Distance Covered: 5.5 miles Time to complete walk: 3 hours
Suitable for dog walking: No - livestock in most fields
Total Steps: approx. 12,000
Safety Tips: Take a coat due to being high up on the path to the caves - it can get breezy! Wear strong boots. Do not enter far into the caves due to potential falling rocks. Cows may be in some of the fields. The walk has a very steep start and then a gradual climb to the caves.
A walk that is panoramic from the tidy town of Settle. The walk is steep at first and then climbs to the very impressive caves and surrounding views of the geological side of Yorkshire. Pass Victoria Cave with an option to visit the mouth of the cave. This is the cave that the bones of a mammoth were found in. Then onto the Jubilee Caves and back down to Settle which has a museum and plenty of cafes and pubs for refreshments. A full day out in remarkable Yorkshire!
The Settle Walk
Getting There
From Middlesbrough follow the A19 to the M1 to Thirsk and then follow the A168 as it changes into Dishforth Road. Then take a right turn onto the A61 at Ripon.
Map of the Settle walk
The Walk
From the car park look for a path above it and follow this as it curves left to a gate near a play area.
Follow the path above the car park
Darth Vader!
Turn left onto Commercial Street
Turn right up Castle Hill
Pass The Old Chapel on your left and at a fork in the road keep ahead on Greenhead Lane.
Pass The Old Chapel on your left
Keep ahead on Greenhead Lane
Beyond some cottages look for a signpost to the left marked to Lambert Lane. Climb this steep path to the top.
Signpost on your left
Climb up the steep path
At the top climb over a stile and keep to the wall to climb up to a gap onto the next field.
Go over the stile
Climb up with the wall to your left to a gap
Head to your right to a ladder stile in the next field.
Go over the ladder stile
In this field follow the perimeter of the field with the wall to your left around a hill to your right and then head straight ahead to a stile in the wall
Follow the perimeter of the field
Keep the wall to your left
Go over the stile in the wall
Follow the field with the wall to your left again and it then curves to the right to a gate.
Keep ahead in the field
Go through the gate
Turn left and follow this narrow lane until you come to a road.
Turn left onto the lane
Follow the lane
Turn right onto the road
Turn right onto the road and then a short way ahead take the tarmac path to your left.
Turn left onto the path
Follow the path ahead
When the path swerves to the right keep ahead over a ladder stile.
Head for the ladder stile ahead
Over the ladder stile keep on a grassy path near the wall which then skirts to the left of Sugar Loaf Hill.
Head onto the grass track near the wall
Keep on the grassy track
Keeping to the left of Sugar Loaf Hill head to an open gap in the fence ahead. Look out for the amazing geology of this part of Yorkshire.
Head to the left of the hill
Head to the gap in the fence ahead
Keep ahead on the grassy track to another gap in the wall ahead.
Keep ahead on the grassy track
Head through the gap in the wall
From here turn right and keep the wall to your right as you head over a stile into another field.
Head to the right with the wall on your right
Keep ahead in this field
Keep to the left as you turn the corner and climb up the rocky field keeping the wall to your right.
Head to the left as the path turns the corner
Head to the gap
Head through the rocks with the wall on your right
Keeping with the wall on this uneven surface persevere until you eventually can spot the Victoria Cave up to your right.
Head through the rocky field
Keep the wall to your right
Spot Victoria Cave to your right
You now need to aim for the path at the bottom of the cliff.
Keeping with the wall go through a small gate and then head for the path below Victoria Cave.
Head through the small gate
Head across the field
Turn left onto the path below the cave
Turn left onto the path below the cave and follow this through a small gate until you pass below Victoria Cave. A diversion is to your right to climb up to the cave. You are warned not to venture inside due to falling rocks. Otherwise keep ahead on the track until you come to a gate and a path heading to the right which leads to Jubilee Caves.
Follow the path to Jubilee Caves
Look for a grassy path up to the Jubilee Caves. Explore them- the caves have a restricted view inside.
Head up the grass to the caves
Jubilee Caves
Head back down to the path you came from and look for a ladder stile ahead which takes you into a field.
Go over the ladder stile
Follow the obvious track down the field until you come to a lane with a cattle grid.
Follow the grassy track down the field
Head towards the trees
Reach the cattle grid
Turn right and follow the lane over the cattle grid until you see a gate to your left.
Turn right and go over the cattle grid
Turn left and go through the gate
Follow this path as it gently descends down the countryside towards Settle going through several gates.
Follow the path
Go through the gate
The path goes through fields and beside a wall through more gates and then turn right at a corner with an old stone deserted building.
Keep near the wall
Turn right at the stone building
Follow the lane to a road and then turn left down back into the carpark or venture into Settle for refreshments!
Head down the lane
Turn left onto the road
Head into Settle
Settle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is served by Settle railway station located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is 29 miles (47 km) from Leeds Bradford Airport. The main road through Settle is the B6480, which links to the A65, connecting Settle to Leeds, Ilkley, Skipton and Kendal. The town has a population of 2,421 according to the 2001 Census increasing to 2,564 at the 2011 Census.
Settle is thought to have 7th-century Anglian origins, its name being the Angle word for settlement. Craven in the Domesday Book shows that until 1066 Bo was the lord of Settle but after the Harrying of the North (1069–1071) the land was granted to Roger de Poitou.
In 1249 a market charter was granted to Henry de Percy, 7th feudal baron of Topcliffe by Henry III. A market square developed and the main route through the medieval town was aligned on an east-west direction, from Albert Hill, Victoria Street, High Street and Cheapside and on through Kirkgate. This road led to Giggleswick where the citizens attended the parish church. The first bridge over the River Ribble was mentioned in 1498.
During the English Civil War, the Cliffords, the lords of the manor were Royalists, but their subjects were not. John Lambert of Calton in Malhamdale, was a general in Cromwell's army and his troops camped at Settle in August 1651 while on the road to an encounter in Lancaster.
The district has several caves where prehistoric remains have been found, the most notable being Victoria Cave, so called because the inner chamber was discovered in 1837 on the day of Queen Victoria's accession. The cave is a geological SSSI and scheduled monument. Victoria Cave contained fossil remains. The earliest, at 130,000 years old, include mammoth, straight-tusked elephant, cave bear and hippopotamus, Bos primigenius, Rhinoceros leptorhinus and spotted hyenas (as a bed of hyena bones). They date to an Upper Pleistocene interglacial. After the last Ice Age the cave was used by hibernating brown bear and reindeer. Associated with the later deposits were a harpoon head carved from antler; flint implements and other ornaments. The discovery of flint is noteworthy as it is not found naturally in the area. Craven Museum & Gallery in Skipton has an exhibition of items which includes a bear's skull found in one of the caves.
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