Overview
The Yorkshire Dales National Park is in northern England. It encompasses thousands of square miles of moors, valleys, hills, and villages. Southeast, on the River Wharfe, the Bolton Abbey Estate includes the ruins of a 12th-century monastery.
Description
Malham Village features a towering cliff, and a footpath leading to Gordale Scar, a limestone ravine with waterfalls. A 5-arched bridge crosses the river at Burnsall Village.
The Yorkshire Dales has many moods; it can be wild and windswept or quietly tranquil.
It includes some of the finest limestone scenery in the UK, from crags and pavements to an underground labyrinth of caves. Each valley or ‘dale’ has its own distinct character, set against expansive heather moorland tops.
Stone-built villages sit amongst traditional farming landscapes of field barns, drystone walls and flower-rich hay meadows, and show how the area has been shaped over thousands of years by the people who have lived and worked here.
Spectacular waterfalls and ancient broadleaved woodland contrast with the scattered remains of former mine workings and other rural industries which remind us of the area’s rich industrial heritage.
Together, nature and people have created a special landscape of immense beauty and character.
The pages in this section have information on the heritage, landscape, and wildlife of the Yorkshire Dales. You can also find information about the National Park and how the National Park Authority works with partners and other organizations with a Plan to conserve and enhance the area and to help others to share in and enjoy it.