The Yorkshire Dales

The Yorkshire Dales is an area of great natural beauty, a large part of which has been designated as one of England and Wales eleven national parks. Landscapes here vary from heather-topped moors to colourful hay-meadows. There are limestone crags and underground labyrinths of potholes and caves. Traditional stone-built villages are set amongst fields and pastures bounded by distinctive drystone walls. Originally built by sheep farmers, today these walls look a natural part of the scenery.

Tourist attractions include popular riverside beauty spots such as Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale and Aysgarth Falls in Wensleydale, though it is always possible to get away from the tourists in the hundreds of square miles of unspoiled countryside that lie within the boundaries of this beautiful national park. Spectacular natural features include the towering white cliffs and limestone gorges at Malham, and dramatic waterfalls in deep woodland ravines at Ingleton.

To the east the countryside becomes gentler, sloping off to the Vale of York and the towns of Ripon, Thirsk, and the historic city of York itself. Beyond that, to the north east lies Yorkshire's other national park, The North York Moors, stretching to the Yorkshire coast and its popular seaside resorts.

The Dales provides some of the best scenic walking in the country. The finest long-distance walks pass through the Dales, including the Pennine Way, Coast to Coast Walk, the Dales Way and the Ribble Way. A network of byways and bridleways and other routes allow cyclists to enjoy traffic-free pedalling. The Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria Cycleways utilise quiet roads throughout the region.

Yorkshire Dales
Daelnet - news from the Dales
Castles in the Yorkshire Dales
Walks in the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales Walks on Walking Britain
Mountain Bike Routes in the Dales

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North Yorkshire - DL11 7JH
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