The Midland Railway Company constructed temporary and permanent housing in a variety of sizes and styles specifically to accommodate its operational workforce. The availability of tied housing helped the company to attract and retain the people it needed to operate the railway system all year round. In the days before mass car ownership, it was important for people to have accommodation reasonably close to their place of work and this was especially important in more remote areas. Contemporary accounts suggest that the cottages were available to any of the Company's local employees (rather than being restricted to specific job roles). As an example, the 1876 edition of Wildman's Almanac (published in Settle) tells us that "At Settle new station ... Six cottages for signal-men, porters, etc., have been finished and are inhabited." and that "At Blea Moor there are .. two cottages for the use of signalmen and platelayers". Within the SCRCA, the most easily identifiable (and arguably the most attractive) examples of the permanent housing are the three 'standard' types that were built in 1875-6 during the final phase of the line's construction. This initial set of residential buildings were built by multiple independent contractors, but they share a set of common design characteristics that are similar to those found on the standard booking office buildings. As car ownership increased and the number of people needed to operate the railways declined, these tied houses were gradually sold off.
Please note that ALL of the former workers' houses are now privately owned. If you decide to view these structures in the real world, please respect the privacy of the occupants and DO NOT TRESPASS.
