Walks to and from Ribblehead Station and The Three Peaks Area To Contents

The following includes a selection of walks often making use of the excellent Leeds/Settle to Carlisle Railway service and all all based around the Station Inn Ribblehead and the 3 Peaks area. The Railway provides excellent opportunities for linear walks even for car owners who can travel one or two stops by train. Map reading is essential to complete these walks (see later). The Station Inn is a short walk from Ribblehead Station and welcomes walkers

Link to map of Ribblehead

Contents:-

*  for the benefit of car drivers all of these walks are possible from Ribblehead or Horton either as circular walks or using the train for one or two stops / bus

Ribblehead Station Ribblehead Station
Ribblehead viaduct Whernside Trig Point
Whernside Tarns Across Dentdale to the Howgills
Greensett Tarn from Whernside Ribblehead Viaduct

Information: Equipment: All walks have significant exposure even in Summer. Full equipment including boots, waterproofs, map and compass would be advisable.

Maps: Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure 2 -Yorkshire Dales- Southern and Western Areas 1:25,000

Travel Information:

Train services - www.northernrailway.co.uk- See the Settle Carlisle website for further information Leeds-Settle-Carlisle timetable or National Rail enquiries tel 08457 484950

In recent years Sunday services have vastly improved on the Settle -Carlisle line.  However the Sunday Morecambe line service still leaves something to desired.

Also, it is worth noting that there may be slightly cheaper versions of journey prices. For instance, by booking a return ticket to Keighley (within the Metro area) taking advantage of Metro off peak fares on weekends and then Keighley to Ribblehead this can result in a saving. These can be checked out beforehand using the internet on sites such as http://www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Ingleborough from the aqueduct Ingleborough

  • View across to Ribblehead viaduct from Broadrake

DalesBus Bus services are sparse but the following services are useful:

  • 581 service runs [Mon-Sat] from Lancaster, Kirkby Lonsdale to Settle via Ingleton and Clapham. This is useful for walks from Ribblehead to Ingleton
  • The 830 Northern Dalesman departs Ribblehead on summer Sundays for Hawes and Swaledale.
  • The 831 Dalesbus service runs past Station Inn Ribblehead enroute to Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale on Summer Sundays
  • The Saturday-only S1 service which runs from Dent Station to Dent and Sedbergh operated by Western Dales Bus. This is an excellent service enabling various linear walks. For timetable information please see

For details of other useful bus services in the Yorkshire Dales see: www.dalesbus.org

The DalesBus 830/831 service to Hawes and Swaledale ascends the station access road at Ribblehead

Westmorland and Furness bus times can be located through www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/buses

Ribblehead Quarry Walk - a very short walk around the Natural England site. The entrance is along the former quarry access road at the far side of the railway where there is a display board describing the route which is well marked. This walk takes in some limestone scenery, flora [in May/June] and the Viking Farmstead just above the quarry. The farmstead comprises three buildings on slightly elevated ground just above the limestone karst and a short distance from the drystone wall. The site is close to the footpath gate at the rear of the quarry. The following BBC link shows a virtual tour around the settlement www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings

Ribblehead Station Visitor Centre - the station has been fully restored as a visitor centre by the Settle & Carlisle Railway Trust and run by volunteers. The centre is normally open during the summer months- Tel 01524 242584 but advisable to check their website. The visitor centre also houses the weather station [see below] a function which the stationmaster undertook for the air ministry in the past.

Settle Carlisle Development Co This contains much useful information particularly details of train services and engineering works. From time special events are put on including the music train which has operated in the past.

The Music train May 2009 On Ribblehead platform

Also, the Friends of the Settle and Carlisle Line have their own website. This cover the historical facts as well as other useful information on guided walks etc. The Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line have two shops located on Settle and Appleby Stations.
Local hostelries include the following:-

  • Station Inn at Ribblehead
  • Hill Inn at Chapel le Dale
  • Crown and Golden Lion Inns at Horton in Ribblesdale
  • The Sportsmans Inn at Cowgill
  • Helwith Bridge Inn, Helwith Bridge
  • Craven Heifer at Stainforth
  • Golden Lion, Royal Oak, Talbot and Thirteen Cafe Bar in Settle
  • Wheatsheaf, Masons Arms, Ingleton

In addition teas and coffees can be obtained from Ribblehead Station visitor centre [when open] as well as a tea van usually located most days in the lay-by just below the junction with the road to Settle. The 3 Peaks Cafe in Horton has recently closed.

Weather The weather forecast and current weather conditions (including cloud level) can be obtained from the following useful sites

Metcheck the forecast and current conditions for the Whernside range of hills

Ribblehead weather station up to the minute status of the local weather

Met office forecast for Whernside

Met office forecast for Yorkshire Dales a very useful site

Important note:- Whilst the author has taken every care in assembling the information on this site, no responsibility can be accepted for any error or omission herein. If in any doubt walkers should consult the relevant OS map.

This site was last updated on 15-Aug-2024

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