Settle – a great little town in the Yorkshire Dales
Settle has all the ingredients for a great holiday in the Yorkshire Dales – it’s small and friendly; it’s in the middle of stunning countryside; there are lots of walks that start from the edge of this small market town; there are some great cafés, restaurants and pubs; there’s a range of shops – big and small – including several well-stocked outdoor clothing retailers; and there are plenty of places to explore within easy walking or driving distance.
Settle is on the A65 between Skipton and Kendal, and is a busy market town. From the Market Place, narrow streets lead up to the base of Castlebergh – a steep outcrop of limestone which towers above the town and provides a focal point and a way for strangers to the town to orient themselves if they lose their way. It’s possible to climb to the top of Castlebergh and look down and see the town below spread out like a three-dimensional map.
On the south side of the Market Place is the superb Town Hall building (at the time of writing this is being refurbished) where visitors can find a useful Tourist Information Centre, staffed by friendly locals. Along the east side, Settle has its own Shambles – the site of a slaughter-house for cattle brought to market. The building is now home to a variety of shops, a superb photographic gallery (Three Peaks Gallery), a fish and chip shop and other businesses including a delightful subterranean Italian restaurant called Gusto – its small size and low arched ceiling make for a very intimate environment. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a place where not just the owners (Paul & Philippa) but also the chef (Luke) greet you warmly as you come in and shake your hand as you leave. The food’s simply superb too! Read our review of Gusto here.
The west side of the Market Place has two former coaching inns with a long history. Both places still offer hospitality to visitors – the Royal Oak Hotel has guest accommodation and lounge and public bars. Ye Olde Naked Man dates back to 1663 and is now a café and bakery shop with a number of tables on the cobbles outside. It’s a very popular spot for walkers and other visitors to the town.
To the north of the Market Place is a parade of buildings including “Dr Buck’s House”. This was the surgery of Charles Buck, an amateur cellist and close friend of Edward Elgar and it’s quite possible that some of the great man’s works were composed in Buck’s house in neighbouring Giggleswick.
There are two other inns in Settle. The Talbot Arms is the oldest in the town, and retains some important historic features. The former Golden Lion is now called The Lion – though the original name lives on in the masonry above its main entrance. Both The Lion and The Talbot serve food and excellent ales.
The Folly, in one of the narrow streets behind the Market Place, dates back to the late 17th century and was originally a “gentleman’s residence”. It’s had a chequered history and at one time a fish and chip shop was based there, which really didn’t do it justice as it has some splendid architectural features. It now houses the Museum of North Craven Life.
Visitors can pick up an excellent leaflet called “A Short Walk in Settle” from the local TIC for a small sum which provides details of some of the above places and many more interesting buildings and features in this splendid town.
One very important feature of Settle which is not mentioned in any detail in the leaflet is the River Ribble, which runs through the town. Walking alongside the river has been a pastime enjoyed by many over the years, and it has been a favourite spot for picnics for countless generations. Near one of the bridges there’s a large boulder in the water called Queen’s Rock, and the fast flowing waters of the Ribble gush around it creating ever-varying patterns.
No article about this gem of a Dales’ town would be complete without a mention of Settle Station. It’s at the southern end of the Settle-Carlisle Railway Line which crosses the stunning Ribblehead Viaduct. This 72-mile stretch of railway is one of the favourite journeys of the travel writer, Simon Calder. As you approach the Station, the first thing that strikes you is the huge water tower, recently restored to its former glory with a difference – it’s now the home of Mark & Pat Rand and was the subject of the Channel 4 TV programme Restoration Man in February of this year. It’s become a bit of a tourist attraction in its own right, and gets a mention in a tourism brochure issued by the local Chamber of Trade.
Settle Station is a big tourist attraction, and rightly so: it’s beautifully laid out, carefully looked after and majestic in appearance – from its maroon and cream livery to the colourful flower tubs. The station’s neat Victorian buildings, the old footbridge, the signal box and the water tower all hark back to an era when the train was the way to travel. The signal box at Settle Station was restored by the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line and is open to the public on Saturdays and, by appointment, at other times.
Whilst at the Station, I had the good fortune to bump into Brenda Newby, the daughter of the last appointed Station Master at Settle, James M Taylor, who was in charge from 1960–68. Amongst other titbits Brenda told me that in her father’s day the other staff would have to call him Mr Taylor and never by his first name. Before taking charge of Settle, Jim Taylor was Station Master at Horton in Ribblehead and under his care the station won award after award for best station. During the war, he was posted to London to handle munitions trains and troop movements. Jim’s old office is now the memorabilia shop.
Another interesting aspect of Settle is the unusual use of the classic red telephone box: one’s a God Loves You box and another is an art gallery called the Gallery on the Green.
There’s much, much more that could be written about Settle and its nearby villages, and I’ll be doing so in other blog articles – so search the Hello Yorkshire blog for “Settle” to find out more about this marvellous town in the Yorkshire Dales.
And if you’d like to visit Settle (and why wouldn’t you?), then check out some holiday accommodation in Settle here and some Settle tourist information here.