Malhamdale

Map of Malhamdale (Opens in a new page).

Location: Pennine Region: North Yorkshire: Southern Dales

River: Aire

Principal Towns & Villages: Malham: Kirkby Malham: Hanlith: Aireton

Malhamdale is one of the most popular tourist areas in the Yorkshire Dales and home to some of its most impressive landscape features.
The scenery here is full of natural attractions, the drama of Malham Cove and Gordale Scar, the calm of Janets Foss and Malham Tarn, and the surprise of watersinks to name just a few.

Malham Cove

A 260ft high limestone crag curves around to form a vast amphitheatre, which has become a favourite with rock climbers. Water from the dry valley of Watlowes once spilled out over the vertical edge as a great waterfall to Airehead Springs below.

Malham Tarn

The largest body of water in the dales, unusual in limestone county where most water flows underground. Owned by the National Trust, the Malham Tarn Estate area is a nature reserve.
The large building at the waterside is Tarn House, formally a private residence, now an educational centre run by the Field Studies Council.

Gordale Scar

This impressive deep cleft in the hillside at Gordale is believed to be the result of a collapsed cave roof. More likely the gorge came about due to the effects of glacier and melt water erosion during the last ice age.

Janets Foss

A picturesque waterfall and plunge pool surrounded by woodland and limestone pavement neat to the village of Malham. Sometimes called the "fairy waterfall" because the cave behind the fall is believed to be the home of Janet, Queen of the Fairies.

Water Sinks

Here the stream from Malham Tarn suddenly disappears underground into sinkholes, reappearing at the foot of Malham Cove.