Ribblehead viaduct is probably the most famous of the many feats of Victorian engineering along the stunning Settle to Carlisle railway line. Its iconic location in the middle of the Three Peaks makes it a popular photo stop. There are a number of laybys, a tea wagon and the popular Station Inn. Of course the easiest way of getting there is on the train as there is a station at Ribblehead itself. On Sundays during the summer there are connecting bus services to and from Ingleton and Hawes and further afield.
The viaduct was built between 1870 and 1874 with up to 1000 navvies working on the construction site. The viaduct is 400m (440 yards) long with 24 arches spanning across Batty Moss. During construction the navvies were housed in camps close to the viaduct – Sebastopol, Belgravia and Batty Wife Hole – some of which had schools, libraries and pubs. It was dangerous work and disease was also a threat. The building of the viaduct was the inspiration behind the recent TV drama Jericho.
