WALKS IN THE YORSHIRE DALES

The Yorkshire Dales National Park was set up in 1953 and covers more than two thousand square kilometres of high hills and fells in the North-West of the Pennines. The geology of the area is complex, Much of this limestone upland area is more than 600m above sea level but it is carved through by numerous steep sided river valleys, the 'dales' which give the name to the area. These hills and valleys, punctuated by rocky outcrops and gorges make the area ideal for walking.

Limestone brings other benefits: cave systems, limestone pavement, useful building stone (dry stone walls which cross-cross the Dales) and well drained farm land. Although most of the underlying rock is limestone it comes in many forms, depending on the nature of the sea when it was laid down, so hard wearing beds of carboniferous limestone are interpsersed with shale like beds. The differential erosion explains the rugged profile of some of the best known peaks such as Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough.

As well as rugged countryside the area has many intersting and historic towns and smaller settlements. The walks set out below aim to combine serious walking with strolls around some of these places of interest.