Ravenglass to Boot
Apr. 12th, 2024 05:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shewhomustWhen I was putting together this trip, my starting point was something I had seen about the Roman fortifications along the Cumbrian coast, which could be considered a continuation of Hadrian's Wall. It seemed ridiculous that we had spent so much time, one way and another, on Hadrian's Wall, but knew nothing about this "extension". The choice of Ravenglass was a bit more arbitrary. The name is irresistible, obviously. It has a Roman bath house; and I had been reading Martin Edwards' The Dungeon House, which is set here. Then, when I had made a booking, durham_rambler did some research of his own, and announced that it also has a steam railway. Suddenly, he was excited about this holiday, too, which has to be a good thing.
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a miniature steam railway which runs up the Esk valley from Ravenglass on the coast to Dalegarth, stopping just short of the village of Boot at the foot of Scafell. Or vice versa, because originally it was a mineral line, bringing rock and iron ore down from the quarry at the top. This morning we took a half-hour ride up the line, travelling first class (which means we had soft seats in a closed carriage) and got not the next but the next-but-one train back, which meant we had time at the top, at the catchily named Dalegarth for Boot, for a sandwich lunch and a look around the gift shop before we returned.
Here is our (outbound) driver, steering the engine (Northern Rock - there's a name from the past!) into the turning circle:
It's a pretty ride, with views of the river (running very high), and more of those decorative sheep (they must be Herdwicks, surely?), and primroses, and the very first bluebells. Back at Ravenglass, we dipped into the railway museum, and admired the engines with their polished brass and their glowing paintwork.
And then we considered the short walk to the Roman bath house. After all, it wasn't raining - not quite, not yet. That couldn't last, could it? Anyway, what I really wanted to do was come back to the hotel and make a cup of tea (or, indurham_rambler's case, go to the bar for a beer). And we're on holiday, so that's what we did.
durham_rambler did some research of his own, and announced that it also has a steam railway. Suddenly, he was excited about this holiday, too, which has to be a good thing.The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a miniature steam railway which runs up the Esk valley from Ravenglass on the coast to Dalegarth, stopping just short of the village of Boot at the foot of Scafell. Or vice versa, because originally it was a mineral line, bringing rock and iron ore down from the quarry at the top. This morning we took a half-hour ride up the line, travelling first class (which means we had soft seats in a closed carriage) and got not the next but the next-but-one train back, which meant we had time at the top, at the catchily named Dalegarth for Boot, for a sandwich lunch and a look around the gift shop before we returned.
Here is our (outbound) driver, steering the engine (Northern Rock - there's a name from the past!) into the turning circle:
It's a pretty ride, with views of the river (running very high), and more of those decorative sheep (they must be Herdwicks, surely?), and primroses, and the very first bluebells. Back at Ravenglass, we dipped into the railway museum, and admired the engines with their polished brass and their glowing paintwork.
And then we considered the short walk to the Roman bath house. After all, it wasn't raining - not quite, not yet. That couldn't last, could it? Anyway, what I really wanted to do was come back to the hotel and make a cup of tea (or, in
durham_rambler's case, go to the bar for a beer). And we're on holiday, so that's what we did.
