![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Yorkshire_Dales_National_Park_UK_relief_location_map.png/220px-Yorkshire_Dales_National_Park_UK_relief_location_map.png)
The Yorkshire Dales are a national park in the north of England. The park consists of fertile valleys, the higher areas are barren and overgrown with heather and bracken. The Dales, as the region is called for short, are located between the national parks Lake District and North York Moors.
background
history
Most of the rocks in the Yorkshire Dales are between 350 and 280 million years old. At that time the area was under a shallow subtropical lake in which millions of small creatures existed. When they died, they sank to the bottom of the lake and merged with the sedimentary rock. Limestone was created. In the south (at Settle, Malham and Ingleton) of the national park the limestone layer is up to 245 m / 800 ft thick. The rounded hills of the Howgills in the northwest (near Sedburgh) of the park are a geological feature: they are made of schist, which is otherwise found in the southern Lake District.
The oldest traces of human settlement (e.g. Ingleborough Hill Fort or Maiden Castle near Reeth) date from the Iron Age. During the Norman rule the imposing castles in Richmond, Skipton and Middleham were built, in the Middle Ages the monasteries Fountains Abbey and Jervaulx Abbey. The monasteries owned vast estates in the Dales. The monks introduced sheep farming and began digging for lead. Lead mining reached its peak during the 18th and 19th centuries. The damage caused by mining is still easy to see.
In 1954 the Yorkshire Dales National Park was established. It covers an area of 1,765 km². The Yorkshire Dales attract around 8 million visitors each year.
landscape
The landscape of the Dales is influenced by agriculture and mining. Cattle graze in the valleys and grain is grown. The meadows with their barns are separated by dry stone walls. The barren highlands were created through deforestation. Only the limestone cliffs (e.g. Malham Cove) remained untouched. The valleys are mostly named after their rivers and have a very different appearance. The larger valleys are:
Wharfedale: is also called "Queen of the Dales", lovely, isolated limestone cliffs (e.g. Kilnsey Crag)
Malhamdale: Limestone cliffs (Malham Cove) and limestone carts are typical
Ribblesdale: the lonely Three Peaks country with the Ribblehead Viaduct
Dentdale
Wensleydale: rural, with beautiful waterfalls
Swaledale: wild and rough, with traces of lead mines
The so-called Three Peaks are three prominent mountains at the top of Ribblesdale: Whernside (736 m / 2,415 ft), Ingleborough (723 m / 2,372 ft) and Pen-y-ghent (694 m / 2,277 ft). They are part of the Pennine massif, the first two being the highest peaks in Yorkshire.
The Dales are also waterfall land. There is, for example, the Ingleton Waterfall Trail (see hiking), which leads past several. More beautiful waterfalls can be found at Aysgarth (Aysgarth Falls) or Keld (including the Kisdon Force).
Flora and fauna
The greatest biodiversity is found in the meadows above the limestone, where flour primroses, primroses and pansies grow in spring and early summer. Saxifrage can be found on the higher rocks, cottongrass and heather in the moors.
Foxes and badgers hunt in the woods. In contrast to many other areas, the red squirrel is also native here. Ring owls, dippers and mountain stilts live on the rivers. For some time now, the otter has also returned home. There are also grass snakes, toads and bats. Jackdaw crabs, among others, live in pools. Birds of prey that live here include: peregrine falcons, hen harriers, pygmy falcons and buzzards. The moor is populated by golden plover, snipe and red grouse. Malham Tarn and Semerwater are the two natural lakes of the Dales.
climate
Tourist information
There are a total of 5 National Park Centers (NPC) spread across the Yorkshire Dales:
- Grassington NPC, Hebden Road. Tel.: 44 (0)1756 751690, Fax: 44 (0)1756 751693, Email: [email protected].
- Hawes NPC, Dales Countryside Museum, Station Yard, Burtersett Road. Tel.: 44 (0)1969 666210, Fax: 44 (0)1969 666239, Email: [email protected].
- Reeth NPC, Hudson House, The Green. Tel.: 44 (0)1748 884059, Fax: 44 (0)1748 880012, Email: [email protected]. Open: April to October daily, November to March Wednesday to Sunday.
getting there
Larger places on the edge of the national park are:
- Richmond: from here follow the A 6108, turn onto the B 6270 towards Reeth. The B 6270 is a scenic route and runs across the Northern Dales to Kirkby Stephen.
- Skipton: from here it's best to go via Bolton Abbey on the scenic B 6160 towards Grassington. The B 6160 runs north-south through the Dales and meets the A 684 in Aysgarth.
- Ingleton: from here via the scenic B 6255 towards Hawes. This is the western part of the park.
- Newcastle upon Tyne, Distance to Richmond approx. 76 km (via the A1 (M) to Scotch Corner, then A 6108) From Newcastle there is with DFDS Ferry connections to Amsterdam.
- Leeds Bradford International Airport(IATA: LBA), which is served, among other things, Amsterdam. Distance to Skipton approx. 33 km (via A 660 / A65 Otley and Illkley)
Fees / permits
Access to the park is free. Sometimes parking fees and occasionally (e.g. on the Ingleton Waterfall Trail) entrance fees have to be paid.
mobility
The streets within the park are ordinary country roads, but some of them are very narrow and winding. At Buttertubs Pass there are slopes / inclines of 23-25%. The pass is at 526 m. Hiking, riding and cycling trails are well signposted.
Tourist Attractions
Around Malham
Near the small town Malham there are several "natural" sights. You can do about a 12 km / 7 mi long Flatly hiked or visited individually.
Janet's Foss
The Gordale Beck falls over the Janet's Foss 4 m deep into a large, natural pool. The sheep were washed in this basin before they were sheared in June. The waterfall is in a small forest. According to legend, Janet (or Jennett), the fairy queen, lives behind the waterfall.
Gordale Scar
The walls of the limestone gorge Gordale Scar tower almost 100 m high. There are two waterfalls in the gorge. The gorge was formed during the Ice Age, washing out a cave that later collapsed. A good hiking trail leads from Janet's Foss into the gorge. In addition to the waterfalls, you can climb over the rocks (no via ferrata), once you have reached the end of the gorge, you can take a hiking trail out into Malham Moor.
Malham Tarn
Malham Tarn (the eponymous village is approx. 4 km away) lies at an altitude of 377 meters above sea level. The lake was formed during the Ice Age when a moraine clogged its base. Once the tarn was twice as big as it is today. The water level was raised by the construction of a small dam around 1790. A hunting lodge was built at the end of the 18th century and now houses the Malham Tarn Field Studies Center. The lake and the adjacent wetland is a nature reserve.
Dry Valley of the Watlowes
The Dry Valley lies between Water Sinks (near Malham Tarn) and Malham Cove. At the end of the Ice Age the valley was the outflow of the Tarn, further below the water tumbled over Malham Cove. The limestone walls are very steep. Today the valley is dry and is criss-crossed by dry stone walls.
Malham Cove
Malham Cove is a limestone cliff shaped like an amphitheater. It rises over 80 m high and is approx. 300 m wide. On the western side of the cliff, stairs lead up 400 uneven steps. When the glaciers melted at the end of the Ice Age, a huge waterfall propped up here. The top of the cliff is formed by a wide cart. The limestone is very cracked and forms deep cracks. Rare, shade-loving plants live in the crevices. Today a stream rises at the foot of the cliff.
Bolton Abbey (village)
- Bolton Abbey, in Wharfedale. The Bolton Abbey Estate covers approximately 120 km². It is owned by the Dukes of Devonshire and run by a foundation. Within the grounds there are approximately 80 mi / 128 km of hiking trails as well as the ruins of Bolton Abbey and Barden Tower and the village of Bolton Abbey, among others.Open: Bolton Abbey & Sandholme car park October 27th to March 17th 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (last entry 2:00 pm).Price: £ 7.00 per car.
Bolton Abbey
The former monastery church is located on the River Wharfe, which you can cross here with dry feet using the stepping stones or the bridge.
After the Reformation, the church was partially destroyed. The ship is preserved as it served as the parish church in the village of Bolton. The transepts and choir are ruins.
The Strid
In Strid Wood, the previously 9 m wide and slowly flowing river Wharfe narrows down to 2 m. The water bubbles in a deep channel in the rock and falls over small waterfalls. Both banks of the channel are washed out below the water, dangerous eddies are forming. The Strid is approx. 90 m long in total
Barden Tower
Location: on the B 6160 in Lower Wharfedale, can only be viewed from the outside
The origins of the Barden Tower go back to the 15th century when Lord Clifford had a hunting lodge converted into an elegant residential tower. The lord preferred to spend his time here rather than at his headquarters, Skipton Castle. 1658/59 the derelict building was restored. It began to deteriorate again in the late 18th century. Today only the outer walls of the Barden Tower remain.
Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
various
- Ingleton Waterfall Trail, Broadwood Entrance, Ingleton. Tel.: 44 (0)15242 41930. Distance: approx. 8 km.Open: Daily from 9 a.m. (as of 2013).Price: ₤ 6.00.
Buttertubs
Location: northeast of the summit of the Buttertubs Pass
The long, fluted limestone columns in the cleft carts were created over centuries by karst processes. The holes are now 15 to 27 m deep. They are on either side of the street. For security reasons, the holes are partially fenced. According to legend, the farmers stored their butter in the cool, damp holes, which they could not sell at the market.
- Bolton Castle, Bolton Castle, at Leyburn. Tel.: 44 (0)1969 623981, Email: [email protected]. Bolton Castle is not in the same location as Bolton Abbey.Open: until November 3, 2013 daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Price: £ 7.50.
caves
- Ingleborough Cave, Clapham. Tel.: 44 (0)1524 251242, Email: [email protected]. Open: February to mid-October 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (guided tours every hour, as of 2013).Price: £ 7.00.
- White Scar Cave, Ingleton. Tel.: 44 (0)15242 41244, Email: [email protected]. Open: February to October from 10 a.m. (guided tours between 10.20 a.m. and 4.00 p.m., duration: approx. 80 minutes), November to January Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.Price: £ 9.50.
Museums
- Dales Countryside Museum, Station Yard, Hawes. Tel.: (0)1969 666210, Email: [email protected]. Open: February to December daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (as of 2013).Price: £ 4.00.
- Swaledale Museum, The Green, Reeth.
activities
hike
The Dales have something for every taste: tours for families, the challenge of climbing the Three Peaks (Ingleborough, Whernside and Phen-y-gent in one day: 37.5 km (23.3 mi) and 1,600 m (5,249 ft) up or down). Descents and several long-distance hiking trails lead through the national park.
Hiking destinations and routes
- Ingleton Waterfall Trail
- Reeth - Swing Bridge - Harkerside - Maiden Castle - Grinton - Reeth. Sights en route: the prehistoric Maiden Castle
- Aysgarth - Templars Chapel - West Burton Falls - Aysgarth. Attractions en route: View of Bolton Castle and waterfall. At the end of the tour you can go to the Aysgarth Falls.
- Waterfalls near Keld
- Malham - Janet's Foss - Gordale Scar - Malham Tarn - Dry Valley - Malham Cove - Malham. Attractions en route: the entire tour is impressive, see: Around Malham
- Bolton Abbey - Hare Head - Barden Tower - The Strid - Bolton Abbey. Sights en route: View of the ruined monastery over the river, Barden Tower and The Strid (see: Around Bolton Priory)
- Ribblehead Viaduct - Force Gill Aqueduct - Whernside - Ribblehead Viaduct. Sights en route: viaduct and aqueduct, Force Gill Waterfall, panoramic view from the summit of Whernside.
Long-distance hiking trails
- Coast to Coast Walk: 300 km / 190 mi through the national parks Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors
- Pennine Way: 429 km / 268 mi long, runs north-south through the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park national parks.
- Ribble Way: the 117 km / 73 mi long trail follows the Ribble River from its source to its mouth
water sports
- Semerwater (Wensleydale): Surfing, sailing and canoeing
Climb
- There are challenging climbing routes at Malham Cove and Kilnsey Crag.
shop
kitchen
accommodation
The villages within the national park are well prepared for visitors. There are many places to stay.
Hotels and hostels
Youth hostels
- Grinton Lodge, Grinton (near Richmond). Tel.: 44 (0)845 3719636. Open: Reception 7.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.Price: room from £ 20.00, bed from £ 10.00.
B & B's
- Ivy Cottage ***, Reeth Green, Reeth. Tel.: 44 (0)1748 884418. Price: Double £ 30.00 to £ 40.00 per person / night.
Hotels
- Devonshire Hotel, 25-27 Main Street Grassington. Tel.: 44 (0)1756 752525, Fax: 44 (0)1756 753748. Price: Double from £ 70.00.
- The Listers Arms ****, Malham. Tel.: 44 (0)1729 830330, Email: [email protected]. Price: Double £ 76.00 to £ 110.00 per room.
camping
security
trips
- A train ride with the Settle-Carlisle Line: 117 km / 73 mi which runs through the lonely landscape of the Dales and the Pennines.
literature
cards
The following maps, suitable for walking and cycling, cover the Yorkshire Dales. The scale of the maps is 1: 50,000. Sights are listed, as well as pubs, hotels and campsites in rural areas as well as parking spaces. Cost: approx £ 7.00 per sheet. Older editions are sometimes offered on the Internet and in bookstores; the most recent ones can be obtained directly from the publisher.
- Appleby-in-Westmoreland (Brough & Kirkby Stephen), Ordnance Survey Landranger, Sheet 91, ISBN 9780319231302
- Barnad Castle & Richmond (Teesdale), Ordnance Survey Landranger, Sheet 92, ISBN 9780319228982
- Wensleydale & Upper Wharfedale, Ordnance Survey Landranger, Sheet 98, ISBN 9780319231586
- Blackburn & Burnley (Clitheroe & Skipton), Ordnance Survey Landranger, Sheet 103, ISBN 9780319231548
- Leeds & Bradford (Harrogate & Ilkley), Ordnance Survey Landranger, Sheet 104, ISBN 9780319231654
Hiking literature
- The Yorkshire Dales. Crimson, ISBN 978-1-85458-518-9 ; 110 pages. 20 short hikes (4 km to 8 km) :
- Yorkshire Dales. Jarrold Publishing, ISBN 978-1-85458-680-3 ; 95 pages. 28 walks :