Settle

Steam whistles echo off limestone crags as the Settle-Carlisle Railway cuts through some of England's most dramatic scenery. This market town sits perfectly positioned in Ribblesdale, where Three Peaks walkers fuel up before tackling Yorkshire's giants and cave enthusiasts disappear into the honeycombed hillsides.

Settle itself is proper Yorkshire. Stone-built and no-nonsense, with a Tuesday market that's been running since medieval times. The town makes a cracking base for exploring the Yorkshire Dales' wilder reaches - you're fifteen minutes from Malham's famous cove and barely further from Horton-in-Ribblesdale, where serious hikers begin their Three Peaks challenge.

Below ground lies a different world entirely. The area around Settle is riddled with caves and potholes that draw cavers from across Europe. Hull Pot, Little Hull Pot, and the more technical Penyghent Pot offer everything from gentle scrambles to proper underground adventures. Above ground, Catrigg Force provides a gentler thrill - a lovely waterfall that's well worth the short walk.

The Settle-Carlisle line remains one of Britain's great railway journeys. Built by Victorian engineers who refused to be defeated by the Pennines, it soars across the Ribblehead Viaduct and through landscapes that still take your breath away. Horton-in-Ribblesdale station puts you right at the foot of Pen-y-ghent.

From Leeds or Manchester, you're looking at just over an hour by car via the A65. The train connection from Leeds takes similar time and saves the parking hassle. Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks means you can explore both the underground wonders and the high fells without the rush back to distant accommodation. The countryside here doesn't do things by halves.