Raven Hill - A prologue

A back story.....for "Raven Hill"

View from Peak towards Baytown.

All great railways have their own history, so does mine........
Inspired by the history of "Fairbourne" in Wales, and "Ravenscar", North Yorkshire.

Penny Howe Light Railway

At the turn of the 20^th century, a development was begun that was perched on 600 foot high cliffs of the North Yorkshire coast, and it was hoped, would rival the resorts of Scarborough and Whitby, it was to be known as “Peak”. 

An 15” gauge tramway was built to nearby Stoupe Brow quarry to supply building stone and aggregates, and a year later the tramway was extended across moorland to Penny Howe plantation for the supply of timber.  Roads and sewers were laid at the cliff top site, some houses and a hotel were built, but the new resort town of Peak never achieved any popularity because of the long trek down to its rocky beach and the development company went bankrupt.

The area was already known as the site of one of the earliest chemical works in the country producing Alum, used in the textile and tanning industry, and much earlier there was a Roman Signal Station constructed around 400AD, to warn of Saxon raids.

In the late 1950’s the tramway track bed still existed across the moor and past the quarry that it used to serve.  A local landowner revived much of the line for locals and tourists alike, even using some of the original rail found at the now dis-used quarry, and it was renamed the “Penny Howe Light Railway”.  It was extended to a total length of 4 miles to reach the small village of Howdale near the Scarborough Road so that goods could be transported via local farms to the coast, and passenger platforms were also built.  

The journey:  Howdale Station sits between Howdale village and the woods to the east.  The railway runs through woods for a few hundred yards, then out across open moorland.  There is a halt at Pye Rigg Farm, the line then runs along Browside ledge across a small bridge spanning a waterfall and into Raven Hill village station where there is a passing loop, small engine shed and goods shed.  About half a mile further on the line passes a junction to the old quarry.  After passing a small reservoir, the railway arrives at a small station terminus behind Peak village.

At Peak, the hotel is a fine establishment and there are also tea rooms serving refreshments.  The remains of the old alum works can be seen nearby and there are fine coastal paths northwards to Baytown and Whitby, one of them along the now closed standard gauge track bed, and also south to Hayburn Wyke hidden valley and waterfall. 

The remnants of the village high above the sea.