Horton-in-Ribblesdale Voyage Tips and guide

Horton-in-Ribblesdale is a village in North Yorkshire. With a population of 400 in 2021, it's set in the Yorkshire Dales beneath the "Three Peaks", and is a stopover on the Pennine Way.

Hor in Old English means it's filthy, makes you want to spit, and gives us the modern word "whore". It's now a bijou photogenic village, but in olden times was one of several filthy places, so it was specified as the Horton in the upper Ribble valley. That river flows southwest to enter the Irish Sea below Preston. A few miles east is the watershed, so streams beyond flow southeast into the Aire then the Humber and North Sea beyond Hull.

54°9′0″N 2°17′24″W

Map of Horton-in-Ribblesdale

By road follow A65 to Settle, then branch onto B6479 north. These roads are congested on summer weekends.

Trains from Leeds run every couple of hours, and take 70 min to Horton via Shipley, Bingley, Keighley, Skipton, Gargrave, Hellifield, Long Preston and Settle. They continue to Ribblehead, Dent, Garsdale, Kirkby Stephen, Appleby, Langwathby, Lazonby, Armathwaite and Carlisle, another 90 min. Carlisle is on the London Euston - Preston - Glasgow main line.

54.149381-2.3021 Horton station is west side of the village. There's a ticket office but no machines, so you can only collect online tickets when the office is open. (Northern Rail are coy about when that might be.) There's a waiting room but no toilets or cafe. There is step-free access to both platforms.

Dales Bus 11 runs from Settle four times M-Sa, taking 15 min via Langcliffe and Stainforth to terminate at the railway station. Change at Settle for buses from Skipton, Kirkby Lonsdale and Clitheroe.

Dales Bus 832 runs from Hawes once on Sunday and public holidays Apr-Oct, taking 30 min via Ribblehead, and continuing to Settle, Giggleswick, Austwick, Clapham and Ingleton.

Hiking is the reason you're here. Taxis are based in Settle.

Motorists should use the car park just south of Crown Hotel. It has public toilets.

• 54.1665-2.27041 Hull Pot is a large pothole along the footpath towards Pen-y-Ghent, 300 ft / 91 m long by 60 ft / 18 m wide by 60 ft deep. It was formed by collapse of a cave system, so complete a collapse that no accessible caves lead off it. There's only a waterfall over the edge in the wettest weather, normally the stream plunges underground before reaching here, to form a small cascade within the pothole then be swallowed up again.

• Hunt Pot is further up the slope east. This conversely is less scenic but gives access to an extensive cave system.

• 54.155-2.252 Pen-y-Ghent is the closest of the neighbouring "Three Peaks". At 2277 feet / 694 m it's the lowest of these, but the most dramatic, with its south tip looking like the prow of a battleship bearing down on you. The top is a soggy tableland of impervious millstone grit, so water cascades off to erode its steep sides. The Welsh-sounding name is from ancient Cumbric, a related P-Celtic or Brythonic language.

• 54.166-2.3983 Ingleborough is a peak of 2372 ft / 723 m, climbed from Horton (6 miles) or Ingleton (4 miles). It's a similar tableland, above a striking alternation of limestone and shale layers. The bleak top was fortified by Iron Age tribes as prime real estate and the Romans saw no reason to disillusion them. Near the summit is the remains of a round tower built in 1830 as a shelter for shooting parties, and promptly wrecked. Legend blames drunken celebrations at its completion, but it was an era when disputes over land access were breaking out, and aggrieved smallholders would be pleased to have their sabotage blamed on Hooray Henrys.

• Whernside at 2415 ft / 736 m is the highest of the Three Peaks. It's further north and usually climbed from Ingleton.

• 54.2104-2.37024 Ribblehead Viaduct 6 miles north of Horton is a grand sweeping railway arch, all the more magnificent for being silhouetted against the moors. It carries the Leeds - Carlisle railway and was completed in 1876, at the cost of over 100 lives. Around it are the remains of a shanty town for the workforce. Leeds-Carlisle trains stop here so you could make a one-way hike; they don't stop long enough to grab a photo and get back aboard, except for an occasional summer heritage special.

"Some participants have chosen to regard the walk as a race, and this is to be greatly regretted, walking is a pleasure to be enjoyed in comfort."

- wise words from Alfred Wainwright (1907-1991), renowned chronicler of English hill walks.

• Three Peaks is a 25-mile hike of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. It's sometimes done as a race or charity stunt.

• The Pennine Way long distance hiking trail approaches from Malham, passing Malham Cove and Tarn to course northwest over Fountain Fell then crest Pen-y-Ghent before descending the lane into Horton. Next day is a long stage north but on good farm tracks flanking Cam Fell and Dodd Fell to come into Hawes. The Dales Way and Ribble Way share part of this route.

• Caving here is for experienced spelunkers. For a public show cave, head to Ingleborough above Clapham.

Not even a convenience store here. Do your top-up shopping in Settle and big shop (including fuel) at the supermarkets in Skipton.

• Blind Beck Tearoom 200 yards north of the station is open Th-Tu 9AM-5PM.
• Golden Lion on Chapel Lane has pub grub and may have rooms.
• Crown Hotel also has pub grub, see below.

Crown Hotel and Golden Lion are the two pubs.

• 54.1497-2.29561 Crown Hotel, Horton-in-Ribblesdale BD24 0HF, ☏ +44 1729 860209. The main accommodation and eating place in the village. But building, fittings and proprietors are old and tired, they've been trying to offload the business since 2022 with no takers. (updated Sep 2025)
• Women's Holiday Centre is in the Old Vicarage just south of Crown Hotel and the car park. They offer affordable holiday accommodation for women and girls of all ages, and boys up to 11. Prices vary with your income.
• Holme Farm Campsite is just south of Women's Holiday Centre. They have grass pitches, hard standing and hook-ups, and take tents and motorhomes but not caravans.
• 3 Peaks Bunkroom behind Golden Lion is open Mar-Sep.
• Broad Croft House is a B&B on the side lane 100 yards northeast of Golden Lion.
• Ribblesdale Pods are on Town Head Farm another 100 yards north up that lane.
• 54.1339-2.29892 Cragg Hill Farm Camping, Cragg Hill Road BD24 0HW, ☏ +44 1729 860266. Basic but clean peaceful site a mile south of village, open May-Sep. (updated Sep 2025)

As of Sep 2025, Horton and its approach roads have 4G from EE but no signal from O2, Three or Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.

• Settle is a small market town on A65 the Leeds-Kendal main road.
• Clapham north on A65 has show caves.
• Malham has the dramatic Cove, a dried-up Niagara.
• Hawes together with Gayle is in Wensleydale, the next settlement north on the Pennine Way.

Ribblehead ← Selside ←

N   S

→ Stainforth → Settle