Yorkshire Dales Guidebook and Travel Guide
The Yorkshire Dales

Discovery Guides Connoisseur Series

CONTENTS

1. General Map of the Area
2. INTRODUCTION TO THE AREA
3. A Portrait of the Dales
4. TICs and Useful Information
5. The Yorkshire Dales National Park
6. THE DALES COLLECTION
7. The Haunting Howgills
8. The Hidden Dale
9. Herriot Country
10. The Three Peaks
11. Magnificent Malham
12. Sparkling Spa Waters
13. Wonderful Wharfedale
14. NATURE'S WONDERS
15. The Building Blocks
16. Shaping the Landscape
17. Waterfall Country
18. Subterranean Splendours
19. Wildlife and Wildscapes
20. THE TOUCH OF MAN
21. Early Struggles for Survival
22. Invaders and their Legacy
23. Castles and Combatants
24. Great Religious Orders
25. Chapels and Churches
26. Markets and the Growth of Towns
27. Upstairs Downstairs - The Stately Homes
28. THE RURAL SCENE
29. A Farming Landscape
30. Farming Past and Present
31. A Farmer's Work is Never Done
32. Drove Roads and Packhorse Ways
33. A Blanket of Forest
34. DAYS OF INDUSTRY
35. Echoes of a Lead Mining Heritage
36. The Canal Era
37. Full Steam Ahead
38. The Question of Quarrying
39. A Stitch in Time
40. Mill Power - Will Power
41. FOLKLORE AND LEGEND
42. Tales of Horror
43. Tales of the Supernatural
44. Tales of Romance
45. CULTURAL KINGDOM
46. The Cult of the Picturesque
47. The Writer's Inspiration
48. The Artist's Vision
49. Museums and Galleries
50. The Appliance of Science
51. Ancient Festivals
52. PASTIMES PAST AND PRESENT
53. The Deer Hunter
54. Annual Shows
55. Walking in the Dales
56. Outdoor Activities
57. Entertainment in the Dales
58. Good Yorkshire Food
59. In Television's Footsteps
60. SELECTED PLACES TO VISIT
61. Treasure Chest of Attractions
62. Ingleton's Waterfalls
63. Stump Cross Caverns
64. The Embsay Steam Railway
65. The Georgian Theatre Royal
66. The Green Howards Museum
67. Newby Hall and Gardens
68. Ripley Castle and Gardens
69. Harlow Carr Gardens
70. WALKS, DRIVES & TOURS
71. Walk 1 Stump Cross Caverns
72. Walk 2 Ripley Castle
73. Walk 3 Harlow Carr Gardens
74. Walk 4 Newby Hall
75. Walk 5 Semer water
76. Walk 6 Occupation Road Circular
77. Walk 7 Ingleborough Estate Trail
78. Walk 8 Ingleton Waterfalls Walk
79. Drive 1 North Eastern Dales
80. Drive 2 South Eastern Dales
81. Drive 3 North Western Dales
82. Drive 4 South Western Dales
83. Tour 1 Yorkshire Dales Rail Ride
84. Tour 2 Cruising Yorkshire's Canals
85. REGIONAL ATLAS
86. SERVICES FOR THE VISITOR

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Yorkshire Dales is thought by many to be the most beautiful and appealing region of Britain. For over two centuries, in growing numbers and with increasing regularity, visitors have been exploring its landscape and enjoying its many and varied attractions and qualities. It is a magical region, living and breathing, possessing different moods and faces, ever changing and thus creating a personal relationship with all those who have been fortunate enough to experience its very special qualities and romantic appeal.

The Pennine Chain, that magnificent backbone of England, is located between the South Pennines and Peak District National Park to the south, and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the north. Radiating from and deeply incised into these highlands are numerous beautiful green dales which give name to this region. However, it is interesting to note that although the area is known as the Yorkshire Dales, small sections upon its western fringes are located within the counties of Cumbria and Lancashire. It is a region delimited by the natural boundaries of the physical landscape and lies largely within the administrative borders of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Natural Attractions are found in marvellous variety. The magnificent scenery is a result of the varying geology. The two major rock types are the limestones and millstone grit of the Carboniferous period, though older Silurian Age rocks form the Howgill Fells. Each rock type provides a characteristic landscape of differing relief and vegetation. The most characteristic surfaces on the higher lands are the wet, peat-covered moors, and the thin soils, rock outcrops and scars of the limestone grasslands.

These hard rocks produce large areas of highland with many summits. Perhaps the best-known are Whernside (736 metres/2,416ft), Ingleborough (723 metres/2,373ft) and Pen-y-ghent (694 metres/2,273ft), collectively known as The Three Peaks. Specific attractions include the landforms known as Malham Cove, Gordale Scar, Giggleswick Scar, Kilnsey Crag, the Buttertubs and numerous caves and potholes such as the Ingleborough Cave and the nearby Gaping Gill pothole. Waterfalls too are a result of the rocks of the area and in the Yorkshire Dales there are numerous famous falls, such as Aysgarth Falls, Hardraw Force (England's highest single drop waterfall) and Thornton Force (one of a magnificent collection of waterfalls found near Ingleton and considered the greatest concentration of impressive waterfalls in the country).

There is gentler scenery also. In the past, glaciers and their melt-waters swept earth and debris down to the low ground and the floors of the valleys. Here in the deeper soil grow lush plants and magnificent trees. Paths lead through the beautiful woods at Bolton Abbey with their wealth of native wild flowers, while exotic plants from the Far East are to be found growing among the trees of the Ingleborough Estate.

Man-made Attractions, resulting from this area's rich and colourful history, are just as numerous as natural attractions. Since Stone Age times man has left us artefacts throughout the area, and many of these are preserved and displayed in numerous museums. However, there are more substantial historical remains to explore. Whilst the majority of the natural attractions are to be found to the west of the area, the major historic sites are in the east. These include Castles such as those at Richmond, Bolton, Middleham, Knaresborough, Ripley and Skipton, and religious buildings such as Bolton Priory, Jervaulx Abbey, Easby Abbey, Fountains Abbey and Ripon Cathedral. In addition, there are a host of fine halls and buildings, each with a different character.

Beautiful Gardens and a wealth of flowers are a feature of the area, varying from the displays of the Northern Horticultural Society at Harlow Carr, the opulent gardens of Newby Hall, the colourful streets of Harrogate or the profusion of hanging baskets in Pateley Bridge, and the romantic grounds of Studley Royal.

Leisure and Sporting Activitioes of numerous kinds are available to the visitor. These include the more peaceful pastimes of bird-watching and fishing, and the more energetic activities of riding, sailing and, of course, walking, as well as the specialist pursuits of rock-climbing and potholing. There are local occasions to enjoy, agricultural shows, sheep fairs, horse trials, steam engine rallies, concerts and brass bands. There is also a wide range of shops to investigate, selling local produce or locally made gifts, and in many places visitors can watch the craftsmen themselves at work.

CREDITS AND TECHNICAL DATA

ISBN 0-86309-136-9
96 Pages printed on 115GSM matt artpaper + 4 page cover printed on 350GSM gloss artboard.
Printed full colour throughout. Gloss laminated outer cover.
Some 53 colour photographs. 249mm high x 172mm wide approx.
Printed in England.
Recommended retail price: £5.99
Written by PATRICIA DINGWALL.

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