Settle Travel Guide

This wonderful house was built by a wealthy local in 1679 and today it is simply known as the Folly.

In the heart of Settle, on Duke street, around the town center, lies a nice and affordable Bistro/Cafe known to the locals as "The Naked Man". This charming spacious cafe - has a pastry shoppe and a cafe room with a decent-sized menu of goodies to fulfill any hunger. Scones with clotted cream and jam as well as custard pies were our partie's choice of fill alongside pots of Yorkshire tea and two berry shakes. I can't speak too highly for the shakes, but the pies were good as well as the scones I understand. The cafe is actually on the Settle's walking tour as this building used to be a coaching inn. There is no nakedness here at the cafe however, even inspecting the icon of the 'naked man' on the front wall clearly shows he is wearing a buttoned topcoat and breeches, partly covered by the 1663 datestone. The cafe boasts its history since 1663 and their original breads, cakes, cafe, and sandwich shop. They also sell their own produce. Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 5.

1 more image

"The tall limestone of Castlebergh has been recognized as a beauty spot for centuries, ever since travellers started touring Britain's natural wonders. The first visitors in the 18th century wrote that the rock had been laid out as a giant sundial and a sketch survives showing huge slabs of stone with the hours marked out on them running down the side of the hill. By 1800, the sundial was long gone and instead the townspeople had laid out a path to the top so that visitors could enjoy the fine view. The area was gradually developed over the next hundred years with more paths cut, trees and shrubs planted, and eventually various amusements added such as swings, a roundabout, and roller skating. The pleasure grounds were enjoyed by locals and by visitors who came in on the railway line from the towns of the West Riding and Lancashire. Castlebergh became a popular picnic spot for these excursions. A small entrance charge was made at the gate and hot water for tea making could be had from the gatekeeper. Today, Castlebergh is owned by the town of Settle town council and there is free access to it. The roundabout is just a memory but the view from the summit is magnificent. "