The railway is popular with tourists and locals alike as they take the seven-mile journey from Ravenglass - the only coastal village in the UNESCO World Heritage site - across the estuary, through the hills, past seven request stops to its final destination, Dalegarth for Boot station. The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is toasting a special 150th anniversary in 2025, having opened commercially in May 1875. The Times said: “This narrow-gauge railway rattles up from the Cumbrian coast seven miles inland into the Lake District, from Ravenglass to Dalegarth for Boot“The latter is in Eskdale, with Scafell Pike a challenge to climbers on the horizon and Hardknott Pass a challenge to drivers to the east. “La’al Ratty (“little railway” in local dialect) stops short of tackling either climb, but despite its toy-train appearance it’s not afraid of hard graft. “The route was originally built to transport iron ore and declared open to public use back in 1876.

Source: The Times July 27, 2025 13:45 UTC