The first sighting of Pen-y-ghent always takes the breath away. It is the earliest of the three Yorkshire peaks that provide such a magnificent backdrop to the journey along the Settle-Carlisle line – otherwise known as the most scenic stretch of railway track in England.
We had just entered this hallowed terrain, having traced a route through the more industrial legacy of the mill country surrounding Leeds. Now it was time to settle back and enjoy the spellbinding visions that lay ahead – the peaks, of course, but also the impressive Ribblehead Viaduct, the glories of the dales and, in the distance, the valleys and fells of the Lake District to the south.
It is 150 years since the first passenger services took to the Settle-Carlisle line, and it seemed fitting to mark the moment in style – on board The Waverley, a specially chartered train which, while not exactly harking back to 1876, does evoke an earlier age of slower, more leisurely travel.
The carriages on the train are drawn from vintage stock dating from the 1960s and 1970s, many still bearing the distinctive InterCity trademark. While this era of train travel certainly had its drawbacks, there is a welcome expansiveness and comfort to the refurbished carriages and, for those on board of a certain vintage, a comforting familiarity.
I was on the first of “The Waverley” series of journeys being run along the Settle-Carlisle line this summer by The Railway Touring Company, a specialist operator which for 30 years has honed the art of providing reasonably priced train trips for those wanting to sit back and relax, chat and clink glasses, smile and be civil, or simply to switch off (there is no WiFi on board) and tune into the moment and the majesty of the passing scenery.
The Waverley is itself a name redolent of a rich transport history. Forever associated with the works of Sir Walter Scott, the Scottish writer, it was the term given to the much-loved service linking London and Edinburgh via the Midland Main Line until the Beeching cuts of the 1960s. It is integral to the designation of the grand Edinburgh Waverley station; it is also, in the PS Waverley, found in the world’s last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer.
An appropriate name, then, for a heritage-infused excursion along the Settle-Carlisle line which starts in York and offers a number of joining points in and around Leeds and Skipton and three levels of service – Premium Dining (including full English breakfast and four-course dinner), First (with more modest refreshments including afternoon tea and scones) and Standard where passengers are free to bring their own supplies (including in one case spotted, a very nice bottle of Malbec).
For those in Premium, the view of Pen-y-ghent came at a good moment – the conclusion of a feast of fresh melon, croissants and the full cooked breakfast, including mushrooms, sausages, black pudding and grilled tomatoes.
It may have only just passed midday, but for some this signalled the moment for something stronger: gin and tonics, or flutes of fizz.
The mood was relaxed and convivial, as families – in some cases spanning three generations – and close friends embarking on a shared adventure reconnected via the old craft of conversation and reminiscence.
Before we knew it we were crossing Ribblehead Viaduct, that stellar work of Victorian engineering with 24 stone arches spanning 400m across Batty Moss. You can glimpse those curves as the train approaches (though, whisper it softly – the best views are from the approach road).
As we edged closer to Cumbria there was plenty of train talk – of trips past on the Rocky Mountaineer in Canada, to Skagway in Alaska and, closer to home, along the stretch of track skirting the coast at Dawlish in Devon. Some spoke of old characters in the Beano; others of fondly recollected childhood escapades.
And all the while we passed scenes of bucolic beauty: ancient stone walls and freshly shorn sheep, sandy-coloured hay bales and sharply defined ridges, huge grassy mounds giving way to the curves of the River Eden. This part of the country, too, showed signs of the scorching dry heat of recent weeks, and it was the risk of fire that resulted in a late change of plan – the use of a classic diesel locomotive rather than the steam one planned. This was undeniably a setback, but it was taken largely with equanimity.
For there was so much more to enjoy: the scenery, yes, but also a two-hour stop in Carlisle that offered the chance to explore the city’s cathedral and castle grounds in glorious sunshine, and a briefer pause at Appleby, just one of the quaint stations on the Settle-Carlisle line that have won countless accolades for their summoning of the spirit of an even earlier age.
The final run – back to the giddy heights of Dent, and the drama of Ribblehead – was spent in quieter contemplation, in some cases supplemented with crossword puzzles and games of cards.
As we reentered the Yorkshire Dales, we once again spied Pen-y-ghent, its distinctive contours even more sharply pronounced in the late afternoon light. It had been a day well spent – but then, the Settle-Carlisle line never disappoints.
Essentials
Adrian Bridge was a guest of The Railway Touring Company, which will be running three more outings of The Waverley – steam-hauled if permitted – on Aug 9, 23 and Sept 13, from £120 (Standard), £225 (First) and £335 (Premier Dining). It also runs The Cumbrian Mountain Express along the Settle-Carlisle route with departures from London Euston, Watford Junction, Milton Keynes, Rugby and Nuneaton on Aug 1 and Oct 3. Prices and booking details as above.
The Leeds City Centre Premier Inn, a short walk from Leeds Station, offers doubles from £63.