Station and viaduct and many signalmen, crossing the viaduct, going to Bleamoor signal box have been blown off the embankment. During the war a train carrying vehicles was even blown off. There has even been the odd steam engine blown to a halt. Construction of Ribblehead Viaduct took 5 years although it was not decided until December 1872 whether to have 24 or 18 arches. This depended on the workforce available - either stonemasons or navvies. The brick arches of a nominal 45ft span were sprung with stone voussoirs. The stone was quarried between Selside and Ribblehead. During the building of the line over 2,000 people mainly 'navvies' lived at Batty Moss in temporary huts. When not working on the line navvies and miners lived in squalid conditions, and drinking, gambling and fighting were the main recreation.A school and hospital of sorts was established and missionaries were even sent in. Many lives were lost during the building of the viaduct.