Hellifield, Main Street 1950

Photo ref: H493008

More about this scene

In 1844, railway surveyors came to this agricultural village with the aim of linking two main lines to provide a route from West Yorkshire to Lancashire and Cumbria. The building took three arduous years; at last, on 30 July 1849, a through line to Ingleton was opened. By 1879, railway mania led to a second station being built in Hellifield as the Midland Railway raced ahead with its planned Scottish route via the Settle to Carlisle line. As the population dramatically increased, it was no surprise that the Temperance Hotel (centre) was built in 1890. Railway modernisation plans from 1955 reduced the significance of Hellifield. The engine shed, although closed in 1963, was used for six more years as a storage facility for steam engines destined for preservation. The cattle auction mart further down Gisburn Road closed in 1990.