Asby History Group

Building the Settle-Carlisle Railway

Speaker:  Bryan Gray

Synopsis

Bryan is Chair of the Settle &Carlisle Railway Trust.
Formed in 1990, the Trust exists to help preserve, restore and maintain historic buildings and structures along the line and to promote public knowledge and appreciation of the line.

The line epitomises the enterprise and determination of the Victorian railway directors, engineers and navvies in their struggle to conquer the forces of nature across ‘the roof of England’.  Such was the lure of the lucrative traffic between England and Scotland that drove the directors, engineers and ‘navvies’ in their pursuit to capture a share in the revolution that was the railway age of 19th century Britain.

Construction began in 1869 and lasted for seven long years with about 6,000 men working on the line – the last main line railway in England constructed almost entirely by hand.  Living in shanty settlements along the route, many hundreds of the men, their wives and children died; not just from the hard physical labour but from outbreaks of smallpox and typhoid.

All welcome:
AHG members free; non-members £3, including refreshments.