Settle Carlisle Weekend

Bacon sandwiches at Hellifield station was the start for the second half of the Settle and Carlisle Railway run.

Fourteen members attended with 4 MGB’s and 3 MG F(TF)’s setting off at 10-45am ish.

The day was not as bright and clear as other ventures along this famous railway route and the outside    

temperature below average for the time of year, car hoods remained firmly closed.

Our route took us expediently to Kirby Stephen passing through Ribblesdale, towards Hawes, through

Garsdale, Mallerstang and into Kirby Stephen for a lunch stop.

Our route now followed the River Eden starting from Ais Gill summit, Kirby Stephen turning left to Soulby,

through Helm arriving at Appleby in Westmoreland where a visit to the station and a photo stop.

Here a Great Western Railway ‘Hall’ class loco is waiting restoration (An imposter deep into Midland

Railway territory)  Further north following the Eden Valley to Carlisle visiting villages of Long Marton, Langwathby, 

Culgaith and Armathwaite. A few miles south of Carlisle we joined the M6 motorway to circumnavigate Carlisle.

Before doing so we were joined by an 8^th MG who had tagged along just for the ride.

After introducing ourselves the owner of this car, an MG F/TF invited us to join him on a run in this area,

while the owner pledged to attend our August show.

Continuing north on the M6, A74 and A75 now heading in a westerly direction for what was a magnificent drive along the Solway Firth

to our overnight stop at the Cree Bridge Hotel at Newton Stewart in Scotland (worthy of a recommendation).

The following morning all except one car set  a North Easterly direction through the Kirroughtree Forest

stopping on the banks of Clatteringshaws Loch. Soon after some cars headed towards the Lake District route home,

while other continued south and returning to the Settle and Carlisle Railway visiting Long Meg Druid Stone Circle at Salkeld.

From Appleby the remaining cars set off on different routes home.

Stuart & Ann Lindsey