Warrendale Knotts Hill Climb

Route Overview & Local Insights

The Warrendale Knotts Hill Climb is a short but punchy ascent that packs 243 meters of vertical gain into a mere 1.7km, making it a favorite for Yorkshire fell runners looking for a localized burn. Starting from the market town of Settle, the terrain transition is immediate—shifting from town pavement to rugged limestone paths that characterize the Crave district. This purely uphill sprint is rated at a difficulty level 5 for its steepness, featuring rocky outcrops and grassy slopes that require focused footwork. As you reach the trig point, the panoramic exposure of the Ribble Valley makes every lung-busting step worthwhile.

Local runners know Settle as the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, a historic town shaped by its 13th-century market charter and the dramatic limestone geology that surrounds it. Warrendale Knotts is historically significant as part of the Great Scar Limestone series, and the area is dotted with ancient caves and scars that reveal millions of years of glacial history. While touring this route, you’re running through a landscape that famously inspired the poetry of the Wordsworths and serves as a natural amphitheater for the annual Settle Hills races, highlighting the deep-rooted fell running culture of this corner of North Yorkshire.