By Public Transport Across the North Pennines

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Leaving the car at Carlisle railway station I boarded a train on the scenic Settle and Carlisle railway

An hour later I alighted at Kirkby Stephen railway station, which is a long walk from the town of Kirkby Stephen. Thats the train departed, continuing on its journey to Leeds, here's hoping the bus turns up, its due in forty minutes.

The bus arrived in from Ravenstondale with just a few passengers already on board. Its a 1959 Bristol Lodekka. The 572 service runs once a week, on Wednesdays to Kirkby Stephen, Brough and Barnard Castle.

The bus picked up about thirty passengers from various bus stops in Kirkby Stephen town. Here it is ahead of schedule and waiting departure time at Kirkby Stephen market square.

During the summer months the bus takes a scenic route, passing Selset Reservoir. By now we have crossed over the watershed from the county of Cumbria on the west side of the English North Pennines and are descending into the County of Durham, Land of the Prince Bishops, in the east.

There is a ten minute stop at Middleton-in-Teesdale

From here it is an easy run down the valley of the River Tees to the market town of Barnard Castle. The bus driver and conductor look the part with their black waistcoats and watch chains.

The arched bridge across the River Tees at Barnard Castle was built in the late sixteenth century. Following flooding in 1771 it received substantial repairs and the parapet was rebuilt.

Looking up at Barnard Castle from the river bridge. The castle stands on a plateau above a rocky escarpment at a bend in the river. It is a Norman castle, reputedly built in 1112. It was a stronghold of the Bailliol family for many years and passed to the English royal family through marriage. The castle was sieged in the Rising of the North in 1569 and visited by Oliver Cromwell in 1648.

A steep path brings us up level with the castle walls. Much of the castle has been destroyed and the area within the walls is now mainly occupied by ornamental gardens. More to follow shortly.

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Wedneday is market day in Barnard Castle, which is the reason the bus runs every Wednesday throughout the year. Most of the passengers live in Kirkby Stephen and Brough and make this journey to visit the market. The bus waits in Barnard Castle for a little over three hours allowing time for lunch and a visit to the market before setting off on the return journey.

Scarecrow at the entrance to St. Mary's Church, Barnard Castle. Scary Mary perhaps?

Louis Smith Motors opened their garage on this site in 1908 and are still trading today.

Old time petrol shop on the main street, with the pumps in the foyer of the shop and the fuel led by pipes in the canopy, over the pavement (sidewalk) to the hoses at the kerb.

Barnard Castle's Town Hall was built in 1747. The meeting room is on the upper floor, with the lower area used for a market.

Ready to depart on the return journey, by now it was raining heavily.

Back to Kirkby Stephen railway station and the train to Carlisle.
Thats all folks!

[BoldHighlander]

Another wonderful travelogue!

Thanks Alex for taking us along

[toadinakilt]

Delightful. Keep posting these, they're going a long way to satisfy my hankering for travel... they let me forget for a moment that I'm stuck in a cubicle