a004 horton to ribblehead

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The Settle - Carlisle Railway
Horton - in - Ribblesdale to Ribblehead
From Horton - in - Ribblesdale the railway follows the road and the River Ribble up to the head of the valley. Horton - in - Ribblesdale, dominated by the graceful Penyghent, at one time boasted a signalbox and extensive sidings that served the adjacent ICI limestone quarry. The quarry, known as Beecroft Quarry, originally belonged to Delaney's who were later incorporated into Settle Limes, who in their turn became part of Imperial Chemical Industries. Limestone was burnt on site for the production of Hydrated Lime in four large vertical oil - fired kilns but these were demolished in the 1970's when the production of Hydrated Lime moved to the large I.C.I. site at Tunstead, near Buxton, in Derbyshire.

		Horton-in-Ribblesdale Station (view above looking north) OS grid reference SD 801716 Horton-in-Ribblesdale station was refurbished during 1999 and is now back to its former glory. The buildings are to let and it is hoped that a tenant will be found who will put the building to a railway-related use.
156541 at Horton-in-Ribblesdale Caught against the light at Horton Station on a Sunday morning in December 2001, Super Sprinter 156541 waits for passengers.
		A Midland Railway Milepost at Horton This Midland Railway item marks the fact that Horton station is located at a distance of 242 and a half miles from St. Pancras Station, London. In 1914 the Midland Railway undertook the major exercise of replacing all its existing mileposts with new ones - Imagine the cost today if Railtrack undertook such an exercise!
Horton Signal Box This picture was taken in the mid-1980's, some time after closure. Just in front of the box is the south end of the cattle dock, which was designed to accommodate three wagons. The signal box measured 16' 6" x 11' 6" and was of all wooden construction. It was brought into use on the 9th of August 1896 and closed on the 1st of May 1984. It was demolished following a fire.
		The railway bridge at Horton OS grid reference SD 802730 From the station at Horton the line runs on an embankment, finally crossing the B6479 on the skew. The section after this bridge is a favourite spot for photographers because the view from the road at the top of the hill extends as far back as the station, a distance of about half a mile. Steam trains are usually working hard up the 1 in 100 gradient at this point.
		North of Horton railway bridge, looking South Loco 66142 on MGR duty at 7.45 p.m. 03-07-01 O.S. grid reference SD 799735 After Horton, the scenery gradually changes and becomes wilder. At Selside is the site of a signal box that was saved from destruction and is at the former railway museum at Steamtown, Carnforth. The box at Selside was brought into use on the 6th of June 1907 and remained in use until 30th November 1975. There had originally been a cross-over at Selside but by 1932 it had been removed, leaving the box operating as a simple block post to break the section from Horton to Blea moor.
The railway embankment south of Selside OS grid reference SD 786754 General Motors locomotive 66137 heads South alongside the road, just South of the hamlet of Selside with a MGR Coal train during the month of July 2001.
		The railway north of Selside OS grid reference SD 781769 When the railway leaves Selside it crosses the edge of the featureless limestone plateau at Selside Shaw. The road runs parallel to the railway at this point but here the railway is dwarfed by the open surroundings and trains are too far away to get a good picture from the roadside unless a telephoto lens is used. Further up the road the railway passes under the road bridge at "New Bridge" and then on the left are the remains of Gauber Quarry, which provided stone during the construction phase.
		Sprinter approaching Salt Lake Cottages, March 2001 OS grid reference SD 774784 The view from the road bridge just to the South of the Quarry at Gauber. (Taken with a 200mm telephoto lens)
		Salt Lake Cottages OS grid reference SD 774784 It is said that the curious name given to this row of six cottages originates from the construction of the line when a shanty town stood near to this spot. Missionaries from the Mormon Church, at Salt Lake City, Utah, were active in the Dales in the 1850's and maybe that is where the connection lies. The buildings are of standard Midland Railway design and were built for railway employees. There must have been few comforts in this windswept spot except, perhaps, in the spring and summer when the hardships of winter could briefly be forgotten.
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