Kirkby Stephen to Appleby (2)

19/06/00

OS grid reference NY761068

Kirkby Stephen station still has two sidings, semaphore signals and a cattle dock in situ. The signal box is a modern construction but looks quite out of place in such a rural location.

19/06/00

The new footbridge can bee seen at the end of the platform. In this view the freshly refurbished platforms can be seen. Relaying of the permanent way is also in progress and the new pink ballast can be seen on the down line.

19/06/00
 
 
 
 

19/06/00

The bridge over the A685 is in the foreground.

The station is located high above the town and over two miles away from it. This location was chosen in order to to ease the climb up to Ais Gill. Had the station been located lower down and nearer to the town, the climb would have been made much more difficult and as the Settle-Carlisle was conceived primarily as a through route, the civil engineering constraints were the most important.

OS grid reference NY 733081

The viaduct has a length of 237 yards and has 14 arches. At its highest point it towers 131 feet over Scandal Beck. The last stone to be laid of the viaduct was laid ceremonially by Agnes Crossley (the wife of the M.R. Chief engineer) on June 8th 1875. Under the nearest arches and just out of sight, the old North Eastern Railway line (formerly the South Durham and Lancashire Union railway) from Darlington to Tebay passed under the S and C. Staple traffic here was coke from the Durham coalfield to the steel furnaces of East Cumbria.

OS grid reference NY 727069

The old NER line is occupied by a public footpath and can be accessed from near to Ravenstonedale station (NY 7411082) where there is also car parking space. Smardale Gill itself is a nature reserve.

The viaduct has been restored by the Northern Viaducts trust into its present excellent condition and the footpath utilises the viaduct to cross the valley.

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