The Ribble Way, Stainforth Force and Catrigg Force.

Start. Settle.

Route. Settle - Chapel Square - Market Place - Holy Ascension Church - Settle Bridge - Ribble Way - Stackhouse - Stainforth Force - Dog Hill Brow - Stainforth - Pennine Bridleway - Catrigg Force - Winskill - Dicks Ground Plantation - Langcliffe - B6479 - Settle.

Notes. This was a walk through a varying landscape of riverside pastures and high moorland, of quaint Dales villages, tumbling streams and plunging cataracts.

There’s a number of long distant footpaths pass through Settle, what interested us was a small slice of the 70 mile Ribble Way, the portion that would guide us north out of the market town, once located next to Settle Bridge at the foot of the hill that climbs passed Settle Collage our journey begun.

The finger-post at the start of the path invited us to walk the Ribble Way to Stackhouse, first a narrow path with a concrete surface squeezed us between a couple of sports fields, we escaped into green pastures the River Ribble always to our right, after a number of fields we stepped onto Stackhouse Lane, this we followed into the tiny village. Some of the houses were built to house the cotton workers of Langcliffe Mill which opened in 1783 on the opposite bank of the river, connected by a bridge, it was the path leading to said bridge we followed next.

The lane the mill workers would have used guided us to the river, ignoring the bridge we followed the west bank, the official route of the Ribble Way. Through fields over stiles the song of the river our constant companion, it’s tree lined banks blocking most of the views, but that mattered not a jot this is how a river should look, wild and unbridled.

The problem with today was the heat, it makes for uncomfortable walking, but that wasn’t the issue, the school holidays was. As we approached Stainforth Force the penny dropped, the place was packed, sun worshippers, bathers having great fun making loads of noise. So forgive me if the photos are crap I didn’t want them full of exposed torsos. From this usually quiet spot on the River Ribble we continued to a narrow single arched bridge, this former monastic road crossing built in 1675 marked the point we left the Ribble Way.

After crossing said bridge we climbed the narrow lane to Stainforth, had a quick look around the village before ascending a steep narrow lane to access Catrigg Force. In the heat of mid morning the climb was a slog, we stopped a number of times using photography as a good excuse, on reaching the waterfall we flopped down for refreshments. Catrigg Force is a bit of a hidden gem deep in a wooded gorge, it takes a bit of effort to reach, a broken cascade around 20ft high. Today it wasn’t hidden enough, wild swimmers, noisy kids all spoiled what should have been an alluvion paradise, we left for somewhere quieter.

After climbing the track above the fall we passed through a gate then turned right, a green trod then guided us to Upper Winskill where the track accesing Lower Winskill ushered us to a field path on the left, we traversed the small meadow before descending back into Ribblesdale. At the foot of the descent one of Yorkshires many green lanes welcomed us, this in turn guided us between dry stone walls to Langcliffe, a delightful little village, one of my favourites.

From Langcliffe we had a choice, our planed route was to head to Langcliffe Place, a small industrial estate, from there follow the access road back onto the main road, or ascend field paths and follow the main trod back to Settle, this is without doubt the best way but it was too hot to make another ascent, so we opted to follow the main road back, a mile of tarmac bashing that wasn't that bad and didn't seem to take long at all.

view route map.

home.

Built between 1836 - 1838 the Holy Ascension is an unusual church, being dedicated to a Holy mystery rather than a saint or other religious figure...the Holy Ascension. The church does not sit on the usual west-east alignment, but instead sits along a north-south alignment, which apparently means that the south window gets the morning sunlight.

Bridge End Mill is probably a very old site, there may have been a mill here for 'fulling' woolen cloth in the sixteenth century.  A forge, possible using water-powered tilt hammers to smelt iron is recorded on the site of the mill in 1774. The present buildings, which seem to have been re-built at least twice, probably date from around 1790. A small firm of cotton spinners ' is believed to have started water-powered cotton spinning here sometime around 1785.  In 1802 the mill was owned by 'Edmund Armistead' who described himself as a 'Cotton Merchant and Proprietor of a Cotton Mill at Settle Bridge'.

Away from the history of Settle, striding out over field paths enjoying views to Pen-y-ghent.

And behind us over long shadows and green pastures the light grey bulk of Pendle Hill.

Limestone scarps above Lords Wood.

It's what it says it is, a Weather Forecasting Stone at Stackhouse, it's dry today.

The track that once guided mill workers, if you walk this way please shut the gate.

The weir and footbridge at Langcliffe Place.

Stainforth Force an eight foot cascade on the River Ribble, in late September through early November a great place to watch Salmon jump.

The single arch of Stainforth Bridge, seventeen feet above the river at the highest point.

Stepping stones at Stainforth.

Fountains Fell seen from the climb out of Stainforth.

Looking down on Stainforth with Smearsett Scar on the horizon.

The broken cascade of Catrigg Force.

High and lofty Pen-y-ghent seen from field paths near Winskill.

Small barn with views to Pot and Smearsett Scars.

Lower Winskill.

Descending through Dick's Ground Plantation.

The massive scar of the Langcliffe Quarry.

War Memorial in Langcliffe.

back to top

back to list