Photographs of the attractive village of Malham surrounded by some of the most spectacular limestone scenery in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
New Bridge, Malham, North Yorkshire.
Walkers on the 18th century bridge over Malham Beck. The bridge has been widened on the upstream side.
Malham Cove, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire, UK.
The 73m high cliffs were formed by earth movements from the Mid Craven Fault and ice melt-water flowing down the hillside from Malham Tarn. This torrent of water carved out the now dry Watlowes Valley before tumbling over the cliffs of the Cove to create a waterfall almost as spectacular as Niagara! In the process, soil from the top of the Cove was scoured away to leave exposed bare limestone. Acidic rain then seeped into cracks in the rock and dissolved it, thus creating the clints and grykes of the limestone pavement.
Malham Cove, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
The 73m high cliffs were formed by earth movements from the Mid Craven Fault and ice melt-water flowing down the hillside from Malham Tarn. This torrent of water carved out the now dry Watlowes Valley before tumbling over the cliffs of the Cove to create a waterfall almost as spectacular as Niagara! In the process, soil from the top of the Cove was scoured away to leave exposed bare limestone. Acidic rain then seeped into cracks in the rock and dissolved it, thus creating the clints and grykes of the limestone pavement.
Walkers enjoying the sunshine on the limestone pavement above Malham Cove in the Yorkshire Dales,.
A lone tree on the limestone pavement above Gordale Scar near Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
The footpath to Janet's Foss following Goredale Beck as it flows through Wedber Wood, Malham, North Yorkshire.
Janet's Foss, Malham, North Yorkshire.
Janet's Foss: 'Jennet's Waterfall' (Old Norse).
Gordale Beck flows over a limestone outcrop into a lovely pool which was once used for cleaning sheep before shearing. The lip behind the fall is composed of tufa (a porous, sponge-like rock created when calcite from the water builds up around moss and leaves). Since Viking times it has been believed that Jennet (Janet), queen of the local fairies lived in a cave behind the waterfall. The actual Janet’s Cave though is not behind the fall but under a curved fold of rock on the far bank. This cave was once inhabited by smelters working at the Pikedaw copper mines on the far side of the village. .Janet’s Foss was the fictional waterfall, Molkham Falls in the 2006 film, Waterfall.
Janet's Foss, Malham, North Yorkshire.
Janet's Foss: 'Jennet's Waterfall' (Old Norse).
Walker and dog on the footpath to Gordale Scar, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
A view of New Close Knotts from the path to Gordale Scar in the Yorkshire Dales.
Looking down into Gordale Scar from New Close Knotts, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
Gordale Scar, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
The towering limestone cliffs are a result of violent earth movements along the Craven Fault. The gorge was formed by a torrent of water from the melting ice at the end of the last Ice Age.
William Wordsworth visited Gordale in 1807 and wrote in a sonnet,
" let thy feet repair
To Gordale-chasm,
terrific as the lair .
Where the young lions couch;
Snow at Gordale Scar, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
The towering limestone cliffs are a result of violent earth movements along the Craven Fault. The gorge was formed by a torrent of water from the melting ice at the end of the last Ice Age.
William Wordsworth visited Gordale in 1807 and wrote in a sonnet,
" let thy feet repair
To Gordale-chasm,
terrific as the lair .
Where the young lions couch;
Fell walkers queue to climb out of limestone gorge of Gordale Scar, near Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
Upper Falls, Gordale Scar, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
The waterfall tumbles through a window in the limestone walls of the scar.
Hawthorn growing in the limestone pavement on Malham Lings in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire.
Malham Tarn, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
A lake in limestone country is unusual, but Malham Tarn has a base of impervious Silurian slates. In the 19th century, Lord Ribblesdale raised the water level with a dam and sluice gate at the southern end. At 377 metres it is the highest lake in England.
Malham Tarn House (on the opposite bank) was often visited by Rev. Charles Kingsley and the tarn was his inspiration for the 1863 novel, ‘The Water Babies’.
Cloud reflections in Malham Tarn, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
A lake in limestone country is unusual, but Malham Tarn has a base of impervious Silurian slates. In the 19th century, Lord Ribblesdale raised the water level with a dam and sluice gate at the southern end. At 377 metres it is the highest lake in England.
Malham Tarn House (on the opposite bank) was often visited by Rev. Charles Kingsley and the tarn was his inspiration for the 1863 novel, ‘The Water Babies’.
Sunset over Malham Tarn, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
A lake in limestone country is unusual, but Malham Tarn has a base of impervious Silurian slates. In the 19th century, Lord Ribblesdale raised the water level with a dam and sluice gate at the southern end. At 377 metres it is the highest lake in England.
Evening sun over Water Sinks, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
The outflow stream from Malham Tarn disappears underground at Water Sinks to reappear at Airehead Springs 4km to the south.
Watlowes Dry Valley, Mallham in the Yorkshire Dales.
This deep limestone canyon lies between Water Sinks and Malham Cove. Once the waters from Malham Tarn flowed above ground, carving out this impressive valley and creating a huge waterfall over the lip of the Cove. Now the water goes underground at Water Sinks to rise at the foot of Malham Cove and Watlowes is left as a the Dry Valley.
The smelt mill chimney on Malham Moor, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire.
This chimney is all that remains of an old smelting mill which was used to smelt lead (from galena) and zinc (from calamine). The zinc was mined on nearby Pikedaw Hill.
Medieval Field Systems at Malham in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire. The system of terraces on the hillside, the 'strip lynchets' were formed by ploughing to provide deeper soil for growing crops.