Dalegarth railway station

Dalegarth railway station is the easterly terminus of the 15-inch gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in the English county of Cumbria. It has a café and shop for passengers, along with a run-round loop, turntable and siding for trains. The station is situated near the village of Boot in the civil parish of Eskdale and the Lake District National Park. It lies between the Whillan Beck, a tributary of the River Esk, and the road from Ravenglass to Windermere, via the Hardknott and Wrynose passes.

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Boot, Cumbria

Boot is a small village in Eskdale on the western side of the English Lake District. It lies within the civil parish of Eskdale, the unitary authority of Cumberland, and the ceremonial county of Cumbria. The main part of the village lies beside the Whillan Beck, whilst its church, St Catherine's, lies 0.6 miles (0.97 km) to the south on the bank of the River Esk. The Whillan Beck flows into the Esk just downstream of the village. The village can be approached by two roads, one up the valley from the coast, and the other over the Hardknott and Wrynose passes from the central Lake District. The latter is England's steepest road and is often closed in winter or during icy weather. The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, a seasonally operated narrow-gauge steam railway, has its upper terminus at Dalegarth station, some 5 minutes walk from the village. On the moorland around 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the village are five Bronze Age stone circles known collectively as the Burnmoor stone circles and dating from around 2000 BCE. The remains of the Hardknott Roman Fort are 3 miles (4.8 km) to the east; the fort was occupied for most of the period from the early 2nd to the late 4th centuries. In the village there is a watermill dating back to 1547 known as Eskdale Corn Mill. Since the 1970s this has been open to the public as a visitor attraction and showcases original working milling machinery driven by two overshot waterwheels. The mill underwent a £1 million refurbishment in 2019 with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Copeland Community Fund. During the 19th century there was some mining of hematite iron ore at a number of sites around Boot, including at Nab Gill above the village, Ban Garth just to the west and Gill Force on the other side of the Esk. It was these mines that led to the initial construction of the railway, which at that time terminated in the village and was linked to the mines by branches or inclines, but yields proved to be disappointing and all the mines had closed by 1912. Besides the surviving railway, some traces of the mines and connecting railways can be found. The railway is now narrow-gauge and part of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, a major tourist attraction in Eskdale. The permanent population of Boot is 10–15, but can rise to between 90 and 120 in summer when the local pubs, bed-and-breakfasts and holiday cottages are full. The village has two pubs, The Boot Inn (formerly The Burnmoor Inn) and The Brook House Inn, with The Woolpack Inn (incorporating the Hardknott Bar & Cafe) about a mile towards Hardknott Pass. The Woolpack Inn has an adjoined brewery known as Hardknott Brewery. All these businesses survive on fell walkers (ramblers), the passengers of the railway, and holiday-makers from the nearby campsite and cottages. On 2 June 2010, Boot became the centre of a search after a shooting spree in Cumbria. The killer, 52-year-old taxi driver Derrick Bird, was found dead in woods near Boot after a four-hour manhunt. He killed 12 people and injured 11 others.

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Eskdale Corn Mill

Eskdale Corn Mill, also simply known as Eskdale Mill, is a grade II* listed corn mill, together with associated buildings, in the village of Boot in the English county of Cumbria. The corn mill takes the form of a watermill powered by the Whillan Beck. Its associated buildings include an outbuilding and stone packhorse bridge over the beck, both of which are separately listed at grade II.

St Catherine's Church, Boot

St Catherine's Church is in the village of Boot in the English county of Cumbria. It is the Anglican parish church for Eskdale, and is in the deanery of Calder, the archdeaconry of West Cumberland, and the diocese of Carlisle. Its benefice is united with those of Irton, St Paul, Muncaster, St Michael, and St John, Waberthwaite. The church stands by the side of the River Esk, some 0.6 miles (0.97 km) to the south of the centre of the village. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

Beckfoot railway station

Beckfoot railway station is a railway station on the 15" gauge Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway in the English county of Cumbria. It is situated in the civil parish of Eskdale and the Lake District National Park, and is within a 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) walk of the eastern terminus of the line, at Dalegarth station. The station opened to passengers in 1876. In the days of the 3 ft gauge railway, this was the last place where the railway met the main valley road, and as such had a greater number of facilities than other stations, including a goods yard and shed, and a chocolate vending machine in the waiting shelter. Between 1918 and 1922, Beckfoot was the upper terminus of the railway prior to the extension of the line to the present terminus at Dalegarth. The original station building survived for some time into the 15 inch gauge era, but had been demolished by the time the preservationists took over in 1960. The station is unstaffed at all times, and is only 20 metres (66 ft) long. It can be accessed either by steps or from, the road which crosses the line, east of the station. It differs from the other stations in that passengers will only be picked up here on down journeys (Dalegarth-Ravenglass) and will only be set down here on up journeys (Ravenglass-Dalegarth). This is because the station is close to Dalegarth, and to save stopping for passengers completing very short journeys. There is a level crossing at the eastern end of the platform, marking the beginning of the private road from Beckfoot to Dalegarth cottages which runs for half a mile eastwards. This road is known as Beckfoot Lonnin and walkers can continue behind the Cottages at the end of the Lonnin up to the original 3' gauge railway station at Boot village. The station is 6.5 miles (10.5 km) from Ravenglass and 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) from Dalegarth.