Route diagram, drawn from the recorded track — for the shape of the walk, not for navigation. Carry OS Explorer on the hill.
Five and a quarter miles round in about two and a half hours, following the Ribble Way north out of Settle through riverside meadows to the limestone shelves of Stainforth Force and its seventeenth-century packhorse bridge, returning by the lane and field paths on the far side. Nearly flat and easy going apart from mud after rain; start at Settle market place and use the pay-and-display car parks, or take the train and walk from the station. The pool below Stainforth Force is the best-known dog swim in Ribblesdale with a shallow shelf to get in and out, though the current is strong when the river is up; the meadows carry sheep and cattle, and the Ribble Way has a number of narrow stone stiles that will stop a large dog.
Four miles and around two and a half hours through the finest limestone amphitheatre in Craven, past Warrendale Knotts and the cave mouths of Victoria and Jubilee, with a long steep climb out of the town to start and rocky, slippery ground in places. Start from Settle market place; parking is pay-and-display and Settle station on the Settle-Carlisle line is five minutes away, which makes this one of the few Dales walks you can do properly by train. This is open access limestone grazing with sheep everywhere and short leads required from 1 March to 31 July for ground-nesting birds, there are ladder stiles over the walls that no dog can climb, and the cave entrances and scar edges are unfenced drops.
Family-run park on the banks of the River Ribble two miles north of Settle, close to Stainforth Force. Two dogs are welcome per pitch, with a securely fenced exercise field for off-lead runs and the river for a paddle; leads elsewhere on site. The on-site Knights Table restaurant welcomes well-behaved dogs too.
A small independent bar and bistro in the centre of Settle, useful for a drink and a plate of something after a day on the Ribble Way. The tourist board lists it as having dog-friendly seating, so dogs are catered for in part of the room rather than throughout. Worth ringing ahead at busy times as the space is compact.
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