Inside Settle, the rugged Yorkshire Dales market town that inspired composer Sir Edward Elgar

You can’t go to Settle without making at least one stop on the Settle-Carlisle railway line.

After all, it passes through some of the most inhospitable (or inspiring, you choose) landscapes in England.

The train progresses through tunnels and over the 24-arch Ribblehead Viaduct, passing waterfalls and caves, dry stone-walled single track paths winding between sheep-filled moors, and smaller paths across lonely moors.

At intervals it stops at elegant stations painted red and cream, with gas lamps, manicured flower gardens, banks of primroses and primroses.

But before we get too carried away, let’s look at Settle himself.

Although Three Peaks Challenge runners (Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent) can ride it, this is a great little place to spend a few days.

A rugged market town next to the River Ribble and surrounded by limestone crags, it has a strong history of social reform. Among the 17th and 18th century houses that line the steep streets and hide in alleys and around cobbled courtyards lies the birthplace of Benjamin Waugh, founder of the NSPCC. Another Grade II listed building was the home of Dr George Birkbeck, founder of the Mechanics’ Institutes.

Then there is the house where Sir Edward Elgar stayed when he visited his friend, doctor and fellow musician, Dr. Charles Buck. The composer is said to have been inspired by Settle and the Dales for his Enigma Variations.

There is a social club, a Quaker meeting house and Victoria Hall, the oldest music hall in the world (founded 1853). With a glass-covered canopy outside and a painted curtain inside, it offers an extensive program of theatre, music and film, ranging from productions screened at the Royal Opera House of Madama Butterfly and Carmen, through ska punk to talks about Florence Nightingale.

The market has been held here on Tuesdays since 1249, in a square dominated by the Town Hall and the 17th-century Shambles, whose six arches once housed the town’s butchers but are now given over to independent shops, including the excellent Limestone Books. Nearby, The Folly is home to an award-winning café and the Museum of North Craven Life. Here you can learn about the historic activities of the townspeople, from blacksmithing to cotton spinning and quarrying.

Where to stay: The Golden Lion on Duke Street is a 17th-century inn with a wood-panelled bar, not to mention plenty of food and real ales. Double B&B from £130 (goldenlionsettle.co.uk).