Anna Rubingh - Settle-Carlisle Railway

Photography & Text: © Anna Rubingh

SC 01 | Settle

SC 02 | Settle railway station

SC 03 | Settle

Travelling by train is a fantastic way to discover a country. You'll really get into a country and its ways. You can sit down and relax, admire the landscape and have a chat with locals or other travellers. When I travel alone I really like to travel by train because that is a very good way to really be part of a country or area. This train journey, travelling along the Settle-Carlisle Railway, is is a fantastic combination of an ordinary English train on a historic railway line through a more than extraordinary landscape.

The historic Settle-Carlisle Railway in the North of England is probably one of the most scenic English railway journeys, passing through the remote and dramatic Yorkshire Dales National Park. Starting off in the old North Yorkshire market town Settle the 73 miles long journey takes you through breathtaking landscapes to the Northern English town Carlisle near the English Scottish border. The line was build in Victorian times, connecting remote Northern English countryside with towns all over England. The historic, hand build line, opened in 1875. It has 14 tunnels and 20 viaducts of which Ribblehead Viaduct, surounded by rough scenic Yorkshire Dales landscape, is the most famous. The impressive viaduct is 400 metres long and has 24 arches.

Some of the old stations on the line , all built in the same style, are very remote, most of them have breathtaking views that don't even require you to leave the platforms of the various stations. There are fantastic walks, long and short through the Yorkshire Dales from many of the Settle-Carlisle train stations.

Several trains run along the rail line daily, making it easy to take this line and get on and off the train to enjoy the breathtaking landscapes.

SC 04 | Settle

SC 05 | Settle

SC 06 | Settle

SC 07 | Settle, river Ribble

SC 08 | Settle

SC 09 | Settle

SC 10 | Settle

SC 11 | Settle

SC 12 | Settle, Ribble way footpath

SC 13

SC 14 | Settle | river Ribble

SC 15 | Settle

SC 16 | Ribbleway footpath

SC 17 | Settle

SC 18 | River Ribble

SC 19 | Settle

SC 20 | Settle railway station

SC 21 | Settle railway station

SC 22 | On the train

SC 23 | On the train

SC 24 | On the train

SC 25 | Yorkshire Dales, Ribblehead

SC 26 | Yorkshire Dales, Ribblehead

SC 27 | Yorkshire Dales, Ribblehead

SC 28 | Yorkshire Dales, Ribblehead

SC 29 | Yorkshire Dales, Ribblehead

SC 30 | Ribblehead Viaduct

SC 31 | Yorkshire Dales, Ribblehead

SC 32 | Ribblehead Viaduct

SC 33 | Ribblehead Viaduct

SC 34 | Yorkshire Dales

SC 35 | Yorkshire Dales

SC 36 | Yorkshire Dales

SC 37 | Yorkshire Dales

SC 38 | Yorkshire Dales

SC 39 | Ribblehead Viaduct

SC 40 | Dent station

SC 41 | Dent | Yorkshire Dales

SC 42

SC 43 | Ribblehead station

SC 44 | Yorkshire Dales

SC 45 | Garsdale, Yorkshire Dale

SC 46 | Yorkshire Dales, Dent

SC 47

SC 48 | Garsdale

SC 49 | Yorkshire Dales

SC 50 | Dent station

SC 51 | On the train

SC 52 | On the train

SC 53 | On the train

SC 54 | Appleby Railway Station

SC 55

SC 56

SC 57 | Appleby Railway Station

If you happen to be travelling on the Settle-Carlisle Railway in the first week of June, you might want to catch a glimpse of the Appleby Horse Fair. Appleby is one of the stations along the Settle-Carlisle Railway and normally a pretty sleepy old Cumbrian town, but the first week of June, Appleby turns into a busy fair town with gypsies and travellers from all over the UK and Ireland gathering there, as they have done for hundreds of years. Meeting up with friends and family, showing of their gypsy horses and washing them in the River Eden which runs through Appleby town centre. It's something special to see and experience if you happen to be in the area that time of year.

A special photography series about the annual Appleby Horse Fair can be found here: GYPSY GOLD

SC 58 | River Eden, Appleby

SC 59 | Appleby Horse Fair

SC 60 | Appleby Horse Fair

SC 61 | Appleby Horse Fair

SC 62 | Appleby Horse Fair

SC 63 | Appleby Horse Fair

SC 64 | Appleby Horse Fair

SC 65 | Appleby Horse Fair

SC 66 | On the train

SC 67 | On the train

SC 68 | On the train

Carlisle is the last stop on the Settle-Carlisle Railway. It's a beautiful 2000 year old town on the English-Scottish border and the biggest town in the county of Cumbria. Cumbria is mostly rural and most famous for the Lake District National Park, which is considered one of England's finest areas of natural beauty.

Carlisle is a friendly, pretty town with a beautiful compact historic centre with a big old cathedral surrounded by medieval buildings and an old city wall. There are many beautiful green spots in this area with pretty English gardens. Most of the city centre is largely pedestrianised and around the market square area you will find shops, pubs and restaurants.

After your stop in Carlisle you can easily travel by train to Scotland or continue your journey to the Lake District, which can also pretty easily be reached by train from Carlisle.

A photography series about the Lake District can be found here: The LAKE DISTRICT