Victoria Cave and Attermire Scar
You climb straight to Victoria Cave, a huge fault-line cavern that gave up bones of ancient hippo and bear, set in the theatrical limestone cliffs of Attermire Scar.
Effort: Moderate distance, manageable climb
Underfoot: Open fell or rough terrain
E2·T3 — how we grade routesYou climb straight to Victoria Cave, a huge fault-line cavern that gave up bones of ancient hippo and bear, set in the theatrical limestone cliffs of Attermire Scar.
A 6.6km loop from Settle up to Victoria Cave and along Attermire Scar, on the dramatic limestone of the Craven Fault. Short but steep, with caves, cliffs and big views over Ribblesdale.
The route
Start in Settle and climb east onto the limestone above the town, a 6.6km loop taking in Victoria Cave and the cliffs of Attermire Scar before dropping back. It is short but genuinely hilly, the climb front-loaded onto the scar and the ground rougher than the distance suggests. The reward is a concentrated dose of the best limestone scenery in Ribblesdale, all within a short run of the market square.
The caves and the scar
Victoria Cave is the centrepiece, a large cavern in the cliffs discovered by chance in 1837 and since excavated to reveal a remarkable record of the deep past: bones of hippopotamus, bear and hyena from warmer ages, and later human artefacts. It sits within Attermire Scar, a line of high limestone cliffs marking the Craven Fault, with Warrendale Knotts rising nearby. This is dramatic, broken country of crag, scree and cave, quite unlike the gentle dale below.
Why it works
This is a route that delivers a lot of drama for its length. The distance is short, but the climb and the rough limestone ground make it a proper little outing, and the scenery is exceptional. Navigation needs some care once you are off the main path onto the open fell, especially in cloud, so carry a map. It suits a short, sharp outing or a scenic loop when you do not want a long day. The limestone is slick when wet, the cave mouth has uneven ground, and the scar has real drops, so keep clear of the edges. Settle at the foot has cafes, pubs and a station, making it easy to build a morning around this compact but memorable loop.
Attermire Scar has real cliff drops and the cave mouth has uneven ground, so keep clear of the edges. Limestone is slick when wet, and the open fell needs a map in cloud.
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
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