The Yorkshire Dales Explorer, a little-known alternative to the famous Settle to Carlisle railway, offers walkers direct access to the raw and wild landscape of the Three Peaks. Launched in June 2024, this Saturday-only service connects Manchester Victoria with Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Ribblehead, providing a gateway to some of England's most dramatic limestone scenery.
Alighting at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, walkers are immediately immersed in the heart of the Three Peaks: Pen-y-ghent behind, Ingleborough ahead, and Whernside to the north. While super-fit athletes can complete the full 23-mile circuit in under three hours (the men's record is 2hrs 46mins, set by Andy Peace in 1996; the women's record is 3hrs 9mins, set by Victoria Wilkinson in 2017), a less daunting mission involves exploring the limestone plateau between the peaks before descending to Settle for a pub lunch.
The terrain is challenging but rewarding, with vast limestone pavements featuring clints and grykes, shake holes, and sudden scars where the elevation drops tens of feet. Navigation relies on cairns and the OS map (OL2), as marked footpaths are scarce. Highlights include the Moughton trig point at 427 metres, offering sweeping views, and the Norber Erratics—boulders left by glaciers above Austwick.
Despite the ruggedness, the area is alive with wildlife: skylarks and ravens fill the air, while wild garlic and daffodils bloom in spring. The descent from Moughton Scar passes a quarry of greywacke, a tough gritstone, before the route becomes green and agricultural, with newborn lambs dozing in the fields.
This under-promoted train service, running once each way in the morning and late afternoon on Saturdays, provides a unique opportunity to experience a landscape that WH Auden celebrated in his poem 'In Praise of Limestone'—a place that feels remote, ancient, and utterly captivating.
