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Giggleswick Walks

4.97 miles (8 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This picturesque village is located close to Settle in the Craven district of North Yorkshire. The village includes a railway station, a noteworthy 15th century church, a fine old pub and pleasant waterside walks through the Ribble Valley.
This circular walk from the village takes you up to the viewpoints on Giggleswick Scar before a riverside stroll along the River Ribble.
The walk starts in the village where you can follow Mill Hill Lane north to the quarries and Schoolboys Tower Cairn. You then head west along Gigglsewick Scar where there are a number of intriguing caves, limestone cliffs and wonderful views from the high points.
After exploring the Scar you head back to the east to pick up the Ribble Way. Follow this south towards Settle before turning west to return to the village.

Postcode

BD24 0EA - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Giggleswick OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Giggleswick Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Walks near Giggleswick

  • Ribble Way - Follow the River Ribble through the beautiful Ribble Valley from its mouth at Longton, near Preston, to the source at Gayle Moor in Yorkshire.
    You start at Longton just to the west of Preston and follow the river through Ribchester and Clitheroe, before reaching Gisburn
  • Settle Caves and Waterfalls Walk - This beautiful circuit around Settle visits a series of rushing waterfalls, pretty becks, limestone outcrops and mysterious caves
  • Catrigg Force - This circular walk visits the beautiful Catrigg Force waterfall in the Yorkshire Dales
  • Scaleber Force - Visit this beautiful waterfall on this short walk from the Yorkshire town of Settle
  • Settle Loop - This circular cycle or walk explores the area surrounding the Yorkshire town of Settle
  • Stainforth Force - Enjoy a short walk to Stainforth Force waterfall from the North Yorkshire village of Stainforth.
    Start the walk from the main parking area in the village and head west, crossing the bridge over the river
  • Pendle Hill - This walk climbs to the summit of Pendle Hill in Lancashire
  • Fountains Fell - Climb to this prominent fell in the Yorkshire Dales and enjoy wonderful views over the surrounding hills and countryside
  • Pennine Bridleway - This fabulous 120 mile long trail runs through the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District, through Lancashire and on into Yorkshire.
    It is suitable for mountain bikers, horse riders and walkers taking you on a tour through some of the most beautiful parts of the country
  • Malham Tarn Estate - This beautiful spot in the Yorkshire Dales is perfect for a safe cycle or walk
  • Feizor - This little hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales is known for some splendid limestone scenery
  • Long Preston - This attractive village is located in the Craven district of North Yorkshire
  • Settle Riverside Walk - This walk takes you along the River Ribble from the Yorkshire town of Settle to its near neighbour at Stainforth.

Pubs/Cafes

The Craven Arms is a good choice for post walk refreshment. They serve a good Sunday lunch and have a decent sized car park and large garden area as well. You can find them near the train station at Brackenber Lane with postcode BD24 0EA.

Dog Walking

The trails are a good one for fit dogs and the Craven Arms mentioned above is also dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Head across the river to neighbouring Settle and you could pick up the Settle Caves and Waterfalls Walk and visit the splendid Catrigg Force and Scaleber Force waterfalls.
One of the highlights of the area can also be found a few miles to the east on the wonderful Malham Tarn Estate.
The Settle Riverside Walk will take you along the River Ribble to neighbouring Stainforth where you can visit the photogenic Stainforth Force Waterfall.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Yorkshire Dales Walks page.

Photos

Building in Giggleswick School, Giggleswick - geograph.org.uk - 928544

Building in Giggleswick School. The older buildings are Gothic in style, with curved tops to the window lights. Here there is a change to larger, rectangular windows, but there is still a castle-like tower and large windows with mullions and transoms harking back to the 17th century.

Giggleswick Quarry 2007 - geograph.org.uk - 918640

Giggleswick Quarry 2007. A dry stone wall was started in the summer of 2007 but it was soon found that the quality of the stone from the quarry was not good enough to make a solid enough wall. Concrete was used as hearting (fillings) and the copestones have been cemented on, so technically this is not a dry stone wall anymore, although it looks like one.

Old signpost, Giggleswick - geograph.org.uk - 1445482

Old signpost in the village. This is of the 'pre-Worboys' type, with place-names in capitals and an arrow rather than a chevron. The lettering is raised, but is not of metal. The '4' of the mileage to Clitheroe is deteriorating, and is made of a substance looking like plaster, with a black '4' of a thin material stuck on to it.

Tems Side, Giggleswick - geograph.org.uk - 919356

Tems Side. There is a little Lane alongside Tems Beck called Tems Street, and from it this bridge gives access to a group of houses.

Cairn, Stack House Scar, Giggleswick - geograph.org.uk - 2006493

Cairn, Stack House Scar, Giggleswick

The dry valley below Kinsey Cave - geograph.org.uk - 2117593

The dry valley below Kinsey Cave

Giggleswick Scar - geograph.org.uk - 42107

Giggleswick Scar is a series of long limestone cliffs which were formed by the Craven Fault and which run along the route of the A65 (prior to the construction of the Settle by-pass), between the village of Giggleswick and Buckhaw Brow.

Buckhaw Brow Cave, Giggleswick Scar - geograph.org.uk - 1765003

Buckhaw Brow Cave, Giggleswick Scar. One of two caves (Upper and Lower) both "aligned on a barytes string which has been worked in the lower cave" (Northern Caves vol two, Dalesman 1982). This is the view from the Upper Cave (length 9m) looking towards a distant, misty Pendle Hill. Cars can just be seen passing on the road below.

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Giggleswick.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Giggleswick.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)