How many yorkshire dales

This question is not as easy to answer as you might think! It depends how you count them, whether you include small 'side' dales that run at tangents from larger dales, and whether you include dales that are only partly inside the National Park boundaries. Most dales are named for the river that runs through them, such as Swaledale for the Rive Swale and Wharfedale for the River Wharfe.

The major exception to this rule is Wensleydale, which is named for the village of Wensley at the eastern end of the dale rather than the River Ure which runs through the dale itself.

To answer the question of how many dales there are, we turn to the Yorkshire Dales National Park official information, which lists 10 dales and three valleys Lune Valley, Ingleton Glens and the Rawthey Valley.

The 'official 10 dales' are:. Barden Bridge : a 17th-century bridge across the River Wharfe Barden Tower : a 15th-century fortified manor house overlooking Barden Bridge Bolton Abbey : scenic ruins beside the River Wharfe Jervaulx Abbey : a 12th-century Cistercian monastery by the River Ure Middleham Castle : the medieval fortress of the powerful Neville family and Richard III's boyhood home Ribblehead Viaduct : a stunning Victorian feat of engineering, carrying the Settle to Carlisle railway line Skipton Castle : perhaps the best-preserved medieval castle in England, begun in the 12th century Parcevall Hall Gardens : a delightful acre garden in the heart of Wharfedale Swaledale Museum : this delightful little museum in Reeth explores the rich heritage of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Thorpe Perrow Arboretum : a stunning acre arboretum near Bedale.

Aysgarth Falls : a wonderfully picturesque series of three waterfalls Catrigg Force Waterfall : a hidden waterfall reached by a lovely dales walk from Stainforth Gordale Scar : a limestone escarpment near Malham Hardraw Force : a waterfall with the longest unbroken drop in the north feet Ingleton Waterfalls Trail : a famous circular walk taking in five dramatic waterfalls Janet's Foss Waterfall : a peaceful waterfall near Malham Malham Cove : a natural amphitheatre near Kirkby Malham Mill Gill Force Waterfall : a lovely waterfall near Askrigg The Buttertubs : limestone potholes once used to keep butter cool by local farmers The Strid : A narrow gorge on the River Wharf near Bolton Abbey Winskill Stones : a acre nature reserve near Settle, with wonderfully scenic limestone pavement and limestone meadows.

Canvas prints, framed prints and greeting cards by award-winning photographer David Ross, editor of BritainExpress. There are more than 20 individual Dales, each with its own character and atmosphere.

Some of the more familiar ones include:. The main dales include or are linked by smaller, less famous dales such as: Airsdale; Bishopdale; Clapdale; Coverdale; Langstrothdale; Littendale; Raydale and Washburndale. What makes the Dales unique. Each dale has a unique character, though of course all have a dale, or valley at its core.

They combine to give a blend of grassy valleys, tumbling waterfalls, a network of rivers and streams, topped by heather-covered bleak fells or bleak limestone crags. It's rich with intricate patterns of dry-stone walls and field barns, and dotted with picturesque stone villages.

The Dales contain some of the most dramatic exposed limestone cliffs, gorges and a fretwork of limestone pavements in the UK. The hills are riddled with limestone caves dating back to the Ice Age. A photographer's paradise, but it's not just countryside If you live somewhere in the Yorkshire Dales, e-mail and tell us all about it, or send photos. We'd like to feature your Dale! Send photos, in jpeg format, or information about where you live, to: northyorkshire bbc.

Home Explore the BBC. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about each of the dales that comprise the Yorkshire Dales National Park by clicking on their names below. The dales were originally formed by glaciers in the ice age which carved out these deep valleys and produced this beautiful landscape. If you would like somewhere comfortable of good quality to stay, check out a list of self catering cottages in the Yorkshire Dales.