Tuesday 29 April 2014

Possibly cheating? Bovvered!

Further ramblings up the Esk Valley line today. All stations visited by car - this probably counts as cheating, but in my defence, there's only four trains each way per day, the bus service up the valley is negligible, and I was offered a lift by JP so it would've been rude not to accept... haha!

Sleights - not trespassing on the disused platform, honest...
First off was Sleights, which is currently for sale. Mum says she'll buy it if she wins the Euromillions. North Yorkshire Moors Railway services pass through here, as well as Northern Rail trains from Middlesbrough, but didn't see any. Had a wander round Perry's Plants & Tea Garden, on the opposite bank of the river, and considered buying a terracotta Loch Ness Monster lawn ornament, but relented when I remembered I don't have a lawn...

Glaisdale
Next stop (missing out Grosmont and Egton, having been to those yesterday) was Glaisdale. Examined the Beggars Bridge over the river, and I poked my toe into the ford, then walked up the hill past the coal cells, to the station itself, the main building of which is, coincidentally, also for sale. If I win the Euromillions, I'll buy Sleights for Mum and Glaisdale for me, and I'll visit her by train. I'd have to demolish the naff conservatory at the back though - totally not in-keeping - and restore the signalbox too. Perhaps put a bar in the locking-room?... 


Lealholm(e) - the "E" is optional
The next village up the valley is Lealholm (although the big tile map spells it erroneously as "Lealholme"). Didn't explore here much, as there was an angry barking dog in the garden across the tracks, and a sinister man in the station porch. In all fairness, it was probably just the owner of the station house, and he probably thought I was equally as sinister, loitering around taking pictures of his stonework.




Danby
Last call was Danby - Scabby OS map doesn't go any further, and JP hadn't brought his SatNav. Again, photography opportunities were limited by not wishing to seem really creepy and weird. Like Egton yesterday - Danby station is home to a playgroup... 


1 comment:

  1. Yes, it is cheating. You should be ashamed of yourself.

    Glaisdale and Sleights were both for sale when I visited last August. They might be desperate by now, if you want to put in a cheeky offer.

    ReplyDelete