Nestled in North Yorkshire, a small town boasts an impressive range of independent shops and buildings dating back to the Anglian era. Settle is not only a sight to behold throughout the year, but Christmas is when the town becomes truly magical. With its inaugural ‘Settlemas’ launching this year, it’s become a must visit to combine fun festivities with steep history.
Settle Market, located in the town’s historic Market Square, is a charming shopping spot which is steeped in history. The traditional market opens every Tuesday with an impressive range of stalls, selling everything from jewellery, fish and vinyls. Local traders have become experts in their craft and are more than happy to give customers their expertise
The market boasts an impressive past, with its charter first granted by Henry III in 1249. Over time, the town became a popular cotton spinning location with over 76 Grade I and Grade II listed buildings still standing today. With an Anglian 7th Century history, the town gets its name from the Old Anglian term ‘settlement.’
In the town’s high street, independent shops continue to thrive amongst their national counterparts. Particularly popular with shoppers is Cottontail Crafts, selling everything a knitter or embroiderer could ever want, along with Truly Scrumptious which looks like it’s straight out of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. One of the long-standing stores, Glencrofts, sells sheep skin rugs and classic British countrywear made from natural fibres. The family-run business has impressed customers since 1987.
This year marked the city’s first ever ‘Settlemas’ which sees a trail of festive flowerpot men scattered throughout the town. Known as the ‘The 12 Pots of Christmas,’ it aims to make the town more popular for shoppers in a bid to combat the rise of online shopping. For £3, visitors can enjoy finding a myriad of flowerpot men as they soak up the Christmas atmosphere. Other events like carol singing and wine-tasting evenings will be on offer in the town.
Visitors took to TripAdvisor to praise their trips to the quaint town. One wrote: “We stayed in Settle for three days, a beautiful Yorkshire village with many pubs, shops, quirky shops and bakeries, Lots of flower pot men scattered around the village: this looks really nice and well done to the local people for making them.”
While another praised the town’s market. They wrote: “We had a wonderful day in Settle, visiting the market. There was a great fruit and veg stall, where we got stocked up for the week. We also treated ourselves to some amazing cheese from the market. The market was full of unique items and local vendors.”
From London’s King’s Cross, it takes just under four hours to get there by train. The route will usually involve changing trains at Leeds. Tickets can be expensive, typically above £100 for a return trip.