The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line — the organisation which helped save the picturesque railway route from closure in the 1980s — has bought England’s highest mainline railway station building at Dent.
The station, which is just a few miles from the picturesque Ribblehead viaduct, beyond Kirkby Stephen, stands at 1,200ft above sea level and is regarded as one of the jewels in the crown on the Settle-Carlisle Line.
It was purchased in 2006 and restored as a continuing part of the station in authentic Midland Railway style by Robin Hughes, a railway enthusiast and property developer.
It is now available as self-contained holiday accommodation. The restoration has secured many accolades, including a National Railway Heritage Award and the RICS award for tourism and leisure.
The accommodation has hosted some 2,000 guests over the past 14 years.
Paul Brown, chairman of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line, said: “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to take ownership of England’s highest station to preserve and maintain it, for all to appreciate.
“It is a great addition to the heritage property portfolio held by the voluntary bodies supporting the Settle-Carlisle Line and is made possible through the generosity of our members and former members who have bequeathed legacies to safeguard the future of one Britain’s most famously remote and historic railway buildings.”
Mr Hughes added: “Restoring and owning Dent station has been a real privilege, and among the numerous guests who have stayed here, it has been an honour to have several special names.
“These have included Michael Portillo, who as Minister of State for Transport announced and strongly supported saving the Settle-Carlisle railway line in 1989, and the late Graham Taylor, former England football manager.
Mr Portillo, who is president of the friends, said: “I am delighted that, thanks to legacies from its members, it has been able to buy the lovely Dent station.
“I recall staying in a snow cottage at the station during the filming of Great British Railway Journeys, which brought home to me how susceptible the line is at Dent to drifting in winter.
“FoSCL benefits from an award-winning restoration, and will assume the responsibility for keeping it looking beautiful, the station being one of the great assets of the line.”
Mr Hughes was inundated with viewings when the station went on the market in late June, following the COVID lockdown.
He said: “We had 20 viewings over two weekends, and the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line came forward with a proposal to be the future custodian, thanks to funding from donations and legacy gifts from former members.
“I am absolutely delighted — they are the natural owner of such fine railway heritage.”
Meanwhile, work to resurface the car park and bus turning circle at the station, carried out by train operator Northern and Network Rail, is now complete.
The redesign ensures that pedestrian areas and car parking spaces are clearly marked.
Steve Hopkinson, regional director at Northern, said: “The improvements will make a huge difference to our customers and others who also use the car park. I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in this scheme.
“The new surfacing work will give the right impression to people coming to see the beauty of Cumbria and is part of our ongoing commitment to make our stations better for customers.”
