Starting Point - Kirkby Stephen Station. Round Trip to Ravenstonedale. Distance - 12 Miles.
The Settle & Carlisle line is famous for the outstanding engineering works of the time required to build it through the terrain of the area, particularly its viaducts. There are also a few railways in the area that didn't survive and with their remote locations these routes have many surviving features of the railway.
This walk follows a section of the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway (better known as the Stainmore Route) from Kirkby Stephen to Ravenstonedale. The line carried on to Tebay but from Ravenstonedale the trackbed is now occupied by the A685 road.
The route was primarily constructed for serving industry, particularly the ironworks at either end and several quarries in between. It opened in 1861 and just managed a century of operation. Though the section I walked here closed to passengers in 1952 it was used by freight and summer excursions to Blackpool until 1961, the route closing in 1962.
I travelled by train on the S&C to Kirkby Stephen, once referred to as Kirkby Stephen West when the Stainmore route's own station at Kirkby Stephen East was in use. A couple of interesting facts, firstly Kirkby Stephen station still has the three letter code of KSW even though it has been the only station since 1962. Secondly both stations are in fact situated south west of the village.
The former Kirkby Stephen East station is now occupied by a preservation group and a short stretch of track runs towards the site of the junction where the Tebay line left the Eden Valley route to Appleby East and Penrith. More details about the preservation site can be found on their
website. A farm also occupies some of the trackbed around the junction site.
I picked up the route at Waitby where the road between Waitby and Kirkby Stephen crosses this former line and the Eden Valley route on two bridges. From the bridge over the former Tebay line a footpath descends in to the cutting as the Waitby Nature Reserve has been established along the trackbed. Once on the trackbed I followed it as far as I could towards Kirkby Stephen.
Below - Bridge out and the trackbed beyond now occupied by the farm. This was close to the junction and Kirkby Stephen East station as I could get. At this point it was possible to walk from one route to the other.
Below - Site of a plate layers hut near the junction between the Tebay and Penrith lines, this can be seen on the old map.
Below - Looking towards the bridge where I joined the trackbed. The Eden Valley route can be seen where the line of trees is on the right.
Below - The bridge under the Kirkby Stephen to Waitby road.
A couple of bridges that carried the railway over roads have been removed, it looks as though these would have been quite low bridges. The path descends the embankment to cross the roads at ground level.
Below - The cutting becomes quite deep and steep sided.
Below - Some signalling cable trunking can be seen on the left.
Below - Former farm track bridge.
Just before Smardale another nature reserve takes over the trackbed and for the remainder of the walk it is managed by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. One of the highlights of the reserve are the red squirrels, though they can be quite shy creatures and with a few walkers about when I visited I didn't see any on this occasion. A car park off Beck Lane is provided for those wishing to join the trail here and an information office is situated at the entrance to the path from the car park in a couple of huts that look reminiscent of old railway wagons. There is a little detour around the site of Smardale station which is now a private house.
Below - Former Smardale station
Below - Former coal drops at Smardale station.
Below - The driveway to Smardale Hall with its very low looking railway bridge removed. The trackbed can be re-joined on the right.
Below - Looking along the embankment west of Smardale. A sign tells of how a couple of derailed wagons had remained here for many years until recent recovery.
Below - The route passes below a farm access bridge, now missing it's deck, and the Settle and Carlisle line's Smardale viaduct.
1898 Map
Below - Crossing over a bridge which would allow water off the hills to flow in to Scandal Beck at the foot of the valley. Smardale Gill viaduct can be see in the distance.
Below - Smardale Gill viaduct. A path along the side of the valley it crosses gives an unusual high level view alongside the viaduct.
Below - Looking across the viaduct.
Below - After the viaduct former quarries and lime kilns can be seen.
Below - Former incline up to the top of the lime kilns for charging them with limestone and coal.
Below - Top of the lime kilns where the raw materials were loaded in.
Below - Smardale Gill viaduct seen from the top of the lime kilns.
Below - Former wagonway from the quarry.
1898 Map
Below - These two cottages survive next to the trackbed, presumably they were for railway workers since the gates access straight on to the railway.
Below - The footpath bridge on the above old map still in situ.
Below - Cutting with retaining walls.
Below - Remains of Sandy Bank signal box.
The path ends on Brownber Drive, this is a short distance from the former Ravenstonedale station.
1898 Map
Below - The former Ravenstonedale station, now a farm house alongside the A685 which takes over the former trackbed beyond here. It looks like I've drawn a crowd who think I'm the farmer there to feed them. With the A685 not conducive to a railway walk I returned to Kirkby Stephen the way I came.
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