Limestone Scenery at Malham

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Limestone Scenery at Malham

Where is Malham?

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Malham is a small dales village in what is known as Malhamdale, north

of Skipton and Gargrave in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National

Park. The settlement itself probably dates from the 7th or 8th century

A.D. but there are archaeological remains around Malham Tarn which

date back 10,000 years.

Malham is most famous as featuring some of the finest and most

spectacular limestone scenery in the country.

Limestone Features in Malham

The Dry Valley of Watlowes

[IMAGE]Below Water Sinks, and above Malham Cove is a limestone valley

which is known as the Dry Valley, or Watlowes Valley. Whatever

underground route the streams of Malham Moor now take, Watlowes Valley

was almost certainly carved out by the overspill from Malham Tarn

flowing to what was once England's highest waterfall at Malham Cove.

Now the valley is dry, but contains some most impressive limestone

features, with plenty of exposed and weathered rock.

Malham Cove

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Malham Cove

Malham Cove is a huge natural limestone cliff just north of Malham

which forms part of the Craven Fault and was once the scene of an

amazing ancient waterfall. The valley above the cove is now dry, with

the river having found a different route underground. However, at the

foot of the cliff, a small stream called Malham Beck rises from a

submerged cavern. The vertical faces of the cliff are 260 feet high.

The top of the cove is a large area of deeply eroded limestone

pavement, of a strange pattern rarely seen in England.

Giggleswick Scar viewed from Buckhaw BrowThe Craven Fault

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The Craven Fault is a series of geological fault lines, including the

North Craven Fault, the Mid Craven Fault, and the South Craven Fault,

which run along the southern and western edges of the Yorkshire Dales

national park, formed at the boundary of the Askrigg Block. Along the

length of the Craven Fault there are some brilliant limestone

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