TheYorkshire Dales are a series of valleys, ordales, in thePennines, anupland range in England. They are mostly located in theceremonial county ofNorth Yorkshire, but extend intoCumbria andLancashire; they are entirely within thehistoric boundaries ofYorkshire. The majority of the dales are within theYorkshire Dales National Park, created in 1954.[1] The exception is the area aroundNidderdale, which forms the separateNidderdaleArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The landscape of the Yorkshire Dales consists of shelteredglacial valleys separated by exposedmoorland.[2] 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 Series of alternating weak shales and hard limestones and sandstones, which give the dales their characteristic 'stepped' appearance.[3] Most of the dales contain rivers, and the area contains seven primarycatchments: theSwale,Ure,Wharfe,Aire,Nidd,Ribble, andLune.[4] There are several notablecave systems in the area, including part of the longest system in the United Kingdom, theThree Counties.[5]
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 grouse shooting.Dry stone walls andfield barns are characteristic of the valley floors, particularlyWensleydale andSwaledale in the north.[2]Wensleydale cheese is a particularly famous product from the region.[2] The dales are popular for hiking, and are crossed by theDales Way,Pennine Way, andCoast to Coastlong-distance footpaths.[6][7] TheYorkshire Three Peaks is a walking trail entirely within the area which takes in three of its mountains:Ingleborough (723 m (2,372 ft)),Whernside (736 m (2,415 ft)), andPen-y-ghent (694 m (2,277 ft)).[8] The extensive cave systems are a major centre for caving in the UK.[9]
The worddale, likedell, is derived from the Old English worddæl. It has cognates in theNordic/Germanic words for valley (dal,tal), and occurs in valley names across Yorkshire and Northern England.[10] Usage here may have been reinforced by Nordic languages during the time of theDanelaw.[11]
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.[12] River valleys all overYorkshire are called "(name of river)+dale"—but only the more northern valleys (and only the upper, rural, reaches) are included in the term "The Dales".[13]
The Yorkshire Dales are surrounded by theNorth Pennines andOrton Fells in the north, the Vales ofYork andMowbray in the east, theSouth Pennines in the south, and theLake District andHowgill Fells to the west. They spread to the north from the market andspa towns ofSettle,Skipton, andHarrogate in North Yorkshire, to the southern boundary inWharfedale andAiredale.Natural England define the area as most of theYorkshire Dales National Park with fringes of theNidderdale AONB, but without the towns listed above apart from Settle.[14]
The lower reaches of Airedale and Wharfedale are not usually included in the area, andCalderdale, south ofAiredale and 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).[15] Additionally, although the National Park includes the Howgill Fells and Orton Fells,[16] they are not usually considered part of the Dales.
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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.[17] There are many other smaller or lesser-known dales such asArkengarthdale,Bishopdale, Clapdale,Coverdale,Kingsdale,Littondale,Langstrothdale,RaydaleWaldendale and theWashburn Valley whose tributary streams and rivers feed into the larger valleys, andBarbondale,Dentdale,Deepdale andGarsdale which feed west to theRiver Lune.[18]
The characteristic scenery of the Dales is green upland pastures separated bydry-stone walls and grazed by sheep and cattle.[19] 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.[20] Many upland areas consist of heather moorland, used forgrouse shooting from 12 August (theGlorious Twelfth).[21]
The Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,178 km2 (841 sq mi) and includes most of the dales as well as theHowgill Fells, and theOrton Fells. Most of the park is withinNorth Yorkshire, with a sizeable area inCumbria and a small part inLancashire.Nidderdale is not within the national park, and has instead been designated anational landscape.
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,[22] including some field barns, though many are no longer in active use. Breeding of sheep and rearing of cattle remain common.[23] To supplement their incomes, many farmers have diversified, with some providing accommodations for tourists.[24] A number of agricultural shows are held each year.[25]
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.[26] Certain former mining sites are maintained byHistoric England. The Grassington Moor Lead Mining Trail, with its many remaining structures,[27] 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.[28]
In this primarily agricultural area, tourism has become an important contributor to the economy.[29] 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.[30]
Visitors are often attracted by the hiking trails, including some that lead to waterfalls and picturesque villages and small towns.[31] These includeKirkby Lonsdale (just outside the area),Hawes,Appletreewick,Masham,Clapham,Long Preston andMalham.[32]
The 73-mile-long (117 km)Settle–Carlisle line railway, operated byNetwork Rail, runs through the National Park using tunnels and viaducts, including Ribblehead.[33]
The top-rated attractions according to travellers using theTrip Advisor site includeAysgarth Falls,Malham Cove (scenic walking areas),Ingleborough (hiking trails) andRibblehead Viaduct.[34]
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.[35][36]
Tourism in the region declined because of restrictions implemented in relation to theCOVID-19 pandemic in 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.[37] 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.[38] By early 2021, theDiscover England websites, for example, were using the tagline "Discover 'All Creatures Great and Small' in Yorkshire".[39]
The dales are U- and V-shaped valleys, the former enlarged and shaped byglaciers, mainly in the most recentDevensianice age.[40] The underlying rock is mainlyCarboniferous Limestone, which results in a large areas ofkarst topography,[14] in places overlain withshale andsandstone and topped withMillstone Grit,[41] although to the north and west of theDent Fault[42] the hills are formed from olderSilurian andOrdovician rocks.[43][44]
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 forcaving in the UK. There are over 2500 known caves;[45] some are open to the public for tours.[46] Visitors can try caving at one of the show caves: White Scar Cave, Ingleborough Cave or Stump Cross Caverns near Greenhow.[47]
The systems include:
There are over 2500 known caves in the Dales including the longest system in Britain
He says this year has been extremely challenging for many businesses in the Dales. In the tourism business, it has been a disaster
There are over 2500 known caves in the Dales including the longest system in Britain
Valleys and settlements in theYorkshire Dales | ||
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