The LNER Encyclopedia

Walked the Auckland Way with a pal last week - terrific! Co. Durham has a very good site advertising their railway walks. (We're going to do part of the old Durham to Bishop Auckland route next). I've tried to find a similar compilation for North Yorkshire, so far without luck. I realise that Durham has much more potential for this but if anyone can point me to a list of North Yorks. walks, I'd really appreciate it.
Cheers

The NER line that ran East - West, Filey - Pickering - Helmsley, and had a junction at Sinington with the Lastingham and Rosedale light, might make a good walk. We have relatives at Cropton, and I have looked at one or two sections with convenient access from the parallel A170, but no idea if a continuous walk is possible. But it's beautiful countryside, the small towns and villages are typically attractive with a good pub or three, fine way to take some outdoor relaxation.

Hatfield Shed wrote: ↑Wed Jan 30, 2019 6:15 pm The NER line that ran East - West, Filey - Pickering - Helmsley, and had a junction at Sinington with the Lastingham and Rosedale light, might make a good walk. We have relatives at Cropton, and I have looked at one or two sections with convenient access from the parallel A170, but no idea if a continuous walk is possible. But it's beautiful countryside, the small towns and villages are typically attractive with a good pub or three, fine way to take some outdoor relaxation.

Little of that branch line is walkable. Mostly private land now and quite a lot lost to road improvements and long stretches ploughed back into fields.
The entire Rosedale Mineral Railway is a footpath. You can walk from Battersby station and up the incline to Blakey where the line split to cover mines and works either side of the valley. Good food and beer at the Lion Inn, Blakey or down in Rosedale Abbey village.

Whitby to Scarborough also all walkable and very pleasant.

Not sure about anywhere that summarises specifically railway walks in North Yorkshire.

It’s possible to walk from Harrogate northwards, across the Nidd Valley viapduct and onto the Pateley Bridge branch. The walk that I’ve done finishes just south of Ripley. Not sure if it is possible to go further along the branch towards Pateley Bridge though.

Jon

JonBates wrote: ↑Wed Jan 30, 2019 11:39 pm Not sure about anywhere that summarises specifically railway walks in North Yorkshire.

It’s possible to walk from Harrogate northwards, across the Nidd Valley viapduct and onto the Pateley Bridge branch. The walk that I’ve done finishes just south of Ripley. Not sure if it is possible to go further along the branch towards Pateley Bridge though.

Jon

In my younger days (ie still at school), I explored Ripley to Bilton, Hampthwaite to Ripley (just before a lot of it was ploughed back into fields) and Hampthwaite to Birstwith (turning back where the formation is built on).
I grew up on the other side of the valley and when very small was taken for walks down the lane and cart track to Killinghall in my push chair where I would watch the demolition trains on the branch. Of this I have no recollection and my mother didn't impart this information until a few years ago, enabling me to at last understand why I was railway obsessed from my earliest memory, when I can only ever remember blue DMUs an occasional Deltic and a green 31 on my infrequent visits to Harrogate.

Back when I used to explore there was a wooden signal post between Ripley and the junction with the main line, which I assume once carried a fixed distant signal. There was a section of embankment near here that had been removed without planning permission around here, which actually got put back some years later, I'm not sure if the cycleway is on this bit or not. It was quite near the road to Knaresborough and there was a public footpath crossing the formation at this point with kissing gates in quite good order.

Sawdust.

There is an interesting walk on the old ECML from near Chaloners Whin Junction towards Selby,
known as the solar walk, which passes the planets of the solar system along the way. Amazing as the walk starts near the centre
of the known universe.

Dave wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 10:23 am Amazing as the walk starts near the centre of the known universe.

Does it start as far South as Sandy ?

No, Guisborough....

Wavey wrote: ↑Wed Jan 30, 2019 7:22 pm

Hatfield Shed wrote: ↑Wed Jan 30, 2019 6:15 pm The NER line that ran East - West, Filey - Pickering - Helmsley, and had a junction at Sinington with the Lastingham and Rosedale light, might make a good walk...

Little of that branch line is walkable. Mostly private land now and quite a lot lost to road improvements and long stretches ploughed back into fields...

Thanks for that information. There was a stretch of the A170 - cannot remember if it was East or West of Kirkbymoorside - which looked suspiciously like it was on the former railway route.

Thanks for all the input, folks. I live in Richmond so was hoping for one or two possibilities nearer home but some of your ideas are worth exploring.
Cheers.

Dave S wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 10:46 am

Dave wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 10:23 am Amazing as the walk starts near the centre of the known universe.

Does it start as far South as Sandy ?

Despite other suggestions surely the COTKU must be at/in/near Durham?
(And not the one in North Carolina.)

More seriously, the Durham Railway Paths are a magnificent resource. I live next to the Durham-Bishop Auckland route, and spend a lot of time walking and cycling. There are several posts in this forum regarding some of the railway features still to be seen. These range from pitfall posts on the Deerness Valley and Derwent Valley routes, to stone sleeper blocks and SDR boundary markers up on the high moors between Waskerly and Parkhead.

Only this autumn did I realise that one can see Croxdale Viaduct on the ECML from the Durham-Bishop line just south of Brancepeth.

Three NER Station buildings survive on the Lanchester Valley line, and sundry overbridges are very helpful for modelling purposes.

The North Eastern Railway Association publish line diagrams for several of these routes, which can add to the interest of exploration, as can the facility provided by the National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by ... ht=BingHyb

There are also a number of pleasant cafes and other refreshment facilities on or near the lines. Recommendations by request!

Sorry don't know of a list of North Yorkshire walks anywhere but the old Rosedale lines are a must visit. Beautiful moorland scenery and so much industrial archaeology kicking about. I know it's county Durham but if you're interested in railway walks you can download some walk guides for the Stockton and Darlington Railway routes here: https://www.sdr1825.org.uk/walk-booklets/

Thank you, JonR. That looks very interesting.
Cheers.

Not North Yorkshire but another plug for Durham - i've recently spent a fair amount of time walking the Stanhope & Tyne route, mostly the moorland section around Waskerley and along towards the site of the Weatherhill incline, and it's absolutely incredible - the Stockton & Darlington boundary markers and other visible signs and buildings of the railway. So much so it's inspired me to write on the line which is likely going to be my next book and is progressing at a fair rate of knots - usually driven by bad weather which puts me off walking up on the line!