North Yorkshire - Ribblehead Viaduct tea towel

On the moors at the head of the Ribble Valley, there is something truly amazing. Four hundred metres long, thirty-two metres above the valley floor at its highest point, the Ribblehead Viaduct is an engineering marvel. Began in 1870, it took four long years to build. By then, almost two and a half thousand men had worked on its construction, living in shanty camps around its base. Over a hundred lives were lost in the process.

It's become somewhat of a local treasure, and not just for train-lovers. In the 1980s, when the line was almost closed due to maintenance costs, a huge campaign was fought to keep it in use. People come from across the country to see it: the picturesque span of tapered arches straddling the width of the valley. But despite the huge size of the limestone blocks, some of which weigh up to eight tons, the viaduct still seems somehow delicate, as if its mass was floating on the air.

This design shows the viaduct at its best, a steam train chuntering over its arches: the perfect gift for engineering enthusiasts and railway buffs and everything in between!