Nidderdale Author:William Grainge Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: landed proprietors in the valley—viz: The Rev. H. J. Ingilby, John Greenwood, Esq., M.P., John Yorke, Esq., G. Metcalfe, Esq., Hanley Hutchinson, Esq., T. F. A. ... more »Burnaby, Esq., and Messrs. Thorpe and Co. In 1859 power was obtained by the North Eastern Railway Company to construct a single line of railway from near the village of Nidd to Pateley Bridge. The first sod was cut near Killinghall Bridge, in September, 1860, by the Rev. H. J. Ingilby, of Ripley Castle, and the finished road was opened to the public May 1st, 1862; thus placing the inhabitants of the lower part of the valley in direct railway communication with all parts of the kingdom. The contractors for the line were Messrs. Cail and Towns, of Newcastle-on- Tyne; the length ll£ miles, and the cost £8,000 per mile. As the formation of the railway will be the means of inducing many to visit this district, who would not otherwise have dona so, we will briefly describe the route, noting the objects on each side most worthy of attention, before proceeding to give a more detailed history and description of the Valley of the Nidd. Harrogate is the starting point, from which the distance to Pateley Bridge is 14 miles. For rather more than two miles the track is along the main line of the North Eastern Company's Eailway, until after passing the river Nidd by a lofty viaduct of Strren arches, we suddenly turn to the westward, leaving on the right hand the ancient church, village, Hall, and station of Nidd, and proceeding with the river almost close on the left. Before reaching the Ripley station, the line passes along a cutting through an unconformable patch of magnesian limestone; the station is close to the river, with the village of Killinghall at some distance, on the oppositeside, to the south, and the small town of Rip...« less