Gaping Gill

The main chamber of Gaping Gill is roughly the size of a cathedral - and that's what hits you first when you descend into it. This isn't a gentle tourist cave with handrails and electric lighting. It's raw Yorkshire limestone, a proper underground space where you actually feel the weight of the fell above your head.

You'll need to abseil down about 100 metres on a rope to reach the chamber floor, which immediately tells you this isn't for the faint-hearted or the very young. The main stream - Fell Beck - plunges down as a waterfall through the cave entrance, creating a genuinely dramatic sight, especially after rain when the water's thundering through.

The experience is absolutely worth doing if you're an adventurous walker or serious caver. It takes real commitment to get down there, but the scale of the cavern and the sense of being somewhere genuinely wild and unpolished makes it memorable. Summer weekends see local caving clubs running winch systems that let visitors descend and ascend - check locally in Settle for current access information, as it depends on club activity.

From the caravan parks around Settle - Orcaber Farm, The Dalesbridge, or Philpin Farm are all within three miles - this makes a seriously good day out if you're willing to get involved with some proper outdoor adventure. The walk across Ingleborough Fell to reach the entrance is splendid terrain in its own right. Budget three to four hours if you're doing the whole thing.