The Yorkshire Dales are a series of valleys, or dales, in the Pennines, an upland range in England. They are mostly located in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, but extend into Cumbria and Lancashire; they were historically entirely within Yorkshire. The majority of the dales are within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, created in 1954.[1] The exception is the area around Nidderdale, which forms the separate Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The landscape of the Yorkshire Dales consists of sheltered glacial valleys, separated by exposed moorland.[2] The predominant rock is Carboniferous Limestone, which is particularly visible in the south-west in features such as Malham Cove. It is overlain in many areas by the Yoredale 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 primary catchments: the Swale, Ure, Wharfe, Aire, Nidd, Ribble, and Lune.[4] There are several notable cave systems in the area, including the longest system in the United Kingdom, the Three 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 for red grouse shooting. Dry stone walls and field barns are characteristic of the valley floors, particularly Wensleydale and Swaledale 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 the Dales Way, Pennine Way, and Coast to Coast long-distance footpaths.[6][7] The Yorkshire Three Peaks is 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)), and Pen-y-ghent (694 m (2,277 ft)).[8] The extensive cave systems are a major area for caving in the UK.[9]
^"Yorkshire Dales Area". Yorkshire.com. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
^ abcEngland, Natural. "National Character Area Profile: 21. Yorkshire Dales – NE399". Natural England. pp. 3, 9. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
^Landscape Character Assessment(PDF). Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. 2020. pp. 6–7.
^"Rivers and streams". Yorkshire Dales National Park. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
^"Caving". Yorkshire Dales National Park. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
^"Walking". Yorkshire Dales National Park. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
^"Long distance routes". Yorkshire Dales National Park. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
^"Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge". Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
^"Get Outdoors". Yorkshire Dales. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2019. There are over 2500 known caves in the Dales including the longest system in Britain
The YorkshireDales are a series of valleys, or dales, in the Pennines, an upland range in England. They are mostly located in the ceremonial county of...
The YorkshireDales National Park is a 2,178 km2 (841 sq mi) national park in England which covers most of the YorkshireDales, the Howgill Fells, and...
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This is a list of dales in the YorkshireDales, arranged geographically from south to north. Side dales are indented under the dale from which they branch...
is exposed at the surface in the North Pennines, YorkshireDales and the Peak District. In the Dales and the White Peak, limestone exposure has caused...
range, encircle the head of the valley of the River Ribble in the YorkshireDales National Park in the North of England. The long-standing designation...
This is a list of the peaks in the YorkshireDales. To avoid the list becoming infinitely long and arbitrary, only hills with more than 30 m relative...
70,000 people who went on instructor-led courses into caves in the YorkshireDales, but there were no fatalities. The following is a list of the 137 identified...
the Dales', because of its close proximity to the YorkshireDales. As Skipton is the nearest and largest town to a significant area of the Dales, it attracts...
The Dales Way is an 78.5-mile (126.3 km) long-distance footpath in Northern England, from (south-east to north-west) Ilkley, West Yorkshire, to Bowness-on-Windermere...
lying between the Lake District and the YorkshireDales. The area falls within the boundaries of the YorkshireDales National Park and are sometimes considered...
The Dales Pony is a British breed of pony or small horse. It originated in, and is named for, the Dales of Yorkshire in northern England. It is one the...
valley in North Yorkshire, England. It is one of the YorkshireDales, which are part of the Pennines, and within the YorkshireDales National Park. It...
River Swale and its tributary, Gunnerside Beck, and is within the YorkshireDales National Park. The name of the village derives from an Old Norse personal...
Ingleborough - YorkshireDales National Park, North Yorkshire, at 723 metres (2,372 ft) Great Shunner Fell - YorkshireDales National Park, North Yorkshire, at 716...
the south. The west contains part of the Pennines, which form the YorkshireDales in the north-west. The historic county was bordered by County Durham...
parish in North Yorkshire, England, at the head of Wensleydale in the YorkshireDales, and historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The River Ure...
Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by King Henry VIII, is in the YorkshireDales, which lies next to the village of Bolton Abbey. The estate is open...
Wharfe and one of the YorkshireDales. It is situated in North Yorkshire, and the cities of Leeds and Bradford in West Yorkshire. It is the upper valley...
Wensleydale is a valley in North Yorkshire, England. It is one of the YorkshireDales, which are part of the Pennines. The dale is named after the village of...
lives and works on a remote farm, Ravenseat Farm, in Swaledale in the YorkshireDales. She has nine children: Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney...
longest cave system in the UK is the Three Counties System in the YorkshireDales, with 86.7 km (53.9 mi) of passageways. It includes the Ease Gill system...
The River Wharfe (/hwɔːrf/ WHORF) is a river in Yorkshire, England originating within the YorkshireDales National Park. For much of its middle course it...
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