The Settle Loop | Winskill Stones and Catrigg Force

Winskill Stones and Catrigg Force

Catrigg Force is a well-hidden waterfall in the Yorkshire Dales that we visited during our trip to Settle.

We walked from Settle, passing through the little village of Langcliffe, before climbing up towards Winskill Stones. The path became quite steep as we made our way higher, and it was really windy, but the views across the surrounding countryside made the climb worthwhile.

Eventually, we reached Catrigg Force, hidden away amongst the woodland. There was nobody else there when we arrived, which meant we had the waterfall to ourselves and could climb out over the rocks to get a better view.

Tucked away in the trees and away from the crowds, Catrigg Force ended up being one of my favourite places we visited during the trip.

Walking the Settle Loop | Scaleber Force and Victoria Caves

Scaleber Force

We started our trip to Settle with a walk through the countryside called the ‘Settle Loop’. The route took us through woodland, past waterfalls, and up towards some caves, with lots to photograph along the way.

After climbing over a stile, we headed into Scaleber Wood, where the trees were just beginning to turn. We heard the waterfall before we could see it, and I had to peer over the edge to get a glimpse.

I'm not great with heights, so I was pleased to discover that there were steps down to the bottom of the waterfall. From there, you get a much better view of the water tumbling down through the rocks. There were already a few people around Scaleber, including the usual collection of people with massive cameras! But we still managed to stop and admire the waterfall before carrying on.

Further along, we passed through fields, and eventually the caves came into view. We stopped for a picnic on the rocks overlooking them, which made a nice break before exploring further.

The main cave we visited was Victoria Cave. We climbed up to the entrance and ventured inside, where water was trickling down the walls. Jubilee Cave was much smaller and we almost missed it.

From the path back to Settle, you get a lovely view over the town. We could even see the trains passing through the station below.

Settle

Settle

I'd passed through Settle on the train before, but this was the first time I'd actually stopped to have a look around the town. We spent the day looking at the old buildings and exploring the streets.

We happened to visit while the annual Plant Pot Festival was taking place, so there were colourful and quirky plant pot creations everywhere. Houses and businesses around the town had joined in, and there were some really imaginative ones. I took photographs of a couple of my favourites, including a plant pot climber making its way up Castleberg.

Castleberg overlooks the town, and while we didn't have time to climb up to it on this visit, it was nice seeing the limestone crag towering above the rooftops.