1. Strenuous – graded B, 15 miles including Moughton Summit, Smearset Scar, Feizor, Austwick, Nappa Scar & Horton.  
2. Moderately Strenuous - graded C, 11 miles including Kirkoswald, Park End, Long Meg, Little Salkeld and Lacy Caves.
3. Moderate - graded D, 9 miles including Dent town, Flinter Gill, Green Lane, Combes House, Burton Hill and Sedbergh.
4. Easy - graded E, 7 miles including Dent town, Barth Bridge, Ellers, Abbotsholme, Birks Bridge, Dales Way and Sedbergh.
5. Easy – graded F, 6 miles including Sedbergh, Howgill Lane, Heights of Winder, High Branthwaite, Dales Way and Lock Bank.

If you wish to join any of these walks then you must travel by the first DalesRail service, departing Blackpool North at 08.36 and return on the DalesRail service that departs Carlise at 17.41. You should make your intentions known to one of the volunteer stewards on the train who will advise you of the walk leader and any arrangements that may be necessary.

For the walks that start at Dent thereis a bus link to Dent Town and Sedbergh at an additional cost of £6

As for all walks in the countryside you should wear suitable, strong footwear, warm outdoor clothing and rainwear. Stops for lunch and tea are normal but you should carry your own drinks and snacks.

Dent 

Dent is a small village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, nestling in a narrow valley on the western slopes of the Pennines within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is about four miles (6 km) south-east of Sedbergh and about eight miles (13 km) north-east of Kirkby Lonsdale. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Dent lies in a valley called Dentdale but the river is the River Dee, a tributary of the River Lune.

Both place-name and dialect evidence indicate that this area was settled by Irish-Norse invaders in the tenth century (Hedevind 1967). Geoffrey Hodgson (2008) argues that this invasion accounts for the high frequency of the Hodgson surname in the area.

Dentdale was one of the last Yorkshire Dales to be enclosed, Dent’s Enclosure Award being made in 1859.

Dent boasts its own brewery – The Dent Brewery. This  is an independent microbrewery in Cowgill, just above Dent and brews a number of ‘real’ ales. Initially brewed to be sold only in the Sun Inn, the beers proved very popular and other pubs asked to sell it and now the brewery weorks at capacity and regularly wins awards.

Dent was the original site of the Dent Folk Festival and is now the site of the Dent Music and Beer Festival at the end of June (see website: dentmusicandbeer.com  ) The first event was held in 2009 and was hailed as a great success.

Dent railway station, on the Settle Carlisle Railway, is about four miles (6 km) above the village at Denthead. Nearby, the railway goes over a splendid viaduct.

Sedbergh

Sedbergh (pronounced Sedber or even, by the locals, Sebber) is a small town in Cumbria, England. It lies about 7 miles (11 km) east of Kendal and about 10 miles (16 km) north of Kirkby Lonsdale. The town lies just within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It lies at the foot of the Howgill Fells on the north bank of the River Rawthey which joins the River Lune about 2 miles (2 km) below Sedbergh.

Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Sedbergh has a narrow main street lined with shops. From all angles, the hills rising behind the houses can be seen. Until the coming of the railway in 1861, these were remote places were reachable only by slogging over some fairly steep hills. The railway to Sedbergh was closed in 1965.

George Fox, a founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), spoke in St. Andrew’s Church (which he called a “steeple house”) and on nearby Firbank Fell during his travels in the North of England in 1652. Nearby Briggflatts Meeting House was built in 1675. It is the namesake of Basil Bunting’s lauded long poem, Briggflatts (1966). Sedbergh School is a co-educational boarding school in the town.

Sedbergh’s parish church, St Andrew’s, dates from the 12th century, though restored periodically since then. There is at least one house dating from the 14th century, and there are the remains of a motte and bailey castle believed to date from Saxon times.

Sedbergh’s main industries for many years were Sedbergh School (founded 1525), farming, and the production of woollen garments. Wool sheared from the many sheep was taken to local mills where it was turned into yarn from which people in their homes, would knit clothing, including hats and socks. The garments were then sold by local merchants to, among other places, the coal miners of the North East of England. This trade has long since disappeared. It is remembered at Farfield Mill, just outside the town, where there is an exhibition of weaving equipment, and workshops for a number of artists and crafts workers.

1. Strenuous – graded B, 12 miles including Croglin, Middle Top, Tarn Mouth Fell, Talkin Fell and Talkin Tarn.  
2. Moderate - graded D, 8 miles including Castle Carrock, Gelt Gorge & Woods, Roman Inscribed Stones, Capon Tree and Talkin Tarn.
3. Easy - graded E, 7 miles including Castle Carrock, Garth Foot, Jockey Shield, Gelt Bridge, Old Tramway and round Talkin Tarn.
4. Easy Stroll/Visit - graded G, 2 miles stroll around Brampton and a visit to Lanercost Priory.
5. Easy Stroll/Visit – graded H, 2 miles including a stroll around the mysteriuos Talkin Tarn and a visit to Lanercost Priory.
6. Moderately Strenuous – graded C, 13 miles including Dent Coal Road, Swinelea Cowm, Newby Head Gate, Gearstones Inn and God’s Bridge.

If you wish to join any of these walks then you must travel by the first DalesRail service, departing Blackpool North at 08.36 and return on the DalesRail service that departs Carlise at 17.41. You should make your intentions known to one of the volunteer stewards on the train who will advise you of the walk leader and any arrangements that may be necessary.

For the Talkin Tarn, Brampton and Lanercost walks there is a coach service provided from and returning to Langwathby station. This has limited seats and needs to be booked and there is a small charge. There is also a small charge for the visit to Lanercost Priory. 

As for all walks in the countryside you should wear suitable, strong footwear, warm outdoor clothing and rainwear. Stops for lunch and tea are normal but you should carry your own drinks and snacks.

Brampton is a small market town within the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, about 9 miles (14 km) east of Carlisle and 2 miles south of Hadrian’s Wall. It is situated off the A69 road which bypasses it. Brampton railway station, about a mile outside the town itself, is located on the Newcastle to Carlisle Railway.

St Martin’s Church is famous as the only church designed by the Pre-Raphaelite architect Philip Webb, and contains one of the most exquisite sets of stained glass windows designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, and executed in the William Morris studio.

The town was founded in the 7th century AD as an Anglian settlement. During the 1745 Jacobite Rising, the Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed in the town for one night, marked by a plaque on the wall of the building (a shoe shop) currently occupying the location; here he received the Mayor of Carlisle who had ridden to Brampton to surrender the city to the Young Pretender. The Capon Tree Monument outside the town centre was the scene of the 1746 hanging of six of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s supporters.

In 1817 the Earl of Carlisle built the octagonal Moot Hall, which is in the centre of Brampton and houses the Tourist Information Centre. It replaced a 1648 building which was once used by Oliver Cromwell to house prisoners.

Much of Brampton consists of historic buildings built of the local red sandstone.

Talkin Tarn is a glacial lake and country park in Cumbria, England. This lake was formed approximately 10,000 years ago by glacial action which formed this kettle hole lake and associated sand drumlins. Rowing and certain other water recreation are popular activities at Talkin Tarn. The rowing club, TTARC (Talkin Tarn Amateur Rowing Club) celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2009.

Lanercost Priory

A detailed history of Lanercost Priory can be found by clicking HERE.

156464 'Lancashire DalesRail' stands at Blackburn (SC)

The Clitheroe Line and East Lancashire CRPs have already been working with local councils, the National Health Service and the Rail Ramblers to encourage those on ‘Stepping Out’ and ‘Walking for Health’ programmes to move up to slightly longer guided walks and it is hoped that with a ‘wrap’ themed around ’Stepping out with DalesRail’ and a series of shorter walks off the second DalesRail service will see new regulars using the service.

As well as the specially designed wrap the partnerships are also looking at other innovative ways to get the message across and this may involve using doctor’s surgeries and health centres to promote walking as part of a healthy life style.

The Designated Line Community Rail Development Fund is supported by the Department for Transport, Network Rail and the  Association of Community Rail Partnerships.

Is now on Sunday 4^th July, 2010

Since the publication of the DalesRail programme the date of the Armathwaite Garden Festival has changed from Sunday 27^th June to Sunday 4^th July.  The DalesRail walk leaders will still take you round the 20+ gardens that will be open on the day.  Please note you will need to purchase a programme.

For full details of the timetable click HERE and to see the Carlisle City Trail click HERE.

The new gallery can be seen by clicking HERE.

DalesRail is a partnership between LCC, Northern  Rail, the Clitheroe Line Community Rail Partnership and the Rail Ramblers and continues to be a great success carrying over 4100 passengers in 2009. A great number of the passengers travel on the service to take part in the guided walks led by volunteers from the Rail Ramblers organisation.   

 

A new DalesRail season starts on Easter Sunday 4^th April.  The first train will depart from Blackpool at 0836 and travel to Armathwaite where there will be a guaranteed bus connection to / from Carlisle.

The season gets off to a good start with 7 guided walks including one of the new short walks.  Special events on the day include:

• A special bus link from Dent station to Sedbergh via Dent Town.
• The Kirkby Stephen Vintage Transport Day which will include vintage bus rides from Kirkby Stephen station to Brough.
• The first of the new short walks which takes in the restored viaducts of Podgill and Merrygill on the former Stainmore Railway (see places to visit on www.dalesrail.com for more information)
• For those with lots of energy after the long winter then try the 15 mile strenuous walk From Horton in Ribblesdale station and taking in Ingleborough.

Full details are on the website or in the new DalesRail brochure available from a station or tourist information office near you!

You can also download the 2010 brochure by clicking HERE.