Yorkshire Walks

Short, steep and spectacular Settle

Map based on Ordnance Survey mapping by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright.

Length of Walk: 3 miles
Start: Settle
Terrain: Uphill out. Downhill in

This ramble is a short, yet pleasant introduction to the Settle area. The outward leg presents a rewarding physical challenge. The homeward section displays far-reaching views, which extend to the Cumbrian fells. Save this outing for a clear day.

Set off from the centre of Settle, passing to the right of the Shambles, then the TSB bank. Keep right of the estate agency to enter Chapel Square and on to Greenfoot car park. Veer left at the telephone box and right when the path forks to follow the path beyond the bungalows and on to the main road. Turn right, cross the road and enter Brockholes Lane on the left ‹ a badly eroded signpost indicates Meer Beck.

Note the terraced field systems beyond the allotments on the left, before meeting up with Meer Beck, which covers the lane particularly after prolonged rainfall.
Leave the lane at a stile on the left when a signpost to Lodge is reached close to a gate. The climb starts here! After 50 yards veer left to follow a faint green track, rising between two copses and on towards a narrow stile in the facing wall.

Proceed beyond a plantation, pass through an open gate and turn right to walk between a row of hawthorn trees and a wall towards a house and a stile. Pass to the left of the house then swing left at a junction before reaching Lodge Farm to rise alongside Hudsa plantation, where the rewards for your physical efforts commence. Leaving the plantation behind, continue to the end of the enclosed section, pass through the gate, swing immediately left to cross the ladder stile (the signpost to Turnpike House isn¹t relevant) and swing right heading towards Settle.

Walk across the rough pasture with the wall to your right, the views improving with every stride. As the wall descends, locate a stile 20 yards before reaching a wooded area. Cross the next field gradually curving left to a small gate, then turn right towards Mitchell Lane. Reaching that point swing left to return to the centre of Settle. The field systems observed earlier are again conspicuous on the left.

From Walks Around Settle by Richard Musgrave

The information given in this walk has been provided in good faith and is intended only as a general guide. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that details were correct at the time of publication, the author and Country Publications Ltd cannot accept any responsibility for inaccuracies. It is the responsibility of individuals undertaking outdoor activities to approach the activity with caution and, especially if inexperienced, to do so under appropriate supervision. The activity described in this walk is strenuous and individuals should ensure that they are suitably fit before embarking upon it. They should carry the appropriate equipment and maps, be properly clothed and have adequate footwear. They should also take note of weather conditions and forecasts, and leave notice of their intended route and estimated time of return.