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Two Days in the Dales

by Paul Gallagher

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is one of the places in very close reach to me but one which I hardly ever visit. It is difficult to put a finger on why that is, but it may have something to do with the amount of times I have got lost whilst driving through it! After all it does cover an area of 1,800 square kilometres with a vast 1,500 kilometres of footpaths and 620 kilometres of bridleways. The roads through its core are mainly small (B) roads that wind and turn, up hill and down dale.

This year I was determined to visit the area and force myself to see more of the place and also make more photographs of it. I was further reminded of this by our editor reporting to me that he was the official 'support vehicle' to his wife and friend who had undertaken the coast-to-coast walking challenge that passes through a large portion of the Yorkshire Dales National Park (see also the review of Joe Cornish's latest film in the 'Books' section of this issue).

Having studied the geology of the area at university, I knew what it had to offer. The Dales is a vast area of limestone that presents itself as some of the most impressive 'limestone pavements' in the world. As well as this there are valleys in which the water collects then passes through the limestone and creates fantastic river systems and some of the most impressive waterfalls (called Forces or Fosses) I have experienced to date in one small geographic area.

During my few days there I basically split the area into north and south. The north of the Dales has some of the prettiest waterfalls I have photographed, many of which are located around the area of Swaledale and the little collection in the immediate vicinity of the beautiful village of Keld are really something to behold. If you are ever in the area be sure to visit Wain Wath Force just outside the village, which is a series of small falls that run gracefully over plates of descending limestone, stained a yellowy-orange colour by the peat-laden water that cascades over them.

Directly from the Keld village car park you can take the small narrow path that begins in the centre of the village and descends towards into Kidson Force. You will arrive in a deep, narrow, river-cut valley that is lined with dense deciduous woodland and a series of falls that will please the landscape photographer for days if left to it! From here I travelled to Thwaite and passed the dale-side barns that are almost cliched by the amount of times they have been photographed to depict the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Having made my way over the wonderfully named 'Buttertubs Pass' I arrived at the tiny settlement of Hardraw, made famous by the stunning Hardraw Force with its impressive 100-foot drop from an arc-like cliff-top and which is actually set within the grounds of the ancient Green Dragon Inn.

I think that that the South of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is probably my favourite. The landscape here is stunningly varied, with a vast area of moor land at its centre. It is truly awe-inspiring to walk onto the tops of Twistleton Scar or Ingleborough and see the swathe of limestone pavement spread out at your feet like a giant fingerprint. It is worth mentioning here to take caution when you walk on this geology.

The deep gaps between the rock formations (grikes) can drop away to several metres deep, so when hopping from clint to clint (the slabs of limestone separated by the grikes!) be very careful. Furthermore, this rock feels 'grippy' when dry but becomes almost ice-like after a very brief shower! The forces obviously continue in the south with the stunning Scaleber Force just above the town of Settle and the mighty Goredale Scar close to the awesome Malham Cove, which was once a giant waterfall (during the last glacial period).

Also in the Malham area, just a short walk from Gordale Scar, there is Janet's Foss which gently flows over an flat almost vertical slab of limestone into a fairytale, leafy tree-lined gorge. If you head out to the sloping outcrops above Austwick, you will find the Norber Erratics, which are huge boulders that stand proudly against the skyline having been dropped like small pebbles from a retreating glacier nearly 15,000 years ago.

So far I have mentioned the natural wonders of the Yorkshire Dales but it would be remiss of me not to mention the amazing Ribblehead viaduct. Completed in 1874 to carry the Settle-Carlisle railway, it spans a distance of 400m, stands at a height of 32m and was built by navvies. Incidentally, if you would like an image of both stunning limestone pavement and the Ribblehead Viaduct together, then the marvellous outcrops of Small and Middle Scars are an amazing vantage point and just a short walk from the A864.

I could go on and on, and I have many miles of the Dales to visit and explore, which is exactly what I intend to do over the coming months, as the light gets better with the shorter days. My advice is to get a good map, your camera and boots and get out there. It will not be disappointed!



Updated 27/04/2026 16:44:22 Last Modified: Monday, 27 April 2026