Wharfedale

We have just had a couple of days walking in Yorkshire with our walking club. We stayed in Kettlewell and walked over to Grassington and Littondale.  It was very successful, and good because we don't know Wharfedale as well as we know the more northern dales like Teesdale and Swaledale. On the last day as almost everyone else left, we had decided to do a classic walk, from Malham, past Janet's Foss, up Gordale Scar, over to Malham Tarn and then down the cove and back to the village.  

We've done it a few times before; it's a super walk and quite likely we won't be up there for a while - until we're beyond it, maybe. So although it had been raining heavily during the night and was still raining when we set off, we were still keen, even though the limestone is horribly slippery when wet. 

Malham Cove

Since we were up there last, the walking traffic has increased to the extent that the National Parks Authority has had to pave all the way to Janet's Foss and then again along from the village to the cove. But the views are still tremendous. Malham Cove was the site of an enormous waterfall at the end of the ice age, and the tarn exists because it is underlaid by slate, not permeable limestone. It's pretty bleak up there, but there's a large shooting lodge, and the house and the landscape inspired "The Waterbabies" - which I didn't like as a child and never read to my children. It's creepy.

Janet's foss

We walked to Janet's Foss  (it's all foss, fell and dale in Yorkshire - it helped us sort out names in Norway) and then on to Gordale Scar. The stream was - well, not in spate, but pretty energetic. We did pause for a moment but then thought what the hell, we're doing this. A group of Liverpudlians, men of around forty I should say, were also hesitating, but went for it. We did get pretty wet, because as well as the normal waterfall spray, it was windy. My trousers were soaking; Phil's trousers were reasonably dry, but he had one wet foot. But we were seriously pleased with ourselves when we got right to the top. 

Approaching Gordale Scar

The men go up the waterfall ahead of us.

The next bit was fine, but quite a lot of the way to the tarn, we were walking into a really strong wind which kept blowing rain. It was like walking uphill and pretty unpleasant. But as we reached the tarn it calmed down and we sat and had a coffee and a snack. We saw lapwings and oystercatchers, as well as the usual jackdaws. The time of year is great for flowers and there were loads of kingcups up there. 

Phil at the top. 

Then we set off to the cove, and fortunately the wind had mostly dried off the limestone, so we could enjoy walking on the limestone pavement and down to the valley.

Climbers negotiating the overhang.

 
At the cove, watching the rockclimbers, were the Liverpudlians, and, chatting to them, it became obvious that they had climbed Gordale Scar because they weren't going to be beaten by a pair of O.A.P.s, which amused us. 

The limestone pavement

The view from the cove.The stream emerges from the bottom of the limestone cliff.
The group of people are watching the peregrine falcons.

I've got to say, it was very nice walking with just the two of us, being able to walk at the pace we wanted and stop to look at things when we felt like it. 













































We dropped into a cafe for tea and a scone, but, even better, they had Yorkshire curd cake. It wasn't quite as good as mine - a bit dry - but they'd been generous with the nutmeg. And it was an excellent pot of tea.