Run For The Roses #NYMR

For our next trip we ventured to Goathland, deep in the North York Moors and one of the stops on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The NYMR is a heritage railway that runs through the national park from Whitby to Pickering.  First opened in 1836, the railway was planned - as a horse drawn railway! - in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby.  As of 2020, the (steam and diesel) railway runs for 24 miles, with over 100 staff who work full time, 50 seasonal staff and over 550 volunteers and is seen as one of the UKs most popular heritage railways.

Before we could enjoy all that rail and steam though, we decided to follow the rail trail from Goathland sation, down the Goathland incline, past Beck Hole, to Grossmont, following the old railway line towards Whitby along the Esk Valley.

The Goathland Incline was an ingenuous engineering system designed by George Stephenson as the 1-in-5 gradient from Beck Hole to Goathland was too steep for horses.  Instead, Stephenson linked wheeled water tanks to the railway carriages with rope, via a wheel at the top. The weight of the descending tanks hauled carriages up the three quarter mile incline, which were then re-attached to a horse for onward transport.  Once a new 'Deviation Line' and the current Goathland Station opened in 1865 though, the incline's job was done.  

Just as well we had a supply of apples with us!

Beck Hole Ironworks was opened in 1859, 
however mining here was short-lived with
the workings and associated cottages
demolished within 30 years of being built.

Do you recognise the station?
Hogsmead from Harry Potter (though from a different angle!)