Bleamoor Tunnel

[Carino]

Hello,  Could someone please help me with some information please.  My ancestor came up from Dorset to work as a Miner and a railway worker in and around Settle,  he married Elizabeth Ellison in 1873 at Chapel le Dale and was living at Blea moor Tunnel at the time of marriage, I've roughly read up on this place on wikipedia and it describes a tunnel that was built there, was Blea Moor Tunnel also a village or just the Tunnel ? My ancestors name at the time of marriage was Arthur Needham, but thats not his surname, he was born Arthur William Bridle but along his life his surname changed and also the spellings, the family is now going by Maiden but it was also known as Maden too. Thank you for any help or advice given.

[Elwyn Soutter]

I think there were several temporary villages (camps) beside the Settle – Carlisle railway whilst it was being built. Presumably there was one near Blea Moor tunnel. I have seen graves to railway workers who died during the building of the line in the churchyard at Chapel – le – Dale near Ribblehead viaduct so presumably that was the nearest church or churchyard to some of the temporary villages.

[Carino]

Thank you for replying back to my query, I have just visited Chapel le Dale and saw the graves and a plague commemorating the dead, but unfortunately I didnt have enough time to have a good look round because I got side tracked going down the White Scar Caves before we got to the Church,   would you happen to know where I can find information about the temporary sites please ? Thank you once again  P.S. There was a wonderful smell of Garlic where we packed the car by the Church.

[onefortheroad]

The construction workers were mainly housed in transit camps or, if you like, shanty towns. An address of 'Blea Moor' would refer to the shanty town which sprang up near the tunnel which is north of the Ribblehead Viaduct. There were other such shanty towns or camps on Ingleborough, Whernside and Gt.Whernside and, indeed, all along the 72 mile stretch of the line.

Hundreds of people died in the construction of the line and not just the male workforce. Wives and families sometimes joined their husbands and often succomed to diseases such as smallpox and cholera.

There is a story that one such outbreak on Ingleborough resulted in the militia being called out and the camp being sealed off. No-one in and no-one out. Eventually, when the last resident had died, the whole camp was interred in a communal grave.

Your relative was lucky to make it out alive.

David

[onefortheroad]

You could try FOSCL (Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line). I'd imagine they'll have plenty of information on the construction camps.

Did you enjoy White Scar?  Years ago we used to 'cave it'. At the rails at the far end of the show cave there's a stream bed which takes you to a further five or six hours of caving.

[Carino]

I did enjoy the caves, it was a surprise, we were driving along to find Chapel le Dale and all of the sudden we saw this sign and then pulled in, it should have taken about 80 minutes for us to get about but it took longer as we had to keep stopping to allow people to pass us, it was quite busy down there, I took loads of photos some good some quite blurry, the guide told us about a boy getting stuck and dying there, I couldn't do caving or pot holing, not my scene, but standing upright walking, I do enjoy, lol.

My ancestor and the family were lucky, when I got up there I wondered why they had moved away ( To Leicestershire later on to South Wales ) as the area is so beautiful, but if there was an outbreak of illness then maybe that was the reason, I always thought it was work, maybe it was but now that gives another reason why they could have moved,  Not sure when they moved away from the area but in 1881 they were living  in Leicestershire.

I do plan on going back up there again, this time to look at the Viaduct and to visit some other places, time past so quickly.  Thank you also for replying.

[onefortheroad]

There are quite a few books on the subject on Amazon. In particular, the one co-written by Mike Harding is very informative: Mike lived, at one time, in the railway cottages at Selside and later, for many years, at Dent. I knew him well during the seventies and eighties and know he was quite well informed on the construction of the line back then.

Good luck with your research.

David

[Ribb]

Ther is a good book by WR Mitchell past editor of the Dalesman. Thunder in the Mountains about the men who built Ribblehead.
Bernard

[Carino]

Thank you both, I will look out  for the books, any information that highlights what the ancestors did and can add info to my chart is a must.  Thank you.