Video
of Stainforth : Packhorse Bridge and Waterfalls
Stainforth is a village and civil parish in the Craven district
of North Yorkshire.. It is situated very near Settle; only
about 1 mile north there is a waterfall, Stainforth Force,
where the river falls over limestone ledges into a deep, broad
pool (cenote) which can be accessed by walking a short way
from the village.
Stainforth is set
along the Stainforth Beck as it rushes to join the
River Ribble. It provides the starting point for many
tracks across the moors to the east, once important
routes for trade, that crossed the beck at first on
the stone ford (which is what 'Stainforth' means)
and later by the 14th-century bridge.
This spectacular waterfall, hidden in a wooded valley,
was one of the favourite places of the composer Edward
Elgar, who regularly stayed with his friend Dr Charles
Buck in nearby Settle. Elgar would walk here, perhaps
mulling over his latest work as he did so.
Stainforth Force, where the Ribble passes over a
series of limestone steps in tumultuous cascades.
Just above is an attractive humpback bridge leading
to Little Stainforth. The bridge was a vital link
on a packhorse route between Lancaster and Ripon.
