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E X P L O R I N G T H E E D E N V I A D U C T S THE NORTHERN VIADUCT TRUST A LOST SPECTACLE Walking along the railway line you can explore the Poetry Path One of ’s most spectacular railways where twelve large stones are inscribed with poems describing used to carry coals from Newcastle to the each month of a hill farmer’s year. There are viewpoints along the ironworks near Barrow in Furness. Reaching walk, and the two Platelayers’ huts provide shelter and information. 1370 feet amid the bleak moors of Stainmore, As the line rises between embankments rich in wild flowers the views widen, and at Podgill Viaduct you cross a deep ravine on the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway eleven arches. Standing on this Viaduct and facing west, you look was the second highest line in the country. across the Eden Valley to the Lakeland Fells, while on the other Descending to , and onwards to side local fells, all within the North Area of Outstanding Tebay, it passed through magnificent scenery, Natural Beauty, rise to the skyline boundary of the Yorkshire crossing deep ravines on a series of spectacular Dales National Park. Steps beside the line take you down to a viaducts. viewing site and wooded picnic area, deep in Podgill and below NNOO ACCESS The engineer for this dramatic work, which the arches of the viaduct. From here you can see how Car Park the viaduct, originally built to carry a single line, was opened in 1861, was Sir Thomas Bouch. He alk was a Cumbrian, born in 1822 at Thursby, near widened in 1889. Passing along the Coast Wto Coast line below a farm that hides the scanty remains This path closed . In 1877 he designed the first bridge by landslip of Hartley Castle, you come to Merrygill Viaduct across the Firth of Tay, near Dundee, for which with its nine arches, and so to Hartley village. he was knighted. Two years later it collapsed in a storm as a train was crossing, with the loss of As you descend, take the signposted 75 lives. A broken man, Bouch died the footpath on the left, so avoiding a steep and following year. dangerous stretch of metalled road. From At its peak in the 1880s the Stainmore Railway Hartley you can walk back to Kirkby Stephen on (as it was generally called) carried a million a public footpath across the fields, along part of the tons of coal a year. But traffic Coast-to-Coast footpath. dwindled and in 1962 the line closed, apart from a short section serving Hartley limestone quarry. This link closed in 1975. Today you can walk two sections of the line, and visit three of the finest Victorian railway viaducts in England. Wheelchair access This leaflet tells about the for entire Path walks and about the Northern Viaduct Trust which owns the three Footpath to monuments. If you are Ewebank Scar fascinated by railway POINTS OF INTEREST heritage you will also find a lot to interest you at • Circular walk from Kirkby Stephen with access for Kirkby Stephen East Station, wheel chairs, cyclists and horses base of the Stainmore • The line forms part of the Poetry Path – 12 stones Railway Company today. Kirkby Stephen East inscribed with verses describing the hill farmers year www.kirkbystepheneast.co.uk. Stainmore Railway Co • Extensive views (especially at Podgill) of the Eden Valley and the Area of Outstanding Railway Stainmore Natural Beauty, with glimpses of the Yorkshire Dales THE HARTLEY GILLS Car • Railway huts provide shelter and information on The Kirkby Stephen ‘Viaduct Walk’ runs from Park railway and quarrying history Stenkrith Park to Hartley. There are small car parks at both ends and the trackbetween is • Viewing and picnic area at Podgill suitable for wheel chairs. It can also be made • Regular sightings of free-flying Macaw parrots belonging to part of a circular walk from the town. the John Strutt Centre for Parrot Conservation • Embankments full of wild flowers in spring/summer Stenkrith Park and car park are near the • Information: various interpretation signs plus Millennium Bridge, built in 2002. Here, the “Exploring the Eden Viaducts” - brochure and walks guide River Eden (a designated SSSI) thunders available on www.nvt.org.uk, or Upper Eden Visitor Centre through a narrow cleft in the limestone rock. or find ‘Northern Viaduct Trust’ on Facebook NVT Leafletv8_Layout 1 23/09/2015 15:11 Page 1

SMARDALE GILL AND VIADUCT LOCATION EXPLORING THE EDEN The third great Eden Viaduct, also owned by Northern Viaduct Trust, is at Smardale Gill about VIADUCTS three miles (5km) west of Kirkby Stephen. Here the to Brough & A66 disused railway crosses a deep valley on a curving 90-ft high viaduct with 14 arches. There are N spectacular views from the top, while it is a magnificent sight from the footpath (signposted) that to runs from its east end across a steep slope (to be Hartley SmardaleSmardale negotiated with care). The drama is increased because y England’s other great heritage route, the Settle-Carlisle l kb Merrygill Kir ine, crosses the disused track and valley on an even taller Stephen Podgill viaduct about a mile to the east. Smardale Nateby Smardale Gill is a beautiful, unspoiled ravine with Newbiggin on Fell ancient woodlands, limestone grasslands, wild flowers Lune A685 and butterflies. It is a National Nature Reserve T & M6 ebay A683 owned by Wildlife Trust who also own the disused railway on either side of the viaduct. Visitors Former Trackbed are asked to walk quietly, stay on the track or marked Footpath Private paths and take both litter and dog waste away You can walk to the viaduct from Newbiggin on Lune from the west or from the hamlet of Smardale from GRATEFUL THANKS the east. Whichever route you use, please park cars The NVT would like to express its grateful thanks to all the following considerately. Numerous public footpaths allow a organisations for their support over the years: variety of circular walks in this area. Awards for All; BTCV; Countryside Agency (Natural England); Cumbria County Council; C WMET; Defra; East Cumbria Countryside Project; Council; English THE NORTHERN VIADUCT TRUST Heritage (Historic England); European Community Regional Development Fund; Evans All three viaducts are listed and are in the care Trust; Friends of the ; Lake District National Park Authority; Manifold Trust; of the Northern Viaduct Trust, a registered Rail Property Ltd; Railway Heritage Trust; Railway Ramblers; CEMEX; Stainmore Railway charity and company limited by guarantee. Company; Upper Eden Rotary Club. Photographs by Peter W Robinson and Frank Jackson The Trust depends entirely on grants and donations for the long-term maintenance of Donations these magnificent structures. “The Northern Viaduct Trust” is a small self-funded charity and appreciates any donation, small or large. We are grateful for donations, whether as cash for parking or on-line at: http://mydonate.bt.com/charities/northernviaducttrust For further information visit our website or contact The Upper Eden Visitor Centre Please forward any postal donations to Northern Viaduct Trust c/o Registered Office in Kirkby Stephen 12 The Office, Mardale Road, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 9EH Tel: 017683-71199 Please include your name, address and email, stating whether or not you are a UK tax payer for Gift Aid or receipt purposes 0 1 7 6 8 3 - 2 www.nvt.org.uk or search for To sign up to our newsletter please email: [email protected] ‘Northern Viaduct Trust’ on Facebook i n t g P r

email: [email protected] The Northern Viaduct Trust has won a number of awards: u s 1992 National Railway Heritage Award (for Smardale Gill C e r b

Viaduct restoration) y 2002 Cumberland News Countryside Environment Project b

Award (for Stenkrith Millennium Footbridge) i n t e d

The Northern Viaduct Trust Ltd. is a company limited by 2005 Eden District Council Design Landscape Award (for P r guarantee. Stenkrith Millennium Footbridge) a n d Registered in England No. 2351482 2006 National Railway Heritage Award (Virgin Trains Registered Charity No. 702573 Registered Office: Volunteers Award for restoring Podgill and Merrygill

12 The Office, Mardale Road, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 9EH Viaducts and railway path) D e s i g n d