Walk: Rosedale Iron Ore Railway, Western Leg

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A walk along the Rosedale Iron Ore Railway, Western Leg, by invitation of the Railway Ramblers’ Club. A five-mile walk between Rosedale Chimney Bank Top (GR SE721947) and Blakey Junction (GR SE684988); splendid high-level walking on the side of Rosedale in the North Yorks Moors, with extensive views all the way, following the trackbed of the Rosedale Railway. OS maps Landranger 100, Explorer OL26. The walk is virtually level, and the track is easy walking but boots are highly recommended.

There is plenty to see at Chimney Bank Top with some remains at Sheriff’s Pit at the halfway point, and the four incoming track-beds at Blakey can be inspected.

As there is no public transport, a car share is the only viable option. Please contact the Railway Ramblers to register your interest and whether you will be bringing a car, or be a passenger, to the leader: Stuart de Boer, by July 11th so the car share can be planned, and precise meeting details sent out:

https://www.railwayramblers.org.uk/contact-us-2/

The meeting time will be late morning and the intention at the end is for passengers to go on to the Lion Inn (0.5miles) for afternoon refreshments whilst the drivers will be taken to fetch their cars from the start point. Packed lunch required. Note that, because the track is very exposed to the elements, in the event of a bad weather forecast the walk may be postponed – hence pre-booking is essential.

Note also that this is not an RCHS event and, as such, RCHS members attending are not covered by the Society’s insurance policy, including its public liability section

The Rosedale Railway was a 19 1⁄2-mile goods-only railway line running from Battersby Junction via Ingleby Incline, across the heights of the North York Moors in North Yorkshire to reach iron ore deposits in the remote hills of the Rosedale valley. It opened to traffic as a narrow gauge railway to Ingleby Incline top in 1858, converted to standard gauge and opened to Rosedale West in 1861, and closed completely in 1929 when the market for British iron ore collapsed. Apart from Ingleby Incline, no major engineering works were constructed, and as such, particularly the east branch, the railway followed the contours of the surrounding hillside.

Rosedale Ironstone Kilns. Allan Brackenbury, RCHS Online Media Archive (ref. 241,492E)