The Settle Scars.
Start. Settle.
Route. Settle - Constitution Hill - Pennine Bridleway - Blua Crag - Warrendale - Victoria Cave - Brent Scar - Attermire Scar - Sugar Loaf Hill - High Hill Lane - Lambert Lane - Mitchell Lane - Upper Settle - Settle.
Notes. To the east of Settle lies some of the finest limestone scenery in the Dales, cliffs, towers and scars mark the edge of the Craven Fault, a spectacular rift marking the edge of the high limestone dales and a softer gentler Yorkshire to the south. The cliffs are a climbers paradise but for us mere ramblers there's plenty to explore, in particular Victoria Cave, the cavern may have been discovered only 170 years ago but bones lying deep in clay deposits date back 130,000 years, to a time when hippo, elephant and narrow-nosed rhino roamed these hills.
I’ve got company today, Sue's at the helm blazing a trail through these high limestone pastures, she picked the route and was eagerly guiding me out of Settle via Constitution Hill, to the left of the square, when a finger-post announced we’d reached the Pennine Bridleway, we left tarmac to ascend a narrow lane, this guided us into high limestone pastures with stunning views over the Ribble Valley. On we walked, a dry stone wall for company, after passing Blua Crags a path junction marked a change of direction, ignoring the path to Longcliffe we forked right ascending through sheep pastures, in the shadow of a small cops we walked before stepping onto a narrow tarmac lane, a finger-post welcomed us with a promise to guide us to Longscar Gate on the Settle Loop. Immediately we turned our back on tarmac, a stoney track carried us towards the impressive cliffs of Longcliffe Scar through the high valley of Warrendale, here we joined a narrow path heading south, in the shadow of impressive limestone cliffs we walked to reach Victoria Cave.
After visiting Victoria Cave we sat and had lunch, drank in mouth-watering views over Warrendale and the Ribble Valley, the hills of Bowland reached across the skyline to the west, to the south the flat pastoral lands of Yorkshire stretched into industrial Lancashire, the high ground just visible melting into a grey horizon was Pendle Hill almost fifteen miles to the south. Lunch over we headed south, in the shadow of Brent Scar and Attermire we wandered, a short descent took us to a path junction overlooked by the formidable cliffs and towers of Warrendale Knotts, amongst many choices etched on the finger-post High Mill Lane was Sue's preferred route today. A short walk through sheep pastures followed, passed the grassy mound of Sugar Loaf Hill before descending to High Mill Lane. With tarmac under foot we strolled north, a few hundred yards before a finger-post invited us to follow the Pennine Bridleway down Lambert Lane, this was the most uncomfortable three hundred yards of walking imaginable, Lambert Lane is home to biting insects, swarms of the beasts made the going pretty miserable. After a brisk walk between dry stone walls we bailed out onto field paths, a cool breeze eased the insect bites and kept the little blighter’s at bay. The torture over we strolled on passed a disused reservoir before descending into Upper Settle a delightful place, a short walk followed through cobbled streets before the smell of home cooking guided us straight to the Ye Old Naked Man Café.
Striding out along the Pennine Bridleway with views over Settle for company.
Viewing Pen-y-ghent over the disused Longcliffe Quarry.
Looking to Winskill with the dark mass of Pen-y-ghent on the skyline.
In sunlight and shade the Ribble Valley, the flat top of Ingleborough looms dark across the horizon.
Sue strides out, eager to reach Warrendale.
A parting of the ways.
The embarrassment of a mobile phone call, isn't that one of the reasons we come into these wild places to avoid, it was Kirsten wanting to know why we weren't at home, I left Sue making small talk and wandered over the field to enjoy this view over the Ribble Valley, Smearsett Scar backed by the Ingleborough massif.
The cliffs of Brent Scar with the path to Victoria Cave just visible centre left.
Strolling through Warrendale looking to the edge of Longcliffe Scar.
Rising high above the Ribble Valley Ingleborough.
Views taken from the approach to Victoria Cave, the civilized side of Warrendale Knotts.
Sue on the approach to Victoria Cave.
Stunning views over Warrendale, the flat lands where Yorkshire melts into industrial Lancashire.
Soaking up the views south from Victoria Cave....
....and north to Ingleborough.
Victoria Cave.
We've enjoyed views to the north and south, here's one to the west and the hills of Bowland.
Viewing the impressive rock architecture of Warrendale Knots.
Attermire Scar as seen from the path to High Mill Lane.
The Ragged heights of Warrendale Knotts.
Another view to the cliff and scree of Warrendale Knotts, with Attermire Scar to the right.
About to start what turned out to be a brisk walk down Lambert Lane.
Settle seen from the start of the steep descent into Upper Settle.
The distant summit of Ingleborough as seen from the descent into Upper Settle.
A small slice of Upper Settle.