Gill Side Lathe

The stone foundations of Gill Side Lathe sit quietly in the Pennine moorland above Settle, easy to walk past if you're not looking properly. This is what remains of a 17th-century water-powered fulling mill - the sort of place where cloth was cleaned and thickened before being sold on. The lathe itself, the stone channel that diverted water from the gill to power the machinery, is still visible if you know what you're looking for.

It's a proper walker's site rather than a tourist attraction with interpretation boards and tea rooms. You'll need a decent map and sturdy boots to reach it, but that's rather the point. History buffs and industrial archaeologists will find it genuinely rewarding - there's something about standing where people actually worked centuries ago that no visitor centre can replicate.

Allow a couple of hours if you're combining it with a moorland walk from Settle itself. The site is free, naturally, since there's no formal access infrastructure. Go on a clear day if possible. The views across the Ribble Valley aren't bad either, and you're well positioned to explore the broader landscape around Malham and Ingleborough.

If you're based at Stablefell Holidays and Campsite just down the way, this makes a solid half-day outing - nothing strenuous, just genuine Yorkshire moorland walking with a bit of industrial heritage thrown in. Not a rushing-about sort of place, but exactly what some people come to the Dales for.