| Wharfedale | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Wharfedale near Buckden | |
| Length | 50 mi (80 km) [1] |
| Geography | |
| Location | Yorkshire, England |
| District | North and West Yorkshire |
| Coordinates | 53°53′00″N1°27′00″W / 53.88333°N 1.45°W /53.88333; -1.45 |
| River | River Wharfe |
 | |
Wharfedale (/ˈhwɔːrfdeɪl/WHORF-dayl) is one of theYorkshire Dales. It is situated at source inNorth Yorkshire and then flows intoWest Yorkshire and forms the upper valley of theRiver Wharfe. Towns and villages in Wharfedale (downstream, from west to east) includeBuckden,[a]Kettlewell,Conistone,Grassington,Hebden,Bolton Abbey,Addingham,Ilkley,Burley-in-Wharfedale,Otley,Pool-in-Wharfedale,Arthington,Collingham andWetherby.[b] Beyond Wetherby, the valley opens out and becomes part of theVale of York.
The section from the river's source to around Addingham is known asUpper Wharfedale. It lies inNorth Yorkshire and theYorkshire Dales National Park. The first 15 miles (24 km) or so is known asLangstrothdale, including the settlements ofBeckermonds,Yockenthwaite andHubberholme, famous for its church, the resting place of the writerJ. B. Priestley. As it turns southwards, the Wharfe then runs through a green and lush valley, withlimestoneoutcrops, such asKilnsey Crag, and woodland, generally quite unusual in the Dales.
Below Addingham, the dale broadens and turns to the east. This section is shared between North Yorkshire andWest Yorkshire and includes the towns of Ilkley, Otley and Wetherby. The northern side of Lower Wharfedale, opposite Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Otley, is in theNidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
TheYorkshire Dales Rivers Trust has a remit to conserve the ecological condition of Wharfedale,Wensleydale,Swaledale andNidderdale catchments from their headwaters to theHumber Estuary.
The Wharfedale valley was cut into the shape we know today during the last ice age (theDevensian Glaciation). The valley was transformed into its classic U-shaped state between 18,000 and 12,000 years ago by the Wharfedale Glacier,[2] though this was cutting through a channel that had already had a river draining water away to the east through what is now Wharfedale,[3][4] and also to the north through what is nowBishopdale and thenWensleydale.[5]
Evidence of human settlement has been found dating back toNeolithic times and the valley has plenty of artefacts relating to theCeltic,Roman andAnglo-Saxon periods.[6] The Romans built a road over Stake Moss into what is now the village ofBainbridge in Wensleydale.[7]
The Anglo-Saxon influence remains in modern times, with most settlements in Upper Wharfedale having Anglo-Saxon derived names.[8]
The name of the valley is derived from the principal river that flows through it: the Wharfe, which comes from theOld EnglishWeorf orOld NorseHverfr, with both taken as meaningwinding river.[9] The River Wharfe starts at the confluence (at the hamlet of Beckermonds) of the Oughtershaw Beck and the Green Field Beck,[10] each of which originates at the Pennine watershed, some 4 miles (6 km) north-east ofRibblehead. The valley roughly follows a south-easterly direction, providing a border between West Yorkshire (on the south side) and North Yorkshire.[11]
Between Oughtershaw Moss and Wetherby, the valley runs for 50 miles (80 km).[1] The uppermost part of the valley is known as Langstrothdale.[12] Below Beckermonds the river is known as the River Wharfe.[13] Wetherby is traditionally seen as the foot of Wharfedale, even though the river continues on through theVale of York.[1]
The valley has been used largely for agriculture, and is now criss-crossed with stone walls and stone barns that evidence its use down the centuries.[14]
The geology of the valley is split, with Upper Wharfedale consisting ofcarboniferous limestone of theYoredale series.[15] In the lower part of Wharfedale, aroundIlkley andOtley, the underlying stone is mostly millstone grit,[16] which can be seen best at the Cow and Calf rocks on the south side of the valley onIlkley Moor.[17] The Bramley Almanac for 1931 lists 'Earthquake in Wharfedale' for 15 December 1859.[18]
As anelectoral subdivision Wharfedale is award in the north east of theCity of Bradfordmetropolitan borough. It consists of the settlements ofBurley-in-Wharfedale,Burley Woodhead andMenston along with surrounding moorland. The population of the ward taken at the 2011 Census was 11,836.[19]
In 2017, in consideration ofregional geography, theChurch of England changed its subdivisions[20] and re-grouped theDeanery of Wharfedale with that ofSouth Craven, in order that the similar regions can work together more effectively.[21]
One of the most renowned painters of the Victorian era,John Atkinson Grimshaw, portrayed the area in his piece, "Moonlight, Wharfedale" (1871 – oil on card17+1⁄2 by13+1⁄2 inches [44 cm × 34 cm]). He is known as one of the best and most accomplished nightscape and townscape artists of all time, and this painting is a prime example of his mastery.[22][23]J. M. W. Turner also visited and painted scenes around Otley and Ilkley. Turner was commissioned to paintKilnsey Crag, which he created as an oil painting in 1816.[24]
The valley was featured in episode three of theBBC Two series,The Yorkshire Dales.[25][26]
Valleys and settlements in theYorkshire Dales | ||
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| Dales |  | |
| Major settlements | ||
| See also | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
