27d. Newbiggin-on-Lune and the Smardale National Nature Reserve Walk along the disused railway track bed and the wonderful Smardale railway viaduct

(Stayed at the very good Tranna Hill B&B)

Walks, Notes and Scenes from Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire, the North Pennines and parts of East Cumbria

Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines Index

This is a wonderful circular wild flower nature walk, through Smardale, returning over Smardale Demesne, and includes the disused (but not by walkers) Smardale Railway Viaduct, another of those great Victorian railway engineering achievements!

A walk through Smardale Gill Nature Reserve

* *

The start of our walk along the old railway track bed from above Tranna Hill, Newbiggin-on-Lune

All the way along into Smardale there are lots of wild flowers on the old railway embankments.

*

*

*

Looking south down to Smardale Bridge, with the Howgills in the distance.

An old farm track bridge over the disused railway.

The disused Smardale Quarry limekilns

The disused Smardale limestone quarry

The shadows of the arches of Smardale railway viaduct.

The view south down Smardale from the railway viaduct - now accessible to walkers.

The full view of Smardale Railway viaduct - all 14 arches, completed in 1861 to carry the tracks over steep-sided Smardale Gill.

Passing under the Carlisle-Settle railway line

Looking north from near Smardale Village.

Smardale Hall, front and back! and round back under the Carlisle-Settle line again to head south to Smardale Demesne

Looking north from the Smardale Demesne

Looking back north down to Smardale Hall from Smardale Demesne

Sheep and dry limestone walling on the pastures of the Smardale Demesne.

Looking across Smardale to the disused limestone quarry we passed through walking north through the Smardale Gill Nature Reserve.

Distant view along Smardale Gill to the railway viaduct.

The medieval packhorse Smardale bridge note the medieval cultivation terraces (lynchets) beyond.

A barn with quite a fancy stone lined entrance near Friar's Bottom, Badger Hill, just to the east of Newbiggin-on-Lune

 Tranna Hill B&B

A nice old farmhouse, a friendly cheery host, interesting garden, views of the Howgills hills, very comfortable room and a great breakfast, what more do you want on a walking holiday! Main meals are available in Ravenstonedale!

A rather nice small garden between Tranna Hill B&B and the start of the Smardale nature reserve walk along the old railway track.

---

"Phil Brown's docspics take on Newbiggin-on-Lune and Smardale Nature Walk"

---

Notes from Wikipedia

NEWBIGGIN-ON-LUNE
Newbiggin-on-Lune is a village in the Eden district of Cumbria, England. Historically in Westmorland it is about 4 miles (6.4 km) south west of Kirkby Stephen, and lies on the main A685 route from Brough to Tebay. Nearby to the north is located the Smardale Gill Viaduct on the dismantled former South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway between Tebay and Kirkby Stephen East railway station. To the south lies the Howgill Fells including Green Bell 1,985 feet (605 metres).

SMARDALE NATURE RESERVE WALK and SMARDALE RAILWAY VIADUCT
Geography and history

The village of Smardale lies in hilly agricultural land at a height of around 220 m (720 ft) 1.1 miles (1.75 km) southeast of Crosby Garrett and 2.2 miles (3.5 km) west of Kirkby Stephen. To the south is Smardale fell whilst a boundary is formed to the west by Scandal Beck which flows from Smardalegill, a narrow valley to the southwest.

The name Smaredale may derive from smere, an ancient name for clover, or from the old Norse or old English for butter/fat/grease[3] giving either valley of butter or valley of clover.

Chapel well, a Holy well, is found west of Scandal Beck where it once stood within Smardale church. There are also other signs of ancient human activity: the archaeological remains of settlements are found on Smardale fell, and around Smardalegill, pillow mounds, known locally as 'Giant's graves' which are thought by some to be for drying bracken, and not for rabbits. Oxenbrow wood, to the north of Smardale village is the site of a Heronry.
Smardale Hall

There has been a substantial dwelling in Smardale since at least the 14th century; a tower house, a remnant of which, a newel, now forms part of the structure of the south eastern part of the current house.

The current buildings date from 15th and 16th centuries; being originally built on a courtyard plan with the tower incorporated into an east wing, now demolished. The southern part of the hall (now farm buildings) was the original great hall. Sir George Dalston, the castles occupant from 1761 made considerable alterations to the structure. The west wing, which is the current hall is unusual in having four conically roofed round towers at the corners of the structure, giving the structure an appearance similar to the Scottish baronial style of architecture.

The hall and associated buildings are Grade II* listed structures (since 1968). There is evidence for an earlier fortified structure from a motte and ditch discovered north of the hall.

Smardale Gill

Smardalegill is a small steep-sided valley connecting Smardale and the valley of the River Eden with the eastern end of the valley of the River Lune. Scandal Beck runs north-northeast through it, as does the former Stainmore Railway.

Smardale Gill quarry was a large limestone quarry on the west side of Smardale Gill. Lime was produced on site at two limekilns with raw materials brought to the top of the kilns using an inclined plane and a stationary engine. A railway siding on the Stainmore line next to the kilns allowed lime to be carried away by rail. The limekilns and evidence of the engine house and inclined plane are extant.

Smardale Gill nature reserve is a national nature reserve (NNR) and Site of Special Scientific Interest managed by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Land in Smardale Gill was first acquired in 1978. Later in 1991 the reserve acquired the trackbed of the former Stainmore railway from Smardale to Brownber from British Rail. The site contains both woodland and grassland habitats and is a good example of a limestone habitat.

At the south end of the valley on the border with Ravenstonedale civil parish is the 18th-century arched stone packhorse bridge known as Smardale bridge, now a Grade II listed structure.

There is a small disused sandstone quarry at the south of the gill.
Railways

Two railway lines ran through Smardale and past the village. The Stainmore Railway passed Smardale on the northern edge of the village, where there was a small halt, Smardale railway station (now a private dwelling). Going westwards it then crossed under the Settle to Carlisle railway line just east of Scandal Beck before curving south through Smardalegill along the east bank. Within Smardalegill the line crosses the beck at a shallow angle by Smardalegill Viaduct. The Settle to Carlisle railway line passes Smardale village to the south, travelling east–west; to the west the line crosses Scandal Beck by Smardale Viaduct.
Smardale Gill Viaduct's has a restored upper deck for use by walkers

Smardale Gill Viaduct predates Smardale Viaduct, being complete in 1861. The viaduct was designed by Sir Thomas Bouch for the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway and the construction contracted to Mr Wrigg, costing £11,928 to build. The bridge, which was built of local stone has 14 arches, and is 90 ft (27 m) high and 550 ft (170 m) long. The line across it remained single tracked despite the structure being wide enough for a double line.

After the line closed in 1962 the viaduct fell into disrepair, by the 1980s the structure had become dangerous and was to be demolished. Instead the viaduct became a listed building, and British Rail offered £230,000 (the estimated cost of demolition) towards its restoration. A charitable trust, the Northern Viaduct Trust was formed in 1989. The cost of repairs was £350,000 which included masonry repair, a new deck and waterproofing, and structural work to the viaduct. In 1992 the restoration was complete, the viaduct being subsequently used for pedestrian access to Smardale Gill nature reserve.[20][23]

In 2010 after a harsh winter it was found that the viaduct had frost damage and required a further £30,000 of repairs.

Smardale Viaduct was built by the contractors Benton & Woodiwiss for the Settle to Carlisle Line of the Midland Railway. The viaduct is 710 ft (220 m) long and 130 ft (40 m) high, the highest on the line. Over 60,000 long tons (61,000 t) of stone was used in its construction. Local limestone was used for its construction, the arch quoins were of millstone grit. Two of the twelve piers – the fourth and the tenth are of considerably heavier construction. The bridge opened in August 1875 having taken five years to construct, it crosses both Scandal Beck and the former Stainmore railway line.
 

Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines Index

Northern England docspics images photos © Phil Brown Tourist information, Walks, Holidays in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire England, Top tourist attractions, luxury hotels, self-catering holiday cottages, B&B, friendly pubs, eating out in fine restaurants, walking holidays, touring coach tours, pretty villages, historic towns, museums, local art galleries, guided walks, excellent fell hill walking in limestone country, good locally sourced food docspics images photos of Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England © Phil Brown Tourist information on Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, Walks near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, Having holidays near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, England, Top tourist attractions near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, luxury hotels near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, self-catering holiday cottages near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, airbnb air B and B near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, quality B&B near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, friendly pubs near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, cafes near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, eating out in fine restaurants near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, weekend breaks near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, wining & dining weekends near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, walking holidays around Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, touring coach tours including Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, pretty villages near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, historic towns and pretty village near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, museums near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, local art galleries near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, guided walks from Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, excellent fell hill walking around Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, rambling near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, exploring the landscape near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, good places to eat near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, tourist attractions near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, tourist information for places near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, good places for wining and dining near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, good walks near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, properties for sale near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, renting a flat or house near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, property for rent near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, houses for sale near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, lettings near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, places to rent near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England, holiday cottage accommodation near Smardale Common Village, Cumbria, England docspics images photos of Smardale Nature Reserve © Phil Brown Tourist information on Smardale Nature Reserve, Walks near Smardale Nature Reserve, Having holidays near Smardale Nature Reserve, England, Top tourist attractions near Smardale Nature Reserve, luxury hotels near Smardale Nature Reserve, self-catering holiday cottages near Smardale Nature Reserve, airbnb air B and B near Smardale Nature Reserve, quality B&B near Smardale Nature Reserve, friendly pubs near Smardale Nature Reserve, cafes near Smardale Nature Reserve, eating out in fine restaurants near Smardale Nature Reserve, weekend breaks near Smardale Nature Reserve, wining & dining weekends near Smardale Nature Reserve, walking holidays around Smardale Nature Reserve, touring coach tours including Smardale Nature Reserve, pretty villages near Smardale Nature Reserve, historic towns and pretty village near Smardale Nature Reserve, museums near Smardale Nature Reserve, local art galleries near Smardale Nature Reserve, guided walks from Smardale Nature Reserve, excellent fell hill walking around Smardale Nature Reserve, rambling near Smardale Nature Reserve, exploring the landscape near Smardale Nature Reserve, good places to eat near Smardale Nature Reserve, tourist attractions near Smardale Nature Reserve, tourist information for places near Smardale Nature Reserve, good places for wining and dining near Smardale Nature Reserve, good walks near Smardale Nature Reserve, properties for sale near Smardale Nature Reserve, renting a flat or house near Smardale Nature Reserve, property for rent near Smardale Nature Reserve, houses for sale near Smardale Nature Reserve, lettings near Smardale Nature Reserve, places to rent near Smardale Nature Reserve, holiday cottage accommodation near Smardale Nature Reserve docspics images photos of Newbiggin-on-Lune northern England © Phil Brown Tourist information on Newbiggin-on-Lune, Things to do in Newbiggin-on-Lune, What to see in Newbiggin-on-Lune, guided walks in Newbiggin-on-Lune, weekend breaks in Newbiggin-on-Lune holidays in Newbiggin-on-Lune, Top tourist attractions in Newbiggin-on-Lune, luxury hotels in Newbiggin-on-Lune, self-catering holiday cottages in Newbiggin-on-Lune, airbnb air B and B in Newbiggin-on-Lune, B&B in Newbiggin-on-Lune, friendly pubs in Newbiggin-on-Lune, cafes in Newbiggin-on-Lune, eating out in fine restaurants in Newbiggin-on-Lune, bargain holiday breaks in Newbiggin-on-Lune, wining & dining weekends in Newbiggin-on-Lune, touring coach tours visiting Newbiggin-on-Lune, pretty areas in Newbiggin-on-Lune, historic buildings in Newbiggin-on-Lune, visiting museums in Newbiggin-on-Lune, local art galleries in Newbiggin-on-Lune, guided walks in Newbiggin-on-Lune, history of Newbiggin-on-Lune, architecture of Newbiggin-on-Lune, trains to Newbiggin-on-Lune, historic houses in Newbiggin-on-Lune, historic churches in Newbiggin-on-Lune, information centre in Newbiggin-on-Lune, heritage places in Newbiggin-on-Lune, good places to eat in Newbiggin-on-Lune, top tourist attractions in Newbiggin-on-Lune, tourist information for things to do and see in Newbiggin-on-Lune, good places to eat out in Newbiggin-on-Lune, good places to walk to in Newbiggin-on-Lune, tourist attractions properties for sale in Newbiggin-on-Lune, renting a flat of house in Newbiggin-on-Lune, property for rent in Newbiggin-on-Lune, houses for sale in Newbiggin-on-Lune, lettings in Newbiggin-on-Lune, places to rent in Newbiggin-on-Lune, holiday cottage accommodation in Newbiggin-on-Lune