Yorkshire Dales

TheYorkshire Dalesare a series of valleys, ordales, in thePennines, anuplandrange in England. They are mostly located in theceremonial countyofNorth Yorkshire, but extend intoCumbriaandLancashire; they are entirely within thehistoric boundariesofYorkshire. The majority of the dales are within theYorkshire Dales National Park, created in 1954.The exception is the area aroundNidderdale, which forms the separateNidderdaleArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The landscape of the Yorkshire Dales consists of shelteredglacial valleysseparated by exposedmoorland.The predominant rock isCarboniferous Limestone, which is particularly visible in the south-west in features such asMalham Cove. It is overlain in many areas by theYoredale Seriesof alternating weak shales and hard limestones and sandstones, which give the dales their characteristic 'stepped' appearance.Most of the dales contain rivers, and the area contains seven primarycatchments: theSwale,Ure,Wharfe,Aire,Nidd,Ribble, andLune.There are several notablecavesystems in the area, including part of the longest system in the United Kingdom, theThree Counties.
Agriculture and other land management has significantly affected the appearance of the Dales, through the creation of pastures and meadows for livestock grazing and moorland forred grouseshooting.Dry stonewalls andfield barnsare characteristic of the valley floors, particularlyWensleydaleandSwaledalein the north.Wensleydale cheeseis a particularly famous product from the region.The dales are popular for hiking, and are crossed by theDales Way,Pennine Way, andCoast to Coastlong-distance footpaths.TheYorkshire Three Peaksis a walking trail entirely within the area  which takes in its three highest mountains:Ingleborough(723 m (2,372 ft)),Whernside(736 m (2,415 ft)), andPen-y-ghent(694 m (2,277 ft)).The extensive cave systems are a major centre for caving in the UK.
The worddale, likedell, is derived from the Old English worddæl. It has cognates in theNordic/Germanicwords for valley (dal,tal), and occurs in valley names across Yorkshire and Northern England.Usage here may have been reinforced by Nordic languages during the time of theDanelaw.
Most of the dales are named after their river or stream (e.g.,Arkengarthdale, formed byArkle Beck). The best-known exception isWensleydale, which is named after the small village and former market town ofWensley, rather than theRiver Ure, although an older name for the dale is Yoredale.River valleys all overYorkshireare called "(name of river)+dale"—but only the more northern valleys (and only the upper, rural, reaches) are included in the term "The Dales".
The Yorkshire Dales are surrounded by theNorth PenninesandOrton Fellsin the north, the Vales ofYorkandMowbrayin the east, theSouth Penninesin the south, and theLake DistrictandHowgill Fellsto the west. They spread to the north from the market andspa townsofSettle,Skipton, andHarrogatein North Yorkshire, to the southern boundary inWharfedaleandAiredale.Natural Englanddefine the area as most of theYorkshire Dales National Parkwith fringes of theNidderdale AONB, but without the towns listed above apart from Settle.
The lower reaches of Airedale and Wharfedale are not usually included in the area, andCalderdale, south ofAiredaleand in the South Pennines, is not often considered part of the Dales (even though it is a dale, is in Yorkshire, and its upper reaches are as scenic and rural as many further north).Additionally, although the National Park includes the Howgill Fells and Orton Fells,they are not usually considered part of the Dales.
Most of the larger southern dales – Ribblesdale, Malhamdale and Airedale, Wharfedale and Nidderdale – run roughly parallel from north to south. The more northerly dales – Wensleydale andSwaledale– run generally from west to east.There are many other smaller or lesser-known dales such asArkengarthdale,Bishopdale, Clapdale,Coverdale,Kingsdale,Littondale,Langstrothdale,RaydaleWaldendaleand theWashburn Valleywhose tributary streams and rivers feed into the larger valleys, andBarbondale,Dentdale,DeepdaleandGarsdalewhich feed west to theRiver Lune.
The characteristic scenery of the Dales is green upland pastures separated bydry-stone wallsand grazed by sheep and cattle.A survey carried out in 1988 estimated that there were just over 4,971 miles (8,000 km) of dry-stone walling in the Yorkshire Dales.Many upland areas consist of heather moorland, used forgrouse shootingfrom 12 August (theGlorious Twelfth).
Much of the rural area is used for agriculture, with residents living in small villages and hamlets or in farmsteads. Miles of dry-stone walls and much of the traditional architecture have remained,including some field barns, though many are no longer in active use. Breeding of sheep and rearing of cattle remain common.To supplement their incomes, many farmers have diversified, with some providing accommodations for tourists.A number of agricultural shows are held each year.
Lead mining was common in some areas of the Dales in the 19th century, particularly during 1821 to 1861, and some industrial remains can still be found, such as the Grassington miners' cottages.Certain former mining sites are maintained byHistoric England. The Grassington Moor Lead Mining Trail, with its many remaining structures,has received funding from a variety of sources. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority provides a mobile-device software app for those who wish to explore the relevant areas.
In this primarily agricultural area, tourism has become an important contributor to the economy.In 2016, there were 3.8 million visits to the Yorkshire Dales National Park including 0.48 million who stayed at least one night. The park authority estimates that this contributed £252 million to the economy and provided 3,583 full-time equivalent jobs. The wider Yorkshire Dales area received 9.7 million visitors who contributed £644 million to the economy.
Visitors are often attracted by the hiking trails,including some that lead to waterfallsand picturesque villages and small towns. These includeKirkby Lonsdale(just outside the area),Hawes,Appletreewick,Masham,Clapham,Long PrestonandMalham.
The 73-mile-long (117 km)Settle–Carlisle linerailway, operated byNetwork Rail, runs through the National Park using tunnels and viaducts, including Ribblehead.
The top-rated attractions according to travellers using theTrip Advisorsite includeAysgarth Falls,Malham Cove(scenic walking areas),Ingleborough(hiking trails) andRibblehead Viaduct.
The DalesBus service provides service in the Dales on certain days in summer, "including the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty". In summer, these buses supplement the other services operating year-round in the Dales.
Tourism in the region declined because of restrictions implemented in relation to theCOVID-19 pandemicin 2020, and into 2021. Later in 2021, the volume of visits was expected to increase as a result of the 2020 TV seriesAll Creatures Great and Small, largely filmed within the Dales.The first series aired in the UK in September 2020 and in the US in early 2021. One source stated that visits to Yorkshire websites had increased significantly by late September 2020.By early 2021, theDiscover Englandwebsites, for example, were using the tagline "Discover 'All Creatures Great and Small' in Yorkshire".
The dales are U- and V-shaped valleys, the former enlarged and shaped byglaciers, mainly in the most recentDevensianice age.The underlying rock is mainlyCarboniferous Limestone, which results in a large areas ofkarsttopography,in places overlain withshaleandsandstoneand topped withMillstone Grit,although to the north and west of theDent Faultthe hills are formed from olderSilurianandOrdovicianrocks.
The underlying limestone in parts of the Dales has extensive cave systems, including the 54-mile-long (87 km)Three Counties System, making it a major area forcavingin the UK. There are over 2500 known caves;some are open to the public for tours.Visitors can try caving at one of the show caves: White Scar Cave, Ingleborough Cave or Stump Cross Caverns near Greenhow.
The systems include:
54°16′N2°05′W﻿ / ﻿54.267°N 2.083°W﻿ /54.267; -2.083