SCRCA Glossary Term: Accessibility (ease of access)

A subjective assessment of how easy or difficult it is to reach the site or structure.

Easy

The site or structure is within half a mile of a public road and / or open (i.e. operational) railway station. Where some walking is required, the route is easy to discern (even in bad weather) and the terrain is relatively flat / even. The assessment can be carried-out by an able-bodied person of average fitness wearing stout footwear and normal clothing. If you can reach the nearest access point (public road  / open railway station), no special equipment or skills are required to reach the site / structure (or a good publicly accessible vantage point from which to view the site / structure ).

Moderate

The site or structure is between half a mile and two miles from a public road and / or the route crosses uneven terrain and / or access involves a moderate ascent / descent. The assessment can be carried-out by any fit, able-bodied person who has the ability to navigate to / from the site / structure and who is wearing footwear designed specifically for country-walking. In addition to being able to reach the nearest access point (public road  / open railway station), a map & compass are required. Waterproof clothing and food & drink are also strongly recommended.

Difficult

The site or structure is more than two miles from a public road and / or the terrain is extremely rough and / or access involves a significant ascent / descent. NB: a visit to some of the more remote locations covered by the SCRCA Project will involve a walk of up to twelve miles across rough paths and boggy moorland with up to 450m of assent / descent. In a few cases there are no clearly defined paths for several miles of the route. Assessments categorised as 'difficult' should only be carried-out by an experienced and fully equipped fell-walker who is thoroughly familiar with the area. For added safety, a similarly equipped and experienced companion is strongly recommended.

No Access

There is no public access to the site or structure, or to a vantage point from where it can be seen with a worthwhile degree of clarity.

Unknown

The accessibility of the site or structure has not yet been assessed.

General note about 'accessibility'

Some of the photographs contained on this website were provided by Network Rail personnel and the owners of other private property. Others were obtained by authorised SCRCA Project Team Members after permission to access private property had been requested and granted. This means that members of the public will NOT be able to legally view or photograph some of the sites or structures featured in the SCRCA Project database without obtaining similar assistance or permissions. That said, many of the sites / structures can be viewed from Public Rights of Way or other designated publicly accessible areas (e.g. C.R.O.W. land). The 'accessibility' definitions listed above all assume that the visitor / assessor is able and willing to travel to / from the nearest access point by train, bus, car, etc.

If you would like to view one or more of the SCRCA locations in the real world, you are strongly advised to assess the accessibility of the location for yourself in advance using a suitable map (e.g. the appropriate Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 sheet). Do NOT rely on the 'accessibility' classifications, grid-references or other location information stored in this database as it may be inaccurate or misleading. The 'accessibility' information has been provided solely to assist with the planning of official SCRCA Project field-assessments and is intended as a general guide to allow each location to be assigned to an appropriate authorised assessor. If you decide to visit a location associated with the SCRCA, you do so entirely at your own risk. You are requested and advised NOT to:

• compromise your own safety or the safety of others;
• trespass;
• interfere with livestock, farm machinery, equipment, etc; or
• cause damage - especially to walls, fences, crops, etc.

Please stick to Public Rights of Way or remain within other designated publicly accessible areas (e.g. C.R.O.W. land).

Please also respect the privacy of the people who live and work in the area, including those who now live / work in what is, or once was, railway property.

WARNING:

The Leeds-Settle-Carlisle Railway is a modern (and very busy) railway owned by Network Rail. Trespassing on any non-public part of Network Rail land is a criminal offence. It is also dangerous and may cause delays to train services. More information on this subject can be found on the Network Rail website at:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/1037.aspx.