In 1938 Ribblehead became a meteorological report point. The stationmaster and staff received special training to compile and send hourly reports on weather conditions.

Ribblehead viaduct is actually the largest and most famous viaduct throughout the whole of the Settle to Carlisle railway line. The viaduct has 24 arches, is 104 feet high and 440 yards long. Names originally suggested for the station, included 'Ingleton Road' and 'Batty Green'. It is 247.25 miles to London from the station.

The wind is very prevalent around the Station and viaduct and many signalmen, crossing the viaduct, going to Bleamoor signal box have been blown off the embankment. During the war a train carrying vehicles was even blown off. There has even been the odd steam engine blown to a halt.

Construction of Ribblehead Viaduct took 5 years although it was not decided until December 1872 whether to have 24 or 18 arches. This depended on the workforce available - either stonemasons or navvies. The brick arches of a nominal 45ft span were sprung with stone voussoirs. The stone was quarried between Selside and Ribblehead.

During the building of the line over 2,000 people mainly 'navvies' lived at Batty Moss in temporary huts. When not working on the line navvies and miners lived in squalid conditions, drinking, gambling and fighting were the main recreation. One navvy even sold his wife for a barrel of beer. A school and hospital of sorts was established and missionaries were even sent in.

A fully electronic weather station was installed at Ribblehead in 2004 - visit www.ribblehead.org for the latest weather news!