Settle
Yorkshire
31st May 1975
An 'Awayday' trip to Settle which gave us only a few hours in Settle but we hoped to make the most of it by following one of the walks in Wainwright's 'Walks in Limestone Country'.
About one o'clock we pulled into Settle and so passed through the town to begin our walk. We left the town via Constitution Hill which had some nice cottages and were soon in the fields above the town able to look down at Settle and the valley running northwards. Ahead of us lay the first limestone - Warrendale Knotts and Attermire Scar. The path was grassy and easy to follow and we made quick progress scrambling up midway to visit Attermire Cave. There appeared to be other smaller caves in places. We joined a road for a short distance and then struck out across the fields to begin the ascent of Rye Loaf Hill which proved fairly strenuous for we were not fit. Although only 1794 feet high the top possessed a large cairn and an Ordnance Survey column and had splendid views all round. Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent were clearly seen to the north and far away on the horizon were the Lakeland Fells. South-East the land was flat and stretched away below us for miles. The wind was blowing strongly as we began the return along the ridge above Stockdale. We followed a stone wall and had to cross three others, there being no styles, and so we had to manage as best we could without dislodging any stones. Through a field of waving cotton-grass and down the road and we were at Scalebar Force. It was fairly dry but still proved to be quite spectacular dropping 40 feet to the stream below in a delightful wooded setting. The fall seemed secretive behind its covering of trees and was difficult to see in its entirety. We startled a thrush only a few feet from us and then rejoined the road to return to Settle, watching many birds on the way. All are too soon the day was coming to an end and we had to join the train for the long journey back. Still it had been a good 7 mile walk and made a very enjoyable day out.