Victoria Cave and Attermire Scar

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.