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Viewpoint
Malham Cove
Curved limestone cliff a kilometre north of Malham, formed by a meltwater waterfall after the last Ice Age, with limestone pavement on top.
A mini guide to
Yorkshire Dales
Limestone country: Malham, Wharfedale, Wensleydale and the Three Peaks
Photos
1 / 10Welcome to the area
Limestone country: Malham, Wharfedale, Wensleydale and the Three Peaks
The Yorkshire Dales National Park was designated in 1954 and has covered 2,178 km² since 2016. The park authority counts over 8,000 km of drystone walls, 6,000 field barns and half the country's limestone pavements, and the most extensive caving area in the UK lies under its hills.
Skipton, with its castle, is the southern gateway. North of it are Malham Cove and Gordale Scar, Grassington in Wharfedale and Bolton Abbey on the Wharfe; further north, Hawes and Aysgarth in Wensleydale. To the west the Settle–Carlisle railway crosses Ribblehead Viaduct below Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent, the Three Peaks.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Gorge
Gordale Scar
Limestone ravine with two waterfalls and overhanging cliffs over 100 metres high, north-east of Malham.
Waterfall
Janet's Foss
Small waterfall near Malham where Gordale Beck drops over a tufa-topped ledge into a deep pool.
Lake
Malham Tarn
Glacial lake at 377 metres, the highest marl lake in the UK; owned by the National Trust.
Castle
Skipton Castle
Grade I listed medieval castle at the top of the High Street, begun in 1090; still a private home.
Church
Holy Trinity Church
Grade I listed medieval parish church on Skipton High Street, next to the castle.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Yorkshire Dales and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Busy car parks
The park authority says its Malham, Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Aysgarth Falls car parks tend to be the busiest; have a back-up plan.
2
Use the train
Settle–Carlisle line stations such as Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Ribblehead, Dent and Garsdale are the start of many walks.
3
Malham in one walk
Janet's Foss, Gordale Scar and Malham Cove are all within a short distance of Malham village and can be linked on foot.
4
Step-free walks
The park publishes 'Miles without Stiles' routes for wheelchair users and people with pushchairs.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Yorkshire
More areas to explore
16 sights · 20 places to eat
Whitby & Robin Hood's Bay
Harbour town at the mouth of the Esk, with the abbey, Captain Cook and Dracula
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15 sights · 13 places to eat
Scarborough
Two sandy bays, a castle headland and the resort that grew from a spa
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Harrogate & Knaresborough
Victorian spa town with gardens and baths, and the Nidd gorge at Knaresborough
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Yorkshire Dales (area photo): F. C. Franklin, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Malham Cove: Raymond Knapman, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Janet's Foss: Dbenbenn (Commons uploader), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Malham Tarn: No machine-readable author provided. Dbenbenn assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Skipton Castle: Davegill70, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Holy Trinity Church: Immanuel Giel (Commons uploader), Public domain, source
- Craven Museum: JHillCDC, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bolton Priory: Ian Greig, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bolton Abbey Estate: David Benbennick, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Grassington: Pauline E, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stump Cross Caverns: Simon Frost, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Aysgarth Falls: Wehha, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hardraw Force: Wehha, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dales Countryside Museum: Eirian Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wensleydale Creamery: Jennifer Petrie, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bolton Castle: Bob Weyker, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Whitby & Robin Hood's Bay: ianpudsey, CC BY 3.0, source
- Scarborough: derek dye, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Harrogate & Knaresborough: David Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- North York Moors: JThomas, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring Yorkshire