Scenic rail routes in England

What makes a train route scenic? Presumably it is one where the view from the window is more interesting than one’s book, crossword or fellow passengers! England, as distinct from other parts of the United Kingdom, has many rail routes than qualify in these terms, although the habit of railways to disappear into tunnels and cuttings can make life frustrating at times.

Settle to Carlisle

Probably the most scenic route, in terms of the proportion of the journey that has the “wow” factor, is the Settle to Carlisle line in the north of England. The line is 72 miles long, proceeding through the spectacular scenery of the Yorkshire Dales and the Cumbria Fells, which comprise part of the Pennine Range, the “backbone” of northern England. This line has been threatened with closure several times in its history, but its future now seems assured, especially as its tourism potential has been recognised in recent years, and steam locomotives are sometimes used to haul “specials”.

One of the most spectacular features of the Settle-Carlisle line is the Ribblehead Viaduct (see photo), which has 24 arches, carrying the line for 440 yards, 105 feet up. The view from the train is magnificent, as it is for mile after mile as the line climbs and descends through some of England’s wildest landscapes.

Other northern lines

There are many other stretches of line that offer splendid views of the hillier parts of England. Among these one could mention the lines between Manchester and Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield, and Newcastle and Carlisle.

The West Coast main line reaches its highest point at Shap Summit, 914 feet above sea level. This stretch of line, between Carnforth and Penrith, crosses the spur of high land that connects the Pennines to the Lake District, and the views from the train are as scenic as might be imagined.

However, a railway line does not need to run across moors and between mountains to be scenic. Some of the best views in England are of the sea, from lines that run close to the coast. One of these is also in the Lake District, running along the shore from Barrow to Maryport, before turning inland towards Carlisle.

Southern scenes

In the south of England, the most dramatic coastal route must be that along the south Devon coast, especially at Dawlish where the tracks run right along the shore with the sea on one side and cliffs on the other. The line sometimes has to close in bad weather when the waves break over the tracks, and the line had to be rebuilt in 2014 after it was washed away by a severe storm.

A favourite seaside route of mine, however, is the stretch of line close to where I grew up at Poole, in Dorset. As the train descends from Bournemouth it passes through Parkstone station and suddenly emerges on to a causeway that swings round with Poole Harbour on one side and the town of Poole, with its park and boating lake, on the other. All trains stop at Poole, so as the train slows there is time to admire the view across to Brownsea Island and the Purbeck Hills beyond.

After leaving Poole, the line cuts across Holes Bay, an inlet of the harbour, providing more views across water (or mud, if the tide is out!) and, again, the Purbeck Hills.

Preserved lines

Many of the most scenic routes are to be found on lines that have been preserved after closure, having been re-opened by private organizations, often so that they can be operated by steam traction. These are often routes that went to nowhere important, so they were not commercially successful, and have only become so as tourist attractions, using their scenic advantages as a main selling point.

There are many notable railways of this kind in England, amongst which one could cite the Severn Valley Railway in Shropshire, the North York Moors Railway, the Bluebell Line in Sussex, the Watercress Line in Hampshire, and the Swanage Railway in Dorset.

Mention should also be made of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway running between Kent and Sussex. This is a narrow-gauge railway, 13.5 miles long, that uses scaled-down steam locomotives to haul passengers across Romney Marsh to the desolate shingle bank of Dungeness, with its lighthouse. This is a scenic English railway if ever there was one!

The Victorians built railways to virtually every corner of England, although the routes still operated are far fewer than in the heyday of rail. However, many of the old routes are still accessible, having been converted into footpaths and cycle routes. They are no less scenic for not being traversed by trains.

© John Welford