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Attermire Scar, Catrigg Force & Langcliffe from Settle

Yorkshire Dales Walk

Nat Park - Yorkshire Dales - Lower Ribblesdale

County/Area - North Yorkshire

Author - A Pennine Journey

Length - 7.5 miles / 12.2 km    Ascent - 1500 feet / 455 metres

Time - 5 hours 20 minutes    Grade - easy/mod

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Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Attermire Scar, Catrigg Force & Langcliffe
Click image to see photo description.

Appropriately, this Yorkshire Dales walk starts at the plaque at Settle station commemorating Alfred Wainwright's 1938 Pennine Journey. Leave the station and at the bottom of the approach road turn right to the town centre. Upon reaching the main street (Duke Street) turn left, then right up Cheapside and go around Lloyds TSB bank. Head up a short stretch of cobbled road (Castle Hill) turning left when the metalled road is reached and then right up Constitution Hill. Leave this very soon on a rough, stony walled track (FP Langcliffe 1.5 miles) - this is Banks Lane and is part of the Settle Loop of the Pennine Bridleway. Climb the track, go through a gate by a stone barn and continue by the wall to a fingerpost (FP Malham 5 miles).

Take this steep grassy path which meets a wall on the left to arrive at a wicket gate by a dilapidated metal gate. Continue by the wall ignoring a grassy path off to the right remaining beneath the impressive crags of Warrendale Knotts before dropping gently right to go around a facing wall. Keep by the wall, passing a fingerpost (FP Victoria Cave) which takes the path left, around limestone crags before climbing to a gate in a wall on the right. Beyond, the path becomes well defined below Attermire Scar and passes beneath the entrance to Victoria Cave amidst the limestone outcrops. A warning notice strongly advises against exploring the cave. The now stony track drops down to meet a wider track at a gate. Turn left through the gate and follow this broad track until its junction with a metalled road. A fingerpost (Pennine Bridleway: Winskill 1.75 miles) points the way right but before heading up the road pause to take in the view of Ingleborough, Whernside and Penyghent.

After crossing a cattle grid take the 'no through road' on the left (Pennine Bridleway: Stainforth 1.75 miles) to arrive at a crossroad of tracks at High Winskill just after passing a large erratic boulder on the right, seemingly mounted on a plinth of limestone rocks. Turn right where the fingerpost (Pennine Bridleway: Stainforth 1.75 miles) seems to ignore the fact that half a mile has just been covered! After a barn on the left take a gate in the wall on the left (Pennine Bridleway: Stainforth) and a further gate to reach a wicket gate (SP Catrigg Foss Only) leading to the impressive falls of Catrigg Force.

Retrace the route to High Winskill and at the crossroads take the wide track ahead over the gated cattle grid (SP Langcliffe & Stainforth) towards Low Winskill. After the first bend take a step stile on the left (FP Langcliffe 1m) to reach, after crossing the field diagonally to a wall corner, the route of the Pennine Journey which is now followed in reverse back to Settle. After a step stile by a gate follow the path, initially steeply, downhill through three gates to reach the enclosed Howson Lane which leads directly into Langcliffe, arriving between the Langcliffe Institute (with its very pointed spire) and the school with St. John's Church opposite.

Turn left up the road for a few yards and locate a fingerpost on the right by the churchyard wall (BW Settle 0.75 miles). After an initial steep climb, at a gate keep right and bear right on a gently rising path to a gate in a facing wall. Continue on this broad, grassy path with the wall on the right and views of Settle ahead to arrive at the fingerpost to Malham, from where the path returns to Settle station.

For more information on the Pennine Journey path visit www.penninejourney.org.uk/.

Other walks nearby

Walk 1403 Attermire Scar and Catrigg Forceeasy/mod6.5 miles
Walk 1105 Settle Circulareasy/mod6.0 miles
Walk 1740 Attermire Scar & Victoria Caveeasy/mod5.1 miles
Walk 1548 Rye Loaf Hill from Settlemoderate7.6 miles
Walk 2603 Feizor & Giggleswick Scar from Settleeasy/mod8.0 miles
Walk 2617 Nappa Cross & Victoria Cave from Langcliffemoderate9.5 miles
Walk 1404 Oxenber and Wharfe Woods from Langcliffemoderate10.5 miles
Walk 2649 Attermire Scar & Malham Tarn from Stainforthmod/hard16.5 miles
Walk 1251 The Norber Erratics & Sulber Gatemoderate8.0 miles
Walk 2620 Sulber Gate & Crummack Dale from Austwickmoderate9.5 miles

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Trail and Fell Running in the Yorkshire Dales

Trail and Fell Running in the Yorkshire DalesGuidebook to 40 of the best trail and fell runs in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Ranging from 5 to 24 miles, the graded runs start from bases such as Ribblehead, Dent, Sedbergh, Malham and Grassington and take in the region's diverse delights, from castles and waterfalls to iconic mountains such as Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen Y Ghent.
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