A girl on the train to Settle ...

I love how being a passenger affords you the luxury of viewing passing things that you might otherwise miss, especially if that vantage point is from a train on a track up high, looking in on people's lives ... 

 

Years ago I watched a restoration programme & one of the challenges was converting a water tower in to a home. It was absolutely fascinating & I did not really take notice of the town because it was unfamiliar places so it meant little to me. 

I digress, I am getting ahead of myself, let me start at the beginning ... 

This past week, while visiting up north near the Scottish borders, the topic of the Settle to Carlisle railway came up again. The steam railway is a luxurious but expensive trip.

However (don't you love however's) I was told that the route is also served by the standard Carlisle to Leeds railway at a very reasonable cost. 

I was absolutely delighted by this news because I have always loved exploring new places. 

The Settle to Carlisle line was saved from being shelved some years back & it is an important link to the Yorkshire Dales. It is the line walkers use to access the Yorkshire Dales & they could be seen in the hills on the way. 

The lovely station at Carlisle was our starting point - it is Victorian with a domed glass roof & interesting metal supports. It is open at both ends that the lines run through. I imagine it is bracing in mid winter.  

It is the starting & end point for the Carlisle to Settle (Leeds) train trip, as well as being a major rail hub for trains heading to Scotland. The ordinary service was comfortable & we found seats with a table, the large window affording a good outlook across the changing scenery. 

It left smoothly & we were soon taking in outer Carlisle with some long gardens then out in to the open countryside. 

       

I have visited some of the places along the way - the iconic Appleby in Westmoreland where my Elective Home Education students frequent for the horse fairs. The Appleby horse fair's charter dates back to 1685 & it is held for a week every June.

The Appleby railway station was alighted by several people on their way to shopping in Leeds (judging by their attire) . It is a red brick building rather than a sandstone one & has a very long platform of 200 yards, from a time when it served some of the steam trains. 

   

The stations along the way are quaint with pretty offices & original lamp posts with the station name etched on them. They all look very inviting & are lovely to look at from the train window.  The original lamps, luggage racks, benches all give an authentic look to the stations as you view them from the train window while picking up passengers at these lovely platforms. Several had pretty Christmas wreaths hung on doors or posts & it is a welcoming look with the heritage colours. 

We passed Dent , which is known for ... 

At an altitude of 1,150 ft (350 m) and situated between Blea Moor Tunnel and Rise Hill Tunnel immediately to its north, Dent is the highest operational railway station on the National Rail network in England

       

As we alighted in Settle, I looked up & immediately recognised the restored water tower. It was one of those moments that I was not expecting & it was strange because I felt as if I knew the house so well from the programme.  

The water tower is the only one along the line to have been restored & saved & the programme followed the trials & tribulations to turn it in to a family space. 

The glass addition on the top was craned in & it must have commanding views over the whole town, the railways & the mountains surrounding the town of Settle.  Strange to see something so familiar yet unknown ... 

Settle is a pretty Yorkshire town with 76 listed buildings. It is small enough to wander around the sandstone buildings & take in the offerings. Being just after Christmas, many were closed but it was interesting never the less. 

We wandered the quiet, post Christmas streets to find a rather imposing building, The Folly which hosts a museum & a coffee shop. 

The Folly is a Grade1 listed building with thick walls, a massive staircase stretching up several floors & beautiful windows with generous sills.  Festive greenery & foliage created a welcoming space & we enjoyed browsing after our hot tea & scones. 

The museum in the same building provided some good background to an area we knew little of - a very good choice for refreshments. 

Settle railway station is particularly pretty with the name on the bench, some Christmas trees in the waiting room & shop & original luggage carts decorated. 

Being mindful of our return train times, we had a quick look around the shops & made our way back to the station, on the metal bridge, over the lines to a warm waiting room with a fire. The train was soon back & the return trip was just as lovely watching the beautiful landscape from the lofty train line as it crossed a tall aqueduct & made its way through several tunnels. 

               

After 90 minutes, we were back where we started in Carlisle. I love visiting new places & this was such a treat for me. I might be tempted to continue on to Leeds another time because I enjoyed it so much. 

I hope you are tempted to do things quite ordinary but that bring a lightness to your step & a sparkle to your eyes. 

Thank you for stopping by & spending time here. Each visit, comment or share is greatly appreciated, 

Dee 🚂🚞💺🗻⛰️🚞