Introduction
The proposed Upper Wensleydale Railway follows the alignment of (and re-uses the trackbed of) the former Hawes Branch. This six-mile long rural branch line was constructed by the Midland Railway Company in the 1870s to connect the market town of Hawes with the Company’s newly built Settle and Carlisle Railway at Garsdale Head. It was single-track throughout, except for passing loops at Garsdale and Hawes. The simplified map below shows the route and the relative location of the ‘highlight’ structures.
As indicated on the simplified map above, the ‘highlights’ of the route are:
Reinstating these to operational standards will undoubtedly require a great deal of time, effort and money. Other less glamorous (but still vital) structures will also need attention. These include:
- 39 officially numbered bridges (including two viaducts and one short tunnel – see detailed map below),
- at least 19 unnumbered culverts,
- almost 6 miles of the trackside drainage,
- almost 6 miles of cuttings & embankments and
- almost 12 miles of lineside fencing / walling.
Tip: To view the full-size version of this map (approx 1Mb), click /tap on the reduced-size version above.
The first step for the feasibility study is to create a comprehensive schedule covering all of these structures (some of which are illustrated in the image gallery below).
Please note that there is no public access to the trackbed or most of the stuctures. However, some parts of the route are visible from adjacent roads and public footpaths and the photographs below were all taken from public rights of way. For more on this, see:
“Viewing parts of the route from public footpaths“.
Image Gallery
Tip: To view the full-size versions of these images individually, click / tap on an image.
