Pennine Bridleway - Settle Loop (★★★★★)

The Pennine Bridleway has a loop that juts out from Settle, and then comes back to finish where it started. And with this loop totaling around 10 miles it can be extended without creating too challenging a day - and the plan for today is to walk this loop, but extending to explore Malham Cove and Gordale Scar.

The Pennine Bridleway itself is an often overlooked National Trail - but the walking I have done on it so far has been particularly good - and so whilst you may not neigh or eat hay, this is still a trail that is worth doing.

From the station, we first head out through the town, until we meet up with the Pennine Bridleway  (which clips the east of the town) - and then start to climb up onto the ridge that sits to the east..

Once up onto the grass of the ridge above, the path splits - with one route turning right and continuing to head up the hill, whilst another bends left and goes round the ridge.

Here we take the left-hand path (that bends round the ridge), but later in the day we will return along the path coming down from higher up on the ridge.

As we head out beyond Settle, it is a decent enough walk across the fields - passing some of the most chilled sheep in the world - but after turning right at a junction with a minor road, we start the best of the walking so far today.

The traditional Dales mix of stone walls and limestone

It is pleasant today after the recent heatwave

As the track bends round, we head past the turning for Victoria Cave - and what makes this particular cave so interesting were the items that were found inside.

Victoria Cave itself was only "discovered" in 1837 - and has since been completely excavated.

Over time the cave had filled up with sediment - predominantly over a period between 120,000 to 20,000 years ago, as the glaciers that covered this area periodically melted and left behind layers of sediment as part of their retreat.

This gave historians the opportunity to take a glimpse into this world 130,000 years ago - when Britain had a very different climate - with temperatures 1.5 to 3 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

These higher temperatures meant that hippos, rhinos, elephants and hyenas walked this area 130,000 years ago (we are currently 1.3 degrees above pre-industrial temperature levels, and on track to reach 2 degrees by 2050).

And this is not mere speculation over what could have walked in this area all those years ago - as their bones were found in the lower levels of sediment deposited in Victoria Cave.

Meanwhile, the higher levels of sediment - dating back 11,000 years to a much colder period - contained bones of a brown bear, reindeer bones, and a harpoon point made from an antler (that would have been used by early humans in that period 11,000 years ago).

At the very top layers Roman artifacts were also found - and many of these artifacts can be found at the Craven Museum in Skipton.

At this point, we could turn down that path to go see the cave - but exploring it is not advised due to concerns over the roof, and since a cave is just a cave, we can continue on - and content ourselves with the sight of at Jubilee Cave (as we pass it by). 

Over at this cave the discoveries were less exciting, but records still indicate that 'Iron Age and Roman material, artefacts of Mesolithic and Late Palaeolithic type have been reported from the cave' - and if it weren't for the rhino bones over at Victoria Cave, we might find that interesting.

But having passed both caves, we head out across more open terrain - and now the main focus is the views across this area of the Dales.

Now the focus is the views (looking towards Pen-y-Ghent and Fountains Fell)

Slightly further round

Even further round (looking more forwards this time)

This is an area that I do keep coming back to, because there is a lot of variety in terms of the walking available - and here we have a more relaxed section of walking, as we pass Black Hill, and pass along the top of Ewe Moor.

At Langscar the Pennine Bridleway turns to the right - but here we have also met up with the Dales High Way - which is the trail we will now follow round to Gordale Scar.

This is a trail that I have walked before, on a walk from Skipton to Settle (walking in the opposite direction) - but on that occasion they were doing filming for the new Harry Potter series in the area, and had closed off both Gordale Scar, and much of Malham Cove - so there are still plenty of new sights to see.

But in any case it is familiar walking - as we continue on, and meet up with the route of the Pennine Way, as it makes it's way between Malham Cove and Malham Tarn (again this is one I have walked - walking from Gargrave to Horton-in-Ribblesdale).

From here, we walk both the Dales High Way and Pennine Way down Ing Scar - and in my opinion, this is one of the best (and often overlooked) bits of the area around Malham Cove.

Looking down the valley passing below Ing Scar

A rocky view

From the bottom of Ing Scar

Here the pictures are really all we need - and once we have made it down this valley, we immediately need to get the camera back out again - for we are now stood at the top of Malham Cove.

The limestone above Malham Cove

Moving up towards the front

Looking to the left

Here the weather gods are smiling down on us - and the cloud has broken enough to give some fabulous photos, looking out over this limestone pavement.

If we were truly committed to the Greatest Hits aspect of this walk, we would probably head down into Malham Cove to look up from below - but there is really no need given that walking through Gordale Scar is still yet to come in the next part of the way.

And so instead, it is time to say goodbye to the Pennine Way - but to continue along the Dales High Way, as we take on a lovely walk round towards Gorsdale Scar.

And after walking this fairly busy section of path between the two - and having passed over one of the biggest styles I have ever seen (it is basically a kid's climbing frame) - we arrive at the meat of this meal.

Walking alongside Gordale Beck

The waterfalls at Gordale Scar

Here there is a bit of an option for the onward route. It is possible - as demonstrated by the glamorous assistants in the above photo - to follow the "footpath" up the waterfall. 

Whilst this does initially appear to be a reckless death trap that will result in a near certain death - it is clear from watching people that there is a bit of a route up through the rocks, that isn't quite as exposed as it looks.

But there is still quite a big initial step to get up through the rock - and all the little people were having trouble getting up the initial step (although bigger people were kind enough to pull up the fellow in white, to get him past that first step). 

Meanwhile, the bigger people (I have never felt more like a Hobbit than I do now) were finding that jump to be fairly straight-forward.

But in any case - I now consider myself to be old (to clarify I am mid-thirties - but at this point I can't conceive of any worse condition of aging than this sorry state - and if it does get any worse than this, then please - do just shoot me now). 

More specifically, I am now old enough for an event (such as tripping over the carpet) to put me out of action for a few months, and this calamitous state of my well-being makes such jaunts feel fairly inadvisable. 

And so, I am more than content to watch everyone else take on the "footpath" - and then put my sensible hat on, and head back along Gordale Beck to Malham Cove.

Looking back from Gordale Scar

On my way back now

On the way back to Malham Cove

Back at Malham Cove

Back up Ing Scar

Off towards Langscar

And after this very accelerated trip back up the Dales High Way - we return to the junction of the Pennine Bridleway we had left behind earlier in the day - and belatedly pick up the second half of the loop of the Pennine Bridleway that runs out and back from Settle.

And here we are not just following the Pennine Bridleway, but are also continuing to follow the route of the Dales High Way (they run together from here to just past Stockdale Farm).

Now on the Pennine Bridleway looking back towards Malham Tarn

This route takes us out through fields containing more of the very chilled cows and sheep that populate this area - whilst also taking us past the site of the Pikedaw Calamine Caverns.

These are natural caverns (underneath our feet) that were mined for calamite - which is a zinc ore that was used in the brass industry. But more importantly, the caverns contain shiny (and colourful) rocks.

Some of the rocks, Source: someone else's very interesting walk to the caves

But our path, whilst initially a bit of a dull one (at least compared to the rest of the walk today), eventually reaches the valley below Great Scar - with views now appearing (out towards Stockdale Farm).

The valley beneath Great Scar

Looking out towards Stockdale Beck

Descending down towards Stockdale Farm

After reaching Stockdale Farm, we continue on along the farm road - and I did briefly consider being good and sticking with the Pennine Bridleway - which continues on down into Settle along these roads (on a still very lovely route past Sugar Loaf Hill).

But since we are on foot today, we can instead leave the Pennine Bridleway for this final stretch, and instead stick with the Dales High Way - walking past Attermire Scar for this final run.

And it is hopefully easy to see why this is my preferred route - as Attermire Scar is one of the more underrated parts of this area.

Attermire Scar

The first section of the path is blocked by some cows - which are a little bit reluctant to step away from the gate to their fields - but with a bit of encouragement they back up enough to get the gate open, and these here are that lovely sort of cows that aren't too bothered by your presence (and even the bull gave a friendly little wave). 

But this section is all about the hills that lie ahead - as we head on, and pass the footpath that had earlier dropped down towards Victoria Cave (note that this is Open Access land in any case, and very explorable).

Can't remember which exact scar this was

Warrendale Knotts

This section makes for a terrific end to the day - before Settle eventually comes into view as we crest the ridge - and get ready to drop down into town.

Reaching the end of our journey

This is a fabulous part of the world - and it's been another great walk, and I'm already looking forward to coming back and doing the joining sections of the Pennine Bridleway. 

And increasingly there is a growing temptation to leave behind the sunny delights of Teesside - and one day move down here, to this lovely part of the world.

Total Distance: 15.7 miles (the Settle Loop done properly is 9.3 miles)

Total Ascent: 2,746 miles (the Settle Loop done properly is 1,529 feet)

Enjoyment Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

Click for a writeup of a very impressive connecting walk between Ribblehead and Settle along the Dales High Way.

Click for a walk along the same section of the Dales High Way as today, but from Skipton to Settle.

Click for the section of the Pennine Way that crosses this walk today - walking from Gargrave to Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Disclaimer: This writeup provides a narrative of what to expect rather than a route guide to follow. The route is covered by the 98 OS Landranger map - while there is also a Pennine Bridleway guidebook which includes OS mapping (links redirect to Amazon). The route is in general well way-marked.