Gateway sign to Castlebergh Crag

As many of our members will know Castlebergh Crag is a large outcrop of limestone in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, behind Settle Town Centre. A zigzag footpath leads to the summit of Castlebergh Crag, which offers a great viewpoint over the town of Settle.

The Town Council received a grant from Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Stories In Stone for £10k towards directional signage, hedgerow planting, overgrowth clearance of vegetation and interpretation panels.

The plan was to:

• Encourage greater use of the site by local people and visitors
• Provide a space so that it can be used and enjoyed by everyone – regardless of age, gender, or disability
• Use the natural and woodland environment to provide exciting and challenging opportunities for children and young people to learn and explore
• Celebrate the heritage and uniqueness of the site
• Provide a multi-functional green space that is spatially adaptable and able to host a diverse range of activities, from passive and active recreation, events and performances while still retaining a sense of place
• Make best possible use of existing site assets including trees, topography
• Be maintainable with the minimum of cost
• Connect the site with the town centre and other key relevant locations i.e. The Folly.

In September 2019 NCHT received a letter from the Town Clerk of Settle Town Council asking if the Trustees would be interested in helping with the implementation of the Project with particular reference to the Castlebergh Heritage Interpretation Board.

The North Craven Heritage Trust agreed to provide content for the Gateway Sign to Castlebergh with some wording and photos of historical /heritage interest and a meeting between David Johnson, Anne Read, Mike Slater, Anne Webster and the Town Clerk was arranged. Various interesting issues were raised, such as the dangers of a working lime kiln at the base of the rock, incorrect historical events and dates and many variations on spelling. Anne, David and Mike sent several historical pictures to the Town Clerk. Unfortunately, the project inevitably slowed down due to Covid restrictions.

The directional signage, clearance of overgrowth and hedgerow planting are now complete and the design of the five interpretation panels is now complete. The five interpretation panels consist of Geology, Fauna, Flora, Heritage and Panoramic Panel. These are now positioned at the Crag.

Further funding is required to complete the Project and create an attractive space for residents and visitors to enjoy. I recommend you take a stroll up Castlebergh Crag – it’s worth it for the panoramic views alone!