Garsdale Railway Station
Location : Garsdale / Sedbergh
Garsdale Station is located at a bleak spot, overlooking the head of Garsdale. There is no real centre, just a scattered community with a line of former railway staff cottages, a number of isolated farms, a Mount Zion Chapel, and the Moorcock Inn.
Many of the original railway fittings have been removed, notably the turntable, which has been restored and installed at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
The waiting room of the northbound platform was used for church services, the ladies waiting room contained a library of 150 books, and the stone base of the water tower was used as a village hall.
Nearby is Moorcock Viaduct, which crosses Dandry Mire, and the vantage point just north of Garsdale, overlooking Dandry Mire, is one of the most popular photographic positions on the railway.
There is free car parking at the station.
In the 1980’s the railway line was under threat of almost certain closure. One of the earliest campaigners against closure was Graham Nuttall, co-founder of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Railway Line. He and his dog Ruswarp were inseparable. Ruswarp’s paw print was deemed acceptable a valid signature amongst tens of thousands objecting to closure.
Graham lived just long enough to see the line’s reprieve in 1989, for on 20th Jan 1990, he and Ruswarp went missing in Wales. The case aroused national interest. On 7th April 1990, a lone walker found Graham’s body by a mountain stream. Nearby was Ruswarp who had stayed with his dead master for eleven winter weeks – so weak that the 14 year old dog had to be carried off the mountain.
This bronze statue by sculptress Joel Walker was placed here at Garsdale in 2009 by the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line to symbalise the successful campaign to save the line for future generations to use and enjoy, and to the memory of Graham Nuttall and his faithful dog Ruswarp. This was their favourite place.
Garsdale station is different from other stations on the line as the station buildings do not use the standard station building design as used at all other stations. In 1872 the Midland Railway envisaged a small type station but in fact the requirements at this station resulted in 3 buildings along the same design as the waiting rooms at other stations.
Also occupying the downside platform (towards Carlisle) is Garsdale signal box, brought into use in 1910.
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Grid Ref : SD 788918
