WE return to our railway walks this week.

The latest offering follows a 5.6-mile high level walk from Giggleswick to Long Preston, with wonderful vistas.

It is one of 12 devised by the Leeds-Lancaster-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership, with the support of the Lancaster and Skipton Rail User Group and Northern Rail.

For this walk, we cross the valley of the River Ribble and view Penyghent, before climbing above the Bentham Line to take in the panoramic views to the south including Pendle Hill. We then descend into the well-named village of Long Preston, which holds a traditional May Day celebration around the maypole.

More railway walks can be downloaded by communityraillancashire.co.uk/walks/self-guided-walks.

Step by step

Exit station, cross car park and descend steps/slope. Cross A65 Settle by-pass at traffic island. (Take care, busy road.) Turn right and follow footpath passing pub (L) and crossing Brackenber Lane. Walk a short way along narrow path beside by-pass and turn left down embankment. Go through bridle gate at bottom and continue along tarmac lane with Sway Beck running alongside it (L).

At next road turn right and walk on grass verge a short way to next turning to left towards Gildersleets Farm. Take left fork with farm house (R) into

farm yard and head towards two adjacent field gates. Take gate on right and next gate immediately afterwards into field. Follow stone wall (L) down field to field gate, Ribble Way and the River Ribble. Turn right and follow Ribble Way downstream.

Just before reaching the by-pass bridge turn right over a ladder stile and go up embankment to A65, turn left and cross bridge on the pavement. At far side of bridge turn left down a signed public footpath to access the opposite side of the river. Pass through bridle gate and keep right along a track (river to left) which curves right. Pass Runley Mill (L).

Cross main road into Settle and go up Lodge Road. Pass Turnpike House (R) and cross railway bridge. Pass farm buildings at Hoyman Laithe (L) and follow lane up a steep hill to pass Lodge Farm (R). Go through gate and turn left onto a track and on a bend cross a bridge over a stream. Follow track around to right and up hill through a gate at the end of a wood (R).

At T-junction of tracks look around and enjoy the views, then turn right up the track, which continues as far as Long Preston. At top of hill, the highest point of the route, enjoy the panoramic view. Pendle Hill and the Clitheroe Cement Works chimneys belching out white smoke can be seen in the front left distance.

Pass between Long Preston-Settle boundary stone (R) and barn (L). Reach tarmac and continue ahead downhill into Long Preston. At T-junction turn right and walk towards main road, pass village green with maypole (L) and The Maypole pub (R).

Cross pedestrian crossing towards the ‘Rohan Shop’, and turn left along pavement. Pass The Boar’s Head pub (R) and take the first road on the right, signed B6478, and follow it down to the station.