My wife and I plan to spend a day traveling from Carlisle to York by train in May. We thought we would buy a Ranger or Rover train ticket in Carlisle and explore the Carlisle to Settle portion. We plan to get off at Ribblehead for lunch. We would like to walk to the Ribblehead Viaduct but I don’t think there is luggage storage anywhere in the Ribblehead stop.
Any suggestion on logistics, other stops along the way, etc.
Thanks for any feed back.
If you're having lunch at Ribblehead you must be eating at the Station Inn.
Last autumn another member of this forum did more or less the same thing, and arranged with the Station Inn to leave their bags at the Inn, on the promise of lunching there.
Kind of an unofficial arrangement. As it was they didn't get too much of a walk in as the weather was fowl. I was escorting them and wow, it was a dreich sort of a day. Not what we had hoped for. I wrecked a pair of shoes that day!! But they got their pics of a steam excursion on the Viaduct and of Ruswarp the dog at Garsdale while we got the guard to hold the train momentarily. And generally saw the Dales in the majesty of a poor day when every waterfall was in over drive.
Your best value fare is an off peak day single to Leeds at £37.10 and an Off Peak Day Single Leeds to York.
As long as you don't back track you can break your journey as often as you like on an Off Peak Day Single. So you could do 0824 Carlisle to Appleby arrive 0906, Appleby depart 1140 Ribblehead arrive 1222, Ribbblehead depart 1453, Settle arr 1506, Settle dep 1630 Leeds arr 1738 then frequent trains to York.
I will throw in..
The people who run the cafe at the station, I would be very surprised if they would'nt let you leave bags.
There's a lot of community involvement on the Settle and Carlisle.
The Station Inn is much improved from a couple of years back and I will plug the Old Hill Inn as its an absolute favourite with outststanding food.
If you can time your day to be on one of these tours you may find it useful- https://www.foscl.org.uk/content/ribblehead-tours
The web page is a bit short on detail but the Navvy Walk and Theatre goes past Ingleborough nature reserve Gauber High Pasture and past an old Norse [Viking] settlement and Great Douk Cave to St Leonard's Church, Chapel-le-Dale where many of the navvies are buried (for the open air theatre show).
Last year's leaflet for these walks had a wonderfully detailed map of the shanty towns at Ribblehead on the back page. Hopefully the leaflets or maps will be at [Ribblehead Station Visitor Centre][1]- I've not yet found a printed copy this year and it has vanished off the FoSCL website.
Do patronise the catering trolley between Appleby and Settle as profits from that directly support the line, and the trolley also supports local producers.
At Horton in Ribblesdale (an alternative stop to Settle) a lot of work is happening at the station. The building is being converted into a holiday let and a cafe/bar, a foot bridge (and elevator/lift) is being installed and the whole place being given a good makeover- all due to a new siding being installed for a re-opened quarry. There would also be time enough to go down to the village and see the St Oswald's Church . All that is underway- won't be finished for May, but hopefully open during the summer. Horton is one of the main starting points for the Three Peaks Walk, and at weekends can get pretty busy.
If you go to Settle try to time it for when the town's Folly Museum is open, and look into the Victoria Hall if you can- a lovely former Music Hall. Also the scene of so many of the meetings when the line was threatened with closure.
As has happened at other stages on the line Horton station will be totally rejuvenated while retaining all it's historical features. So it will join Kirkby Stephen West and Dent as stations you can stay at on the line.
The only steam train I can see over the line in May is on Saturday 25 May when the Northern Belle Pullman luxury train is visiting on a Darlington to Carnforth to Carlisle service (timings to be advised). The Midland Pullman (diesel) is also running that day on an Ayr to Blackpool charter.
On Saturday 11 May the Midland Pullman also comes north on a St Albans to Carlisle service.
Crikey ,not that I have visted ever pub int Dales.
The Bridge Inn, if miraculously still open, was a mighty unpleasant spot.
The other pub near the church is sorta passable,but Horton feels the most "industrial " place in the Dales a bit lacking in charm.
Thats excellent info above,Appleby and Ribblehead as stop offs.
I picked up the new Ribblehead leaflet this morning. Last years plan is no longer in it, but it has been replaced with a new map showing where all the navvy settlements were between Dent Head and south of Ribblehead towards Horton.
Also the locations of the tunnel shafts for the Blea Moor Tunnel. I picked my copy up at Carlisle station.
