Old Ing Cave

The entrance to Old Ing Cave is properly modest - just a dark mouth in the hillside above Settle, easy to miss if you're not looking. Once you squeeze through, though, the passage opens up into something genuinely atmospheric. The cave itself isn't vast or jaw-dropping, but there's something about being underground in the Yorkshire limestone that gets to you.

It's a straightforward walk-through rather than anything requiring ropes or specialist kit. The passage is low in places - you'll be ducking - and damp underfoot, so proper footwear matters. Allow 20 minutes or so for a good look around. The rock formations are decent enough, and the silence is properly profound. Walkers and geology types will find it worthwhile; families with restless younger kids might find the cramped conditions less appealing.

Free to visit, which is a bonus. The nearest proper facilities are back in Settle, a characterful limestone market town with decent pubs and cafes. If you're based at Ribblesdale Pods or Philpin Farm Campsite, Old Ing Cave works as a morning detour before tackling bigger walks in the Ribble Valley. The cave itself isn't a full day's entertainment, but combined with a ramble across the fells or a nose around Settle's shops, it slots in nicely. Go when the ground's been dry for a few days - the slick conditions after rain make the damp passages harder work than they need to be.