Multiple visits to North Yorkshire

 More travels, this time to North Yorkshire taking in the Railway, but from different ways of doing it. A few years ago we were introduced to Goathland,and my wife found what we consider to be the best B&B in the country. It is a 10 minute walk to Goathland Station or Hogwarts for you Harry Potter fans. Of course for you Heartbeat fans it's Aidensfield.

This train is on its way from Pickering to Whitby.

Our hosts advised us about the walk to Grosmont which pre-dates steam power. The path descends through spectacular countryside a short distance from what is known as the deviation. This came about to enable steam locomotives to haul a train up the gradient to Goathland.

This tramway was horse drawn. This rather lovely carving gives a taste of what it would have looked like. The path faithfully follows the former trackbed.

There is a tiny pub at Beck Hole, very popular place. The beer garden is a few yards from the deviation, so when a southbound train comes through the sound is awesome.

There is plenty of evidence of what was here, although the bridge now will only support walkers.

The walk eventually brings you alongside the North Yorks Railway just south of Grosmont. Along this section you will see many future projects.

This one looks as though its been waiting for a while. I think most heritage railways have scenes like this.

The path then climbs steeply to give you a great view of Grosmont works. It becomes clear how high you walk when going over the tunnel which separates the works and Grosmont Station.

From the top you are rewarded with this view, then its a steady descent to the Station. I can recommend the old school house on your right for a well earned cuppa and cake.

Follow the signs through the footway tunnel, you can then have look around the works. Obviously you can only go where it is safe. Under going some TLC is 'Sir Nigel Gresley'.

A dramatic shot, emerging from the tunnel heading South towards Pickering.

I think this is 'Green Knight' about to leave for Whitby. The timetable gives ample opportunity to have a look around and to take on board the famous Whitby Fish and Chips. 

A typical scene at Whitby Station, it is a also a shared section of line with BR. Now where is the 'Chippy'.

We are very much into walking. North Yorkshire offers plenty of options. We particularly enjoy abandoned railway track beds, so a little local searching brought us to Sandsend which is a little way north along the coast from Whitby. Parking is easy, so a fairly steep climb from the car park brought us onto the remains of the Loftus to Whitby line. It was built between 1871 and 1886, and suffered many problems with finance and contractors, bridges, piers and the original tunnels did not meet in the middle. 

It was operated by the NER who took over the line fully in 1889. Alas like  so many lines BR closed it in September 1957.

Dismantling started in 1960, the four viaducts between Sandsend and Whitby were sold for scrap and the concrete used to construct sea defences.

This is looking north. Along the way it is obvious excavations were going on for some years prior to closure. Upon reading local information, it tells you Potash was removed here and although now exhausted a short section of the line was re-opened some way north. This was done in the 1970s to serve the Boulby Potash Mine.

This is the south portal of the Kettleness Tunnel. Thats it as regards the trackbed, however a path ascends to the right of the tunnel. The path then carries on north towards Staithes.

Just a bit more info on the Boulby Mine ..... Potash ( Polyhalite ) is a multi nutrient fertiliser  ..... this mine is the second deepest for any activity in Europe at 4600 ft. If you would like any more detailed info just google''Boulby Mine''.

So for the final part of this blog, I thought I would do a random selection of shots and hope I get the description correct.

This is the deviation as it comes into Goathland Station. If my memory serves me, this was 2013 and they are on the way to a broken down steam loco.

A view of Goathland Station.

Eric Treacy .... Black five workhorse.

Heading towards Pickering.

Levisham.

Just on the final run in to Pickering Station.

The Green Knight BR Standard 4, doing the run round at Pickering Station.

Grosmont,  and ex-LNER B1 61002 (actually 61264)

The Green Knight on shed.

Always worth a shot.

A view of Grosmont yard.

The P Way gang being kept busy at Grosmont.

I could go on, with many more photos ..... but I will save them for another blog.