The Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is an area of great natural beauty and is possibly the most the popular area for walkers in North Yorkshire. A delightful area of stunning natural outdoor beauty, fascinating sites to visit and endless ways to enjoy this breath-taking scenery. With rich heritage around every corner, makes the Dales the place to visit for both young and old.
From Arkengarthdale in the north to Wharfedale in the south, the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales relies in fact that must of it is un-spoiled and natural. Its landscape with its very distinctive/majestic scenery contains picturesque villages, bustling market towns, caves, hills, mountains, castles and rivers. The Dales natural and majestic scenery is what attracts many walkers to the Dales each year. As a result, it provides must needed revenue for the local economy as well as providing many jobs for those who live there permanently.
The Dales essentially is a managed landscape which is a quiet, peaceful and beautiful environment in which to relax and unwind. The Dales balance the natural intimacy of the sheltered dale with grandeur of fellows, villages and towns and rivers. But its human activity which has shaped the typical Dales landscape. Since the Bronze Award age, the Yorkshire Dales have been shaped by human activity as much as natural forces.
The natural features of the Dales are the result of erosion by glacier ice. Weathering of limestone, shale, sandstone and millstone grit laid down about 300 million years ago has created the scenery that we see today. Today, the Dales contain many of areas where walkers can enjoy the natural beauty and miles of peaceful unspoiled countryside. The combination of high moorland, verdant valleys, limestone pastures criss-crossed by tracery dry stone walls, distinctive stone-built villages, crystal clear rivers and a myriad of waterfalls, makes the Yorkshire Dales a favourite area for all ages.
Most of the Dales landscape is dominated with wild countryside which goes on for miles and miles, separated only by minor roads, small towns/villages, farms and a network of dry stone walls, marking ancient field boundaries. The dry stone walls are unique aspect to the Dales countryside and bring a distinctive feature to the area which can’t be found anywhere else in the region. The region also contains some of Britain well known footpaths, the Pennine Way, Dales Way and the Coast to Coast route to name three, are well-known routes. In addition, the Dales has some of the largest mountains and hills found anywhere in England.
In 1954, the Yorkshire Dales became a National Park. Currently, the National Park covers 1,773 square kilometers with over 20,000 residents live and work in the National Park. The area is visited by over 8 million visitors every year who come to see the wonderful landscape, wildlife and habitats which the Dales have to offer.
There are special things to see in every dale, both natural and man-made. As well as natural attractions, there are castles, museums, gardens and much more to enjoy in this region.