Giggleswick: The Yorkshire Dales village rich in character and steeped in history

It stands sheltered in what has been described as “a wooded bowl”, between steep fields west of Raines Lane, the Yorkshire Dales National Park’s rising moorlands to the north and what once was marshland to the south, it remains physically separated from the market town of Settle by the River Ribble.

Despite being on the south-western fringe of the highly-protected national park, there are few vistas of the spectacular surroundings from places in the centre of Giggleswick other than from Craven Bank Lane.

Nevertheless, the village itself boasts a spectrum of remarkable scenes as it retains many of its historic features, including four dozen listed buildings.

The many 17th and 18th century back yard slate-roofed cottages and repurposed buildings such as a forge, a coach house, weaving sheds and stables are either whitewashed or have been left sporting their distinctive yellow-grey stone colour from the South Craven fault.

They’re unmistakably Yorkshire Dales in character, pragmatically constructed on and around existing buildings and a shining example of how awarding conservation area status to an area can work when rigorously enforced.

Parts of Giggleswick feel frozen in time, barring the double yellow lines preventing parking on narrow lanes lacking pavements.

As Settle is within a stone’s throw, there are few commerical buildings in the village. One exception is the Black Horse Inn, which dates back to 1663, which is beside a 14th century stone market cross.

Set in close proximity on lanes and yards such as Belle Hill, Bankwell Road and Church Street surrounding the grade I listed parish church of St Akelda, designated heritage assets are interspersed with non-designated features.

These include ginnels with high stone walls, horse troughs, blue slate clapper bridges, stone bollards and knee-pinch stiles, which separate the village from an expanse of playing fields.

St Alkelda’s Church - one of only two parish churches in the country to bear the name - is surrounded by substantial stone walls.

Earlier this year, its vicar, issued an plea to North Yorkshire Council to pass a plan to allow the parish rooms to be converted into a home, saying it would help fund the 412-year-old church’s upkeep.

Nearby is 70-pupil Giggleswick Primary School, which in April was graded good in all areas by Ofsted. This summer saw the school hosted one of the village’s proudest traditions, Giggleswick Horticultural Show, featuring some 148 classes.

Opposite the school is an unusual narrow building which once housed the horse-drawn parish hearse.

Dropping down into the village from Giggleswick Scar, stands the Ebbing and Flowing Well, where water fluctuates due to a natural syphon in the limestone.

Further down, on Belle Hill, there are 17th century cottages and a site once used as a market square where miscreants were put in stocks and pelted with rotten vegetables. On Bankwell Road remains what was the village’s source of fresh water for centuries - a well.

At Rallin Brow, there’s an entrance to a ginnel leading to a footbridge across the Ribble, which serves as a war memorial, offering spectacular views of Queen’s Rock, a huge rock formation water cascades around.

Another watercourse, Tems Beck, runs like a golden thread through the village.

Its importance to residents was underlined earlier this year when the parish council and Ribble Rivers Trust teamed up to monitor the ecosystem it supports, including a brown trout spawning ground, otters and an abudance of native crayfish.

Crossing the beck are stone bridges including ones formed from a single flagstone.

Off Raines Road is an imposing series of buildings that once formed the 1834 Settle Union Workhouse. In 1881 its occupants included out of work bobbin turners, cotton spinners and rag collectors.

The buildings now form homes and Castleberg Hospital, a much-loved 12-bed unit providing intermediate care, assessment and active rehabilitation and symptom control and palliative care. It’s just six years since NHS commissioners voted unanimously to keep it open.

The most dominant element in the village is the 16th century Giggleswick School, which moved its base north from the centre of the village in the 19th century. Its campus extends from the village centre to the aforementioned domed chapel high on a rocky outcrop, making it a landmark for miles around.

Set in 215 acres, it was the first independent school in the north of England to become co-educational, welcoming girls in 1975. Its alumni include actor Anthony Daniels, best known for playing C-3PO in 11 Star Wars films and Countdown presenter Richard Whiteley, a bequest from whom led to a professional-standard theatre being opened in 2010.

A recent Tatler review of the school describes it as “an unpretentious, roll-up-your-sleeves type of place”, before pointing out it boasts an in-house ceramicist and a wellbeing centre for pupils.