The Settle-Carlisle railway line through the Yorkshire Dales

Ruswarp and the Settle-Carlisle

The Border Collie who helped save a railway

At Garsdale station, a bronze statue of a Border Collie sits on the platform, gazing northwards towards the hills. This is Ruswarp (pronounced Russup), and his story is one of the most moving tales connected to this corner of the Dales.

The Fight to Save the Line

In the 1980s, the Settle-Carlisle railway was under serious threat of closure. Among those who refused to accept this was Graham Nuttall, a quiet, determined man from Lancashire who became the first secretary of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line. His inseparable companion was Ruswarp, a Border Collie who travelled everywhere with him on the trains.

When objections to the closure were gathered, Ruswarp's paw print was included as a formal signature. As a regular fare-paying passenger who would suffer hardship if the line closed, the objection was accepted. After years of campaigning by Nuttall and many others, the line was reprieved in 1989.

Railway viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle line

Eleven Winter Weeks

In January 1990, Graham Nuttall and Ruswarp, then fourteen years old, set off for a walk in the Welsh mountains. They never came home. For eleven weeks through the coldest months of the year, nothing was heard.

On 7 April 1990, a lone walker found Nuttall's body by a mountain stream. Beside him was Ruswarp, barely alive, having stayed faithfully at his master's side through the entire winter. The dog was so weak that mountain rescue teams had to carry him off the hill.

The RSPCA awarded Ruswarp their Animal Medallion for vigilance and their Animal Plaque for intelligence and courage. He survived just long enough to attend his master's funeral.

The Statue

The bronze sculpture by Joel Walker was unveiled on 11 April 2009, marking the twentieth anniversary of the line being saved. Funded by public donations, Ruswarp sits on the southbound platform at Garsdale station, looking northwards towards the hills and across to a bench on the opposite platform dedicated to Graham Nuttall's memory.

The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line is now the largest rail user group in the country, and the line itself carries more passengers than ever. You can visit the statue any time you are at Garsdale station. More information about the line and its history can be found at Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line.