12k Run Craven: Spectacular Views at Settle Hills Loop

Route Overview & Local Insights

This 11.7km figure-of-eight adventure through the Settle Hills offers a quintessential Yorkshire Dales fell running experience. Starting with a vigorous climb out of Settle toward Attermire Scar, you'll encounter a challenging mix of terrain including steep limestone gradients, fast-rolling grassy ridges, and technical pathless sections that require keen navigation. With roughly 436m of vertical gain, the route tests your climbing legs early on, but rewards you with breathtaking panoramas of the Ribble Valley and the distant Lakeland fells. The terrain is moderately hilly with about 5km of paved or well-defined tracks, making the transition onto the rugged limestone plateau feel even more dramatic.

Steeped in geological and archaeological history, the area around Attermire Scar and Warrendale Knotts is as fascinating as it is beautiful. Runners will pass near Victoria Cave, a site famous for Victorian excavations that unearthed remains of mammoths, hippos, and even evidence of Upper Palaeolithic human occupation. This landscape is a classic example of "karst" limestone scenery, characterized by dramatic scars, sinkholes, and vibrant green turf. Keep an eye out for local Swaledale sheep and the occasional peregrine falcon as you traverse this ancient landscape, which has served as a gateway to the Dales for centuries.