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Discover 150 years of Settle-Carlisle history at Appleby Heritage Open Weekend

Visitors to Appleby can step back through 150 years of railway history this September with a special Settle Carlisle 150 exhibition at Appleby Tourist Information Centre.

The free exhibition is open until Wednesday 30 September and will be part of Appleby’s Heritage Open Weekend on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September, giving residents and visitors another reason to explore the town and its history.

The exhibition celebrates 150 years since the first passenger services travelled over the Settle-Carlisle Railway on 1 May 1876 – a milestone being marked throughout 2026 with events and activities along the route.

Featuring archive photographs from across the decades, the exhibition tells the story not only of one of Britain’s great railway lines, but of the people and communities who have lived, worked and travelled along it.

The Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company would like to thank the Settle-Carlisle Railway Trust for providing archive images of the line for the exhibition.

Visitors are being asked to help fill in some of the gaps in the railway’s history. If you recognise someone in one of the photographs, know the story behind an event featured in the exhibition, or have your own memories connected with the railway, you can leave information in the visitor book.

As well as the photographic exhibition, visitors can see a replica of the Station Master’s House and spend time browsing scrapbooks containing photographs, cuttings and memories associated with the railway.