Settle - Tourism

Tourism

Settle's market, inside Victoria Hall and in the market place, is held weekly on Tuesdays, in the centre of town. Settle Town Hall was sold by Craven District Council to a developer (http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/). The Square is surrounded by local businesses, most of which are family-owned, with some offering items for sale unique to the Settle area. The Naked Man is believed to be the oldest cafe in the country.

The Folly (http://www.ncbpt.org.uk/folly/) is a 17th century Grade I listed building on the main street. In 1996 the North Craven Building Preservation Trust purchased part of The Folly, restored it and opened it to the public in 2001. The Folly houses the Museum of North Craven Life and hosts exhibitions during the open season. There are permanent displays, including Settle to Carlisle Railway, Thompson (Mouseman) of Kilburn furniture and local history. The rest of building has now been purchased by the trust. The museum is independent and run by volunteers.

The Gallery on the Green (http://www.galleryonthegreen.org.uk/) is thought to be the smallest art gallery in the world. Drawings, paintings, photographs and other unique works are housed in a former BT telephone kiosk. Gavagan Arts at Linton Court Gallery (http://gavaganart.com/linton-court-gallery/visiting-linton-court-gallery/) is situated in a courtyard off Duke Street. The gallery presents a series of temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.

The district has several caves where prehistoric remains have been found, the most notable being Victoria Cave, so called because the inner chamber was discovered in 1837 on the day of Queen Victoria's accession. Victoria Cave contained remains of mammoth, bear, reindeer and hippopotamus and flint, a harpoon head carved from antler, and other implements and ornaments. The discovery of flint is noteworthy as it is not found naturally in the area. Craven Museum & Gallery (http://www.cravenmuseum.org) in Skipton has an exhibition of items which includes a bear's skull found in one of the caves.