North Yorkshire.
The immortal Beatles sang about ‘Love’ in so many of their iconic songs, but I honestly believe they were singing about the incredible beauty of Yorkshire!
This ancient town was first granted its market charter by Henry 111 in 1249 and is located at the southern edge of the Dales. It oozes history with its cottages and houses built around steep lanes and narrow ginnels. Cobbled streets snake past 17th and 18th century buildings, none so impressive as The Folly & Museum of North Craven Life, built in 1679 as a gentleman’s residence and the largest building in Settle, with expensive and incredible mullioned windows. This three-storey structure with its large fireplaces has been brought back to life with extensive renovations and love and relies solely on donations, now stands proud hosting family friendly activities during school holidays and has a lovely café tempting you with home baked cakes.
Enjoy the beautiful station signal box, a small working museum, then onto The Shambles, built in 1780 as a row of shops in the market place – with residential accommodation built over the businesses. Be sure to pop into Ye Olde Naked Man Café which dates back to 1663, the name came from a naked figure carved into the wall, but when Queen Victoria visited the town, it was decided a plaque should cover certain areas to avoid offending her Majesty. We decided to lunch at the ‘Naked Man’ and enjoyed a Ploughman’s platter, absolutely recommended.
Settle Riverside walk is worth a look and is suitable for wheelchairs, gently stroll along taking in the local wildlife. A swimming pool and library serve the public and be sure not to miss the Gallery on the Green, an old red telephone box that is now the smallest public art exhibition in the world, so cool. Pop along to the Holy Ascension Parish Church, which was completed in 1838 or stop by Victoria Theatre, the world’s oldest music hall. Â
The town began its growth in 1847 when it was connected to the railway, during which hundreds of rail workers lost their lives building the Settle to Carlisle railway line. A 72-mile route, travelling past lush rolling hills, ten stations that have stood still in time, all lovingly tended to – while crossing over the monumental 24 arched Ribblehead Viaduct. This Grade 11 listed testament to Victorian engineering is visited by tourists daily offering a 3.6 mile walk around the viaduct, on uneven paths and challenging climbs. Wind around the viaduct can reach incredible speeds, with several brand-new cars being blown off their haulage train in 1964, and has been known to blow a slow-moving steam train to a standstill! Car parking can be found along the roadside. Make sure you take a gander at the amazing restoration of the Settle Station Water Tower. In 2011 it was restored and adapted to a private house, retaining many of its original features, absolute genius. Â
Recharge your senses, this popular summer destination is alive with walkers, cyclists and visitors seeking peace and tranquillity, whilst mixing with friendly locals. The Yorkshire Dales lies in the foothills of the Pennine’s and offers tumbling waterfalls, cliffs, caves and potholes, something to suit everyone and has been awarded the status of International Dark Sky Reserve, allowing thousands of stars including the Milky Way, meteors and even the Northern Lights to be observed.
Along the way hubby wanted to stop off for a photo shoot at the 40ft high Scaleber Force Waterfall, the result of a geological fault. There is a roadside pull in for two cars, but on the day of our visit the muddy, rocky path down to the viewing point was quite difficult to negate, I wussed out I’m afraid, only hubby was brave enough!
Enjoy your visit – we look forward to our next trip.
Nah then, nah then, Settle down – sorry, couldn’t resist.