Ribblehead comes alive

THE hard life of the workers who built the Ribblehead viaduct is on display in a new exhibition being staged in the Bainbridge offices of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

Thousands of men and women lived in appalling conditions in makeshift shanty camps on windswept Blea Moor while the huge stone monument was constructed in the 1870s as part of the Settle Carlisle railway.

Their lives and experiences have been turned into drawings and etchings by artist Philippa Troutman - who lives in a railway house on the site of one of the camps - and comprise the latest exhibition at the Authority's Yoredale offices.

She said: "This exhibition is drawn from living here, walking the landscape, researching from texts of the 1870s and contemporary historical and archaeological articles and books."

Richard Burnett, the Authority's Head of Finance and Resources, said: "The images on display have a very strong story to tell and contain a certain stark beauty.

"They are very different to the previous examples of artists' work we have had on display and they illustrate just how rich and varied the artistic styles are that we have in the Dales."

Philippa is the latest local artist to take up the Authority's invitation to use the spacious reception area at the Yoredale offices to showcase their work.

Her exhibition will run until January 3.