ADD: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)

Subject: Lyr Add: SETTLE TO CARLISLE RAILWAY^^
From: Stewie
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 01:14 AM

This is a song about the last railway to be built 'by muscle and blood' in the UK. I would appreciate any help that people can give re the names in brackets - confirm or correct. Any assistance at all would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Stewie.

SETTLE TO CARLISLE RAILWAY
(Mike Donald)

In the year of '69 they planned to run a train
From Settle to Carlisle across the mountain range
They employed 3000 navvies to build this mighty road
Across the fells through (Appleby) that old steam engine rolled

Chorus:
And it's up in the morning, lads
In wind, snow or hail
Hold fast your hammers, lads
And lay another rail

It's 72 miles from Settle to Carlisle
Across the roughest country in the British Isles
They said it would take 4 years, but it took up nearer seven
And the first 20 miles it sent 400 men to heaven

Repeat chorus

They set up shanty towns to protect them from the cold
(Incaman), Sebastopol and (Batty White Hold)
And when they tired of women and the drinking of strong beer
They fought bare-fist style and they came from far and near

Repeat chorus

Now when the winter came, it froze them to the floor
It blew them off the viaducts and killed them on (Blee Moor)
Some died of the smallpox, some of cholera
(Chapel) and (St Leonards) have many buried there

Repeat chorus

Now if you ride this famous line across the heathered fells
When crossing (Ribblehead) viaduct remember the tale I tell
There's (Mallis), (Stangays), (Gill) and (Dent Gales) lovely wilds
And navvy lads a-slavin' from Settle to Carlisle

Repeat chorus

Source: Terry Howarth, Ray Downes, Linda and Paul Adams on Various Artists 'The Best of BBC Radio Carlisle's "Folk Workshop"' Fellside LP FE002.

Subject: RE: Help: names in train song
From: Tony in Darwin
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 07:44 AM

Hi Stewie,

Jenny the ex-librarian is working on it as I key - it should be a doddle for her.

Cheers

Tony

Subject: RE: Help: names in train song
From: Snuffy
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 08:42 AM

Appleby is correct - former county town of Westmorland

Inkerman and Sebastopol were battles in the Crimean War (1850's)- can't help with Batty White Hold

Blea Moor, Ribblehead, Mallerstang, Aisgill, Dent. Gayle is bit far from the line. (Chapel) and (St Leonards) could be Chapel-en-le-Dale?

Is this enough to be getting on with for now?

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Help: names in train song
From: GUEST,Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 11:58 AM

I don't know the answers right now, but it should be fairly easy to get them. The Settle-to-Carlisle train is still running. I rode part of that route in the summer of 1997. You need to find the proper Ordnance Survey maps of the area, (they are downloadable at http://www.ordsvy.gov.uk/) and look at the names of towns, villages, hills, valleys, and other features along the route. I'd bet you'd get most of your answers in short order.

Subject: RE: Help: names in train song
From: Stewie
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 06:11 PM

Many thanks to you all for your assistance. It is much appreciated.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Help: names in train song
From: Snuffy
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 07:05 PM

Stewie

Any chance of posting the tune?

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Help: names in train song
From: phil jl
Date: 22 Mar 00 - 04:40 PM

I found the song in the EFDS publication Folk Song Today Volume 5, which was published in about 1968. It was written by Mike Donald. The town names mentioned are Appleby, Inkerman, Batty Wife Hole, Leas Moor, Chapal, St Leonards, Ribblehead Viaduct, Mallerstang, Aisgill, and Dent's Dale.

There is a brief commentary you may be interested in:

'Mike Donald wrote this song about the Settle to Carlisle railway line while actually on the train at Appleby – after he had carefully traced the history of the line from old records. It is intended as a tribute to the line which may finally close in a few years time.

(The Settle/Carlisle line is the highest main line in England. Aisgill summit is 1,169 feet above sea level, Wild Boar Fell 2,324 above sea level.)'

Stewie, In an earlier posting you mentioned that you were putting to together a collection of songs about railways. I see that in the preliminary program for the Australian National Folk Festival this coming Easter there is a session also about railways. Is this your show ?

Are any other Mudcatters attending the National ?

Phil

Subject: RE: Help: names in train song
From: Stewie
Date: 22 Mar 00 - 06:08 PM

Snuffy,

Sorry I am unable to post tunes. I'll send you personal message and work something out.

Phil,

That is really great. Thanks very much for the trouble you've taken.

The train workshop/entertainment that I am preparing is for the Top Half Folk Festival to be held at the Mary River (between Darwin and Jabiru)in early June. The subject was chosen because of recent hype here in Darwin that we may finally be getting the Alice Springs to Darwin railway which was promised almost 100 years ago. There's even talk of another line from Brisbane as well. The reality is that neither will probably materialise. I believe the railway session at the national is to celebrate 150 or something years since the first Australian railway line was built. Tony tells me they are even laying some track and featuring a steam train. I won't be attending the national, but Tony Suttor (Tony in Darwin) is going down for it, together with a few other folkies from here.

Thanks again, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 07:16 AM

The names you're looking for are:

Inkerman, Sebastopol, Batty Wife Hole (the shanty towns)

Blea Moor (near Whernside of 3 Peaks fame)

Ribblehead (viaduct between Ingleborough and Whernside), Mallerstang (Mountain edge south of Kirkby Stephen), Ais Gill (waterfall and another viaduct named after it), Dentdale (the dale leading from Dent station to Dent village).

Uncle Mort

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 08:38 AM

Dave Goulder wrote a lovely song called Settle and Carlisle.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST,Hev Johnson
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 04:29 AM

I sang this song when I was about 8 or 9 years old (I'm now 37) at school and I can only remember the melody for the verses... I really wish I could remember the choruses!!!!

I'm going to make a radio documentary about travelling the line, and my early fascination withe the line because of singing this song- i'd love to figure out the chorus so i can record myself and my daughter (now 8) singing to accompany the documentary.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST,Swaleman
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 06:02 AM

There is a performance of The Settle Carlisle Railway song by Mike Donald on youtube.
Put in Cumbria Folk Songs - Settle Carlisle Railway and there you will have it and it is a very clear recording.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 06:44 AM

It's ' Batty Wife Row ' ie. a row of ? houses ?

Dave H

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 06:47 AM

and Chapel En St Leonards.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST,Swaleman
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 07:33 AM

Just found my 'Travelling the Northern Road' EFDS songbook containing 24 of Mike Donald's songs and the third and four verses of The Settle-Carlisle Railway have the following words and place names -
3.They set up shanty towns to protect them from the cold
Inkerman,Sebastopol and Batty Wife Hole
And when they tired of women and drinking of strong beer
They fought bare fist style and they came from far and near

4.And when the winter came it froze them to the floor
It blew them off the viaducts and it killed them on Blea Moor
Some died of smallpox and some of cholera
Chapal and St Leonards have many buried there.

Hope that helps.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Aug 12 - 05:23 PM

As Uncle Mort said, plus:
St. Leonard's Church, Chapel-le-Dale. Many navvies were buried there, and there is a memorial to them on the church wall. Thus '...the chapel at St. Leonard's has many buried there.
Batty Wife Hole .... Name of a shanty town at Ribblehead. Inkerman and Sebastopol were also shanty towns nearby.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST,Lucy
Date: 16 Oct 12 - 03:37 AM

I used to sing this at school and once on a school trip on the line!
I remember all the tune but couldn't notate it - sorry!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST,Adam Shaw
Date: 06 Jan 14 - 01:28 PM

I have just re discovered this song after 26 years. I used to sing it as part of a railway project I did in Duns primary school in scotland in 1988 when I was 8 years old. the song and guitar chords are in a folk song book called "the Jolly Herring" its C, G, Am, F, chords mostly with the occasional hammer and pull off. Coincidently I now live in Kirkby Stephen which is the stop before Appleby when heading from settle to Carlisle.

Subject: Lyr Add: SETTLE TO CARLISLE RAILWAY (Mike Donald)
From: Noreen
Date: 06 Jan 14 - 03:44 PM

SETTLE TO CARLISLE RAILWAY
(Mike Donald)

In the year of '69 they planned to run a train
From Settle to Carlisle, all across the mountain range
They employed 3000 navvies to build this mighty road
And across the fells through Appleby that old steam engine rolled

Chorus:
And it's up in the morning, lads
In wind, snow and hail
Hold fast to your hammers, lads
And lay another rail

It's 72 miles from Settle to Carlisle
Across the roughest country, boys, in the British Isles
They said it would take 4 years, but it took 'em nearer seven
And the first 20 miles sent 400 men to heaven

Repeat chorus

They set up shanty towns to protect them from the cold
Inkerman, Sebastopol and Batty Wife Hole
And when they tired of women and the drinking of strong beer
They fought bare-fist style and they came from far and near

Repeat chorus

And when the winter came, it froze them to the floor
It blew them off the viaducts and it killed them on Blea Moor
Some died of the smallpox, and some of cholera
Old Chapel and St Leonards has many buried there

Repeat chorus

So if you ride this famous line across those heathered fells
When crossing Ribblehead viaduct remember the tale I tell
There's Mallerstang and Aisgill and Dentdale's lovely wilds
And navvy lads a-slavin' from Settle to Carlisle

Repeat chorus

"The music is written and sung by Mike Donald of Skipton - recorded on an album - Yorkshire - Songs of the Broad Acres, in 1971."
Settle-Carlisle run 1984 on YouTube

I remember this song from a TV programme about the Settle- Carlisle line made by Mike Harding in about 1989 which I videotaped.
My 2yr old son was mad on trains and we played the video to destruction :)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jan 14 - 07:59 AM

http://www.aphotographerssettleandcarlisle.co.uk/music.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST,Adam Shaw
Date: 25 Feb 14 - 08:41 PM

Dear Noreen

the mike harding yideo is "mike harding - Away Days" link Bellow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2W8TnazBV8

very interesting
searched for it thanks to your comment above and know im going to watch it with my two year old son who is also mad about trains.

the years may move on but boys will be boys ;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST,Adam Shaw
Date: 25 Feb 14 - 08:45 PM

if anyone could tab the chords to the lyrics it would be very much appreciated

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST,Dave Bridge
Date: 21 Jun 21 - 06:33 AM

Batty Wife's Hole is a famous pothole near the line

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 21 Jun 21 - 06:25 PM

Adam Shaw: ikely too late by now but the chrods are at

https://ukuland.com/songs/46864-mike-donald-settle-carlisle-railway.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: GUEST,Ian Clark
Date: 21 Apr 24 - 03:03 PM

Just seen these queries. Great song written by Mike back in the late 60's or 70's. Chris Rowe and I sang it with Mike on a BBC programme called Come on In - about 1971. We also backed him on the Yorkshire Dales Railway Society EP Folk Train. Words & chords - as in my notes from the time

  C
  In the year of '69 they planned to run a train
  C                                  G7       C                              
From Settle to Carlisle across the mountain range
  C
  They employed 3000 navvies to build this mighty road
  C                                G7               C                              
Across the fells to Appleby that old steam engine rolled
  
  Chorus: after every verse
  C
  ?And it's up in the morning, lads
       F            G7?
  In wind, snow and hail
   C?
  Hold fast your hammers, lads
  C      G7        C?
  And lay another rail

It's 72 miles from Settle to Carlisle?
Across the roughest country in the British Isles?
They said it would take 4 years, but it took ’em nearer seven?
And the first 20 miles sent 400 men to heaven

They set up shanty towns to protect them from the cold?
Inkerman, Sebastopol and Batty White Hole?
And when they tired of women and the drinking of strong beer?
They fought bare-fist style and they came from far and near

When the winter came, it froze them to the floor
?It blew them off the viaducts and killed them on Blae Moor?
Some died of the smallpox, some of cholera?
Chapel and St Leonard there’s many buried there

Now if you ride this famous line across the heathered fells?
When crossing Ribblehead viaduct remember the tale I tell?
There's Mallestang, and Aisgill and the Dent Dales lovely wilds?
And navvy lads a-slavin' from Settle to Carlisle

Subject: RE: ADD: Settle to Carlisle Railway (Mike Donald)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Apr 24 - 08:43 AM

The best view from any gents toilet is from The Station Inn at Ribblehead. You can stand there having a wee while gazing at the amazing structure that is the Ribblehead viaduct :-)