[1] Emerge from the station and turn left down the station approach, note the “Settle Station Water Tower” on your right.
(A) Settle Station Water Tower is now a private house. It once stored up to 43,000 gallons of water for steam locomotives. Constructed in stone, mortar, cast iron and glass it was built to last. Horses were once stabled underneath.
Continue on the main route. When the station approach reaches the road turn right and then after a short distance left onto the main street. Continue into the town of beautiful and historic Settle. Continue north along the main street in the same direction. Pass under the railway viaduct and over the river, turn right along a path signposted Ribble Way to reach the headquarters of the mighty Settle United Football Club.
[2] From here continue on the Ribble Way to Stainforth. Walk alongside the football ground, and then along the river bank until you turn inland leaving the bank to reach a road. Turn right onto the road and continue for a short way until you reach a small house on your right. Note the interesting and humorous “Weather Station" posted on its side gate. Turn right here to view this following the Ribble Way sign, which points the way back to the river. When you reach the river turn left and follow the river to the delightful (B)Stainforth Force Waterfall, which is a great place to take a break. Those of you with a sharp eye may catch a glimpse of salmon leaping up the cascades as they journey to their spawning grounds. This migration takes place in autumn.
[3] Continue ahead to reach the left-side of the attractive packhorse bridge -
(C) Stainforth Bridge is a seventeenth century packhorse bridge over the River Ribble indicates the village's former importance as a stopping point on the packhorse route through the dales between Lancaster and York.
Here you could turn right, and get the bus back to Settle if you wish.
For those of you with a bit more stamina continue on the main route, do not cross the bridge but turn left up the metallised lane. Continue up this lane until reaching a junction of lanes. Go straight across, following the signpost (Feizor 2ml). Pass a row of cottages on your right, and go through a gate to enter a walled track. Continue up the track to reach a stile and gate in the wall. The track continues through the gate into the field. Cross the stile to enter the field and follow the track signposted for (Feizor). The track sweeps right and then left and peters out as it emerges on a rising plain. Continue in a WNW direction, ahead and slightly to the right until you meet a wall with a stile and gate. (D) At this point look to your right for a splendid view of Pen-y-ghent (694m) and Fountains Fell. Cross the stile and carry on in the same direction passing through a col to descend slightly into the valley. Your way is now fairly obvious, aim for the stile in the wall, approached on your left, cross this and continue along the path. You have entered access land. Your route along the valley passes on your right, (E)Smearsett Scar and Pot Scar. In good visibility you might want to climb to the trig point on Smearsett Scar (363m) and wander around. Be careful though, there are some serious drops.
Continue on the main route crossing a further stile, and after a short distance the path descends the valley, where it eventually reaches a field. Approach the field wall on your right and cross the stile. Here you will leave the access land. Keeping to the south side of the field, with the wall on your left continue the descent, and at the bottom pass through the farm buildings to reach the road. You have entered the hamlet of Feizor.
[4] To continue on the route, turn left into the lane and look for a footpath to your right, about 20 metres south of the tea room. Take this footpath across a number of small grazing fields, keeping to the right-side of the valley, each time looking for the stile ahead of you. When another path merges from the right ensure you continue ahead, proceeding with the woods on your right for approximately 0.5 miles.
At this point you may want to take a detour into these woods, which are designated as a site of Special Scientific Interest (F). Climb steeply up the grassy bank to reach the edge of the woodland. Locate the entrance to the woods, signed by an Information Board (SD 780 680) at Oxenber Wood.
Continue on the main route; passing through the fields and leaving the woodland behind to eventually meet a lane. Continue straight ahead to cross this lane and on into the last field, to emerge into a second lane. Turn left along this and follow it to the road. Turn right here to enter Austwick village passing a hotel.
[5]Just after the hotel turn left at the road junction. Pass Austwick village a bus stop. If you have had enough you could get the bus back to Settle from here. Otherwise continue straight ahead past the suburban houses until you come to a gap in the houses on your right, just in front of a white bungalow with PV panels on the roof. Take the path on your right signposted (Clapham 2ml) along the side of this bungalow, climb up the broad path for a short while until it levels out. Bearing slightly left continue along the obvious path to Clapham, keeping to the right-side of the valley passing through grazing meadows, until you reach a farm. Pass to the right of the farm buildings. Follow the way markers to enter the National Trust car park and exit this turning left onto Clapham village main street.
[6] Walk down the village main street past more tea rooms and an outdoor shop. The bus stop is just east of the bridge, where the main road turns right after the bridge by a telephone box. You can catch the bus back to Settle from here.
Alternatively you can cross the bridge turn left and then walk about 1.5 miles to Clapham station. Catch a train from here back to the alternative start point, Giggleswick station on the outskirts of Settle. If you need to, make your way back to Settle town centre approximately 1.5 miles.