The Settle Loop
Take 1st turning for SETTLE from A65 (right at Roundabout)
Continue until you see the FALCON HOTEL on right turn right immediately after
this. Follow road round to GREENFOOT CAR PARK (Pay and Display - £3
for 4+ hours BEWARE additional ticket also needed for trailer, or, if
you occupy two bays we picked up a £35 fine!!)
Best way is to do the Loop anti-clockwise.
Ride out of Greenfoot Car park the way you came in, take 2nd turning on Left
(at T junction). Follow road round you will pick up PBW signs to Upper
Settle Green.
Either follow signs and turn right (by telephone box) along narrow road between
houses and take tarmac road up the hill until you see sign on left for Settle
Loop (dont take Long Preston Bridleway !) this is Lambert Lane. At the top,
turn right then first left into Stockdale Lane which takes you up to the Bridleway
proper There is very little traffic on this route but it is lengthy.
OR - carry straight on and follow minor road (383) which meets up with previous
route at the top of Lambert Lane. This route will have much more traffic but
is a lot shorter ---- the choice is yours!
Stockdale Lane to the Bridleway proper at Stockdale Farm is a long tarmac route, but with very little traffic.
If you have a non-riding driver for your horse box/trailer, it might be worth driving up towards the end of Stockdale Lane, where there is a natural layby where you could unload and then take trailer/box back to the Car Park. This will save all the road work! (DONT leave vehicle in Layby!!)
Initially the Bridleway is quite a steep climb over fairly rough tracks (mainly
Limestone outcrops), but the views are fantastic and well worth the effort.
Once at the top, the going is mainly good grass (beware the odd hole) until
you drop down left to Langscar gate (follow route along the wall) this is
overlooking Malham Tarn.
At this Left turn you then have 4.5 miles of superb crushed stone surface Bridleway
with grass verges. Lots of gates but not too difficult!
There is a good picnic/rest/grazing area at Langcliffe (your non rider can
supply water and refreshments the road intersects here!), before the final
stretch of Bridleway which is all grass and drops you down into Settle and
into the opposite end of the Car Park.