Settle

Settle sits at the point where the broad Ribble valley narrows into the folded limestone country of the Yorkshire Dales, its terraces of stone cottages and cobbled market square backed by the great grey scar of Castleberg Rock. It has been a market town since 1249, when Henry III granted its charter, and the weekly Tuesday market still fills the square with stalls much as it has for nearly 800 years.

What sets Settle apart from other Dales towns is its position as a genuine railway junction rather than a tourist stage-set. This is the southern terminus of the Settle-Carlisle line, one of the great engineering feats of Victorian Britain, and trains still pull out of the station here to begin the 73-mile climb north towards Ribblehead, Dent and Carlisle. The town has a workaday, lived-in feel alongside its scenery: independent shops, a proper butcher and baker, and pubs used as much by farmers and walkers as by visitors.

Top things to do in Settle

Settle rewards a slow wander as much as a day trip into the surrounding fells. Highlights include:

• Castleberg Rock - a limestone crag right above the town centre, reached by a short, steep path, with panoramic views over Settle's rooftops and the Ribble valley beyond.
• The Folly and Museum of North Craven Life - a striking 17th-century Grade I listed merchant's house on Church Street, now home to a museum covering the archaeology, geology and social history of the Craven district.
• Gallery on the Green - a tiny converted telephone kiosk on the green, reputed to be one of the smallest art galleries anywhere, showing work by local artists.
• Settle-Carlisle Railway - one of England's most scenic lines, opened in 1876 after a brutal six-year construction that cost over a hundred lives; a short ride north takes in the Ribblehead Viaduct and the high fells around Blea Moor.
• Ribblehead Viaduct - around nine miles north of Settle, this 24-arch limestone viaduct carries the railway 104ft above the moor beneath Whernside and is one of the most photographed structures in the Dales.
• Malham Cove and Gordale Scar - a short drive or a good day's walk away, this dramatic limestone amphitheatre and adjoining ravine, with cliffs up to 330ft high, are among the most spectacular natural features in the national park.
• Settle Tuesday Market - stalls selling local produce, baked goods, fish, crafts and household goods have gathered in the market square every Tuesday for centuries.

Getting to Settle

Settle has its own railway station on the Leeds to Carlisle line, with trains running via Skipton to Leeds in one direction and north over the Settle-Carlisle line towards Appleby and Carlisle in the other, making it one of the few Dales towns easily reached without a car. By road, the town sits just off the A65, roughly 15 miles north-west of Skipton and around 25 miles from Lancaster, with the M6 accessible via the A65 and A683. The nearest larger railway hub with mainline connections is Leeds, about an hour away by train.

Best time to visit Settle

Late spring through early autumn is the most popular period, when the fells are at their greenest, the Three Peaks routes are in best condition, and Settle's cafes and pubs are at their busiest with walkers and cyclists. May and June bring nesting curlews and lapwings to the surrounding pastures, while September and October add autumn colour to Ribblesdale and thinner crowds on the high paths. Winter has its own appeal for a quieter, atmospheric visit, though the exposed tops of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough demand proper preparation, and the Settle-Carlisle line itself is at its most dramatic crossing snow-dusted moorland.

Where to stay in Settle

Accommodation in and around Settle ranges from traditional coaching inns and B&Bs in the town centre to farmhouse stays and self-catering cottages scattered through Ribblesdale. Staying centrally puts the market square, station and surrounding pubs within easy walking distance, while options further out in villages such as Langcliffe or Stainforth offer a quieter base with the fells on the doorstep.

Food and drink in Settle

Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe, a bakery and cafe occupying a building dating to 1663 on the market square, is Settle's best-known spot for breakfasts, sandwiches and home-baked cakes. The town's independent shops include a traditional butcher and greengrocer, useful for self-catering stays, while several pubs around the square and along Duke Street serve as evening gathering points for locals, walkers and cyclists finishing a day on the Three Peaks routes.