Garsdale Station

Garsdale train station sits high on the Settle-Carlisle line at the top of the dale, where the railway crosses from Dentdale into Mallerstang. The nearest town is Sedbergh, about six miles west down the A684, and many of our cottage guests travelling by train change at Sedbergh's road connections or arrive into the dale from that direction. Originally called Hawes Junction, the station once connected to a branch line running six miles down to Hawes in Wensleydale. Garsdale is the only station on the Settle-Carlisle line with a fully operational signal box, and the line opened on 1 May 1876. Sixteen Midland Railway cottages were built for the railway workers and their families, now in private hands. The station's waiting rooms served double duty in the community - the northbound platform waiting room hosted church services, the ladies' waiting room contained a lending library of around 150 books, and even the stone base of the water tower was pressed into service as a makeshift village hall. The turntable that once stood here has been removed and restored at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, and Junction Cottage at Garsdale Head was formerly the Junction Inn, serving travellers and railway workers. A bronze statue of Ruswarp, the Border Collie who helped save the line, sits on the southbound platform, and the line carries regular services from Leeds to Carlisle across some of the most dramatic scenery in England.

Getting There and the Line Today

The station is reached via the Coal Road from Garsdale village, which continues over to Dent station, and there is a car park at the station. From Sedbergh, the nearest town, it is roughly a ten-minute drive up the A684 to the Garsdale village turn-off. The Little White Bus runs a shuttle service between Garsdale station and Hawes, timed to meet certain trains, so check their website for current timetables.

The line runs 73 miles through some of the most dramatic scenery in England, crossing the famous Ribblehead Viaduct and climbing to over 1,100 feet. Regular services run from Leeds to Carlisle, and it is one of the great railway journeys of the north. Visit settle-carlisle.co.uk for timetables and information, and read the full story of Ruswarp. Arriving by rail is the gentlest way to start a stay - see our Wellness Retreats page for more on slow travel into the dale.