The following recollections were kindly supplied by a nearby resident who wishes to remain anonymous:
I was born 1956 in a house next to the Settle line an area now called Kennan Park near to the Durranhill depot. Most of my neighbours were also Railway worker. My father was a railway Bricklayer and worked on the settle line. Repairing the bridges, buildings also Blea Moor Tunnel and the Ribblehead Viaduct and many of the signal boxes. stations basically if it had bricks he worked on it along the route. From our house we could see the sheds of the Durranhill Depot and the Bridge to Botcherby and the old crossing cottage. Where the Newcastle Line and Settle Line divided there were more Buildings still in use. East of the Botcherby Bridge a sort of marshalling yard used at night. Plus, an underground air raid shelter. This area was on top of the Durranhill Underpass arches. Which was used by the farmer to move his cows back and forth to his fields (now Kennan Park) I can remember the day a wrecking ball pulled down the sheds at Durranhill Depot. The whole area became a playground for us children for many years. There was abandoned engines rusting away and deserted buildings we could take a short cut walk into town. Nothing was fenced off until the late 70s.The only thing that scared us was the Ghosts of 72-year-old Jane Emerson, the gatekeeper at the Durranhill Crossing who was murdered by 32-year-old engine driver William Charlton who worked at Durranhill Depot. He was the last person to be hanged in a public execution in Carlisle.