Force Gill Aqueduct
Force Gill Aqueduct
4.6
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.6
18 reviews
Excellent
13
Very good
3
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Traveller51_11
North Essex, U.K.1,620 contributions
Sep 2014 • Couples
This aquaduct on Blea Moor (twixt the Ribblehead Viaduct and Whernside) was/is a feat of Victorian Engineering. It was built in 1870 by the Midland railway to carry the waters from the Force Gill into Dale Beck across the famous Settle-Carlisle railway line below the southern entrance to Blea Moor Tunnel.
The aqueduct has been recently refurbished by Railtrack. A concrete channel was originally planned but, after protests, a sympathetic reconstruction was done instead. It is a really good path to get to this point.
It's a marvel to behold by walkers en route to walk up Whernside or, on the other hand, you could take a picnic and spend all day there .... train-spotting is an added bonus, if you are interested.
There is only one short bit of official car-length-depth stretch for parking on the B6255- for getting out and exploring this Ribblehead/Whernside area. However, there's a lot of unofficial parking along the road - although you have to be careful because there is a lot of erosion now in some areas, which means the surface is a bit dodgy.
The aqueduct has been recently refurbished by Railtrack. A concrete channel was originally planned but, after protests, a sympathetic reconstruction was done instead. It is a really good path to get to this point.
It's a marvel to behold by walkers en route to walk up Whernside or, on the other hand, you could take a picnic and spend all day there .... train-spotting is an added bonus, if you are interested.
There is only one short bit of official car-length-depth stretch for parking on the B6255- for getting out and exploring this Ribblehead/Whernside area. However, there's a lot of unofficial parking along the road - although you have to be careful because there is a lot of erosion now in some areas, which means the surface is a bit dodgy.
Written October 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cumbriawalker36
Carlisle, UK106 contributions
Mar 2016
Good walk up to here and very interesting to see how the Romans built an aqueduct over a Railway line lol!
Written April 2, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
adlloyd
Northampton, UK43 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
We stopped here on a walk from the Viaduct (its about 45 minutes walks from the Viaduct. Its an interesting stop but probably not worth the journey by itself. Also if you continue just past the Aqueduct and up the steps you get a great view of Hardraw Force.
Written October 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lyndhurst25
North Pyongan Province, North Korea4 contributions
Oct 2021
Recent work to the walls and fencing around the aqueduct, presumably by its owner Network Rail, has spoiled the visitor experience. For as long as I can remember, over 25 years, there has been access from the footpath, through an open gateway in the drystone wall, to the "lawn" area next to the gill crossing the aqueduct. This was a popular place for walkers to stop, rest, have a picnic and inspect the impressive civil engineering of the historic structure. This access has now been closed off completely by drystone walling. The lawn is now an overgrown wasteland. There is nowhere to stop, rest and eat. It is hard to see the gill crossing the railway line on the other side of the wall and I many passers by will probably not even realise that the aqueduct is even there now. What a shame.
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David L
Alne, UK1,205 contributions
Sep 2016 • Friends
We were walking up to Whernside from the famous Ribblehead Viaduct on a sunny Sunday morning, following the recommended route by Wainwright. We came across this structure shortly before the Bleamoor tunnel, having walked parallel to the railway passing a traditional looking signal box on the way. It is an understated structure, from a distance before you peer into it, it appears to be 2 parallel stone walls. There was an organised group sitting on the pleasant grassy strip inside the walls having a picnic stop, looking at the enclosed steam running quickly down a series of steps. A remarkable feat of Victorian engineering, another reviewer stated it had more recently been repaired, having become eroded, in which case it has been done well and sympathetically.It is a pleasant spot to linger for a few minutes, ideally catching a view of a train coming along the line below ,and enjoying the splendid north Yorkshire scenery, with the county's highest peak, Whernside, on the ridge high above the most likely destination for most walkers who have got this far. To here from the viaduct is has been a pleasant stroll in the vicinity of the railway, but immediately beyond the aqueduct it is a steady uphill climb, with the contours closing in.
It is a mile or so walk from the viaduct, it could be a modest destination in its own right, but for most it will be a momentary pitstop on the way up to higher things.
It is a mile or so walk from the viaduct, it could be a modest destination in its own right, but for most it will be a momentary pitstop on the way up to higher things.
Written September 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen B
Herne Bay, UK135 contributions
Oct 2015 • Family
We visited the aqueduct while walking up to Whernside. There was quite a bit of water in it so looked pretty good. Lovely to see a bit of Victorian engineering when you least expect it. Would recommend proper walking boots/shoes especially if it has been wet.
Written October 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lima Bean
Southampton, UK194 contributions
Sep 2015 • Friends
Visited as one of our "wonders of the Yorkshire Dales" on our Gold DofE Expedition. This is a peaceful little spot and the stone structure of the aqueduct is holding up nicely. Worth seeing if on your way up Whernside!
Written September 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rachelhelliwell75
Halifax, UK339 contributions
Oct 2018 • Friends
Stopped here on our way back from whernside. It is very unusual and took us a while to figure it out as it looked like a wall from the distance.
Written October 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trevorp
48 contributions
May 2017 • Friends
Taking the footpath used by many thousands of walkers to ascend one of the Yorkshire 3 peaks you will come across this unusual structure, it is first noticeable by the the sudden appearance of being man made rather than a natural feature. Built by the Midland Railway for the provision of water it has recently been refurbished. For those who have an interest in the Settle to Carlisle railway a visit is a must, it enables you to get a greater grasp of what this railway brought to the area...
Written May 7, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gordon070
Leicester, UK154 contributions
Sep 2015 • Friends
We stumbled across this on our MTB trip to Dent!! The 19th century engineers did a fantastic job! Grand !!!
Written September 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I was up there this week, October 2023, and saw that in several places people have been ripping down parts of the new dry stone walling. I assume this is people who have a similar attitude to that expressed by lyndhurst25?
As for having nowhere to sit, that is utter nonsense. Along almost then entire length of the path there are numerous convenient boulders of just the right height to sit on. Take your pick. And it is still possible to view the aqueduct. The damage to the walls is the thing that now spoils the view.
Written October 13, 2023
Was this aqueduct constructed for a supply to the original mainline water troughs ?, which now no longer exist. This enabled the steam engines to collect water whilst travelling.
Written August 4, 2017
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