31-742: DalesBus is a bus network serving the Yorkshire Dales and managed by Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company, a volunteer-run subsidiary of the Yorkshire Dales Society. Services are funded by organisations, including the National Trust , West Yorkshire Metro , Yorkshire Dales National Park , and community groups. Over 30,000 passengers used the network in 2019/20. Some services only operate at weekends and on bank holidays , from Easter until late October, though others are year-round. The DalesBus Ramblers organise
62-611: A mobile-device software app for those who wish to explore the relevant areas. In this primarily agricultural area, tourism has become an important contributor to the economy. In 2016, there were 3.8 million visits to the Yorkshire Dales National Park including 0.48 million who stayed at least one night. The park authority estimates that this contributed £252 million to the economy and provided 3,583 full-time equivalent jobs. The wider Yorkshire Dales area received 9.7 million visitors who contributed £644 million to
93-427: A number of times in recent years (most recently in 2003) with updates to the recommended route. Wainwright's book describes the route in 12 stages, each of which ends at a settlement with at least some overnight accommodation nearby. If one stage is walked per day, with one or two rest days, the route makes a two-week holiday, and web logs of coast-to-coasters seem to indicate that this is the most common way of walking
124-476: A programme of guided walks in the Yorkshire Dales. The service began in 2007 with a single route between Ilkley and Skipton . In 2015, North Yorkshire County Council withdrew English National Concessionary Travel Scheme payments for some of these services, regarding them as only for "tourist use" and therefore outside of statutory provision. In the following year, Lancashire County Council made
155-609: A series of valleys, or dales , in the Pennines , an upland range in England. They are mostly located in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire , but extend into Cumbria and Lancashire ; they are entirely within the historic boundaries of Yorkshire . The majority of the dales are within the Yorkshire Dales National Park , created in 1954. The exception is the area around Nidderdale , which forms
186-735: Is a walking trail entirely within the area which takes in its three highest mountains: Ingleborough (723 m (2,372 ft)), Whernside (736 m (2,415 ft)), and Pen-y-ghent (694 m (2,277 ft)). The extensive cave systems are a major area for caving in the UK. The word dale , like dell , is derived from the Old English word dæl . It has cognates in the Nordic / Germanic words for valley ( dal , tal ), and occurs in valley names across Yorkshire and Northern England. Usage here may have been reinforced by Nordic languages during
217-488: Is no end to the possibilities for originality and initiative. The Coast to Coast Walk uses public rights of way (public footpaths, tracks, and minor roads), permissive paths and access land ; it is one of the most popular of all the long-distance footpaths in the UK . In 2004 the walk was named as the second-best walk in the world according to a survey of experts. Harvey Maps publishes two dedicated strip maps at 1:40,000 scale. Tradition dictates that walkers should start
248-593: The Discover England websites, for example, were using the tagline "Discover 'All Creatures Great and Small' in Yorkshire". The dales are U- and V-shaped valleys, the former enlarged and shaped by glaciers , mainly in the most recent Devensian ice age . The underlying rock is mainly Carboniferous Limestone , which results in a large areas of karst topography, in places overlain with shale and sandstone and topped with Millstone Grit , although to
279-851: The Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the North York Moors National Park. The current actual measured distance is reported as 182-mile (293 km). Wainwright recommends that walkers dip their booted feet in the Irish Sea at St Bees and, at the end of the walk, in the North Sea at Robin Hood's Bay . It has been an unofficial and mostly unsignposted trail. However on 12 August 2022 it
310-658: The Pennines . It then crosses the Yorkshire Dales , the Vale of York and the North York Moors to reach the North Sea coast at Robin Hood's Bay . The following major headland is traversed by the route: The following hills are crossed by the route: In May 2021, the route was run in 39 hours 18 minutes and 40 seconds by Damian Hall , setting a new record. The previous record was set in 1991, 39 hours 36 minutes and 52 seconds by Mike Hartley . The record before that
341-511: The Trip Advisor site include Aysgarth Falls , Malham Cove (scenic walking areas), Ingleborough (hiking trails) and Ribblehead Viaduct . The DalesBus service provides service in the Dales on certain days in summer, "including the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty". In summer, these buses supplement the other services operating year-round in
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#1732776560314372-550: The Washburn Valley whose tributary streams and rivers feed into the larger valleys, and Barbondale , Dentdale , Deepdale and Garsdale which feed west to the River Lune . The characteristic scenery of the Dales is green upland pastures separated by dry-stone walls and grazed by sheep and cattle. A survey carried out in 1988 estimated that there were just over 4,971 miles (8,000 km) of dry-stone walling in
403-810: The Dales (even though it is a dale, is in Yorkshire, and its upper reaches are as scenic and rural as many further north). Additionally, although the National Park includes the Howgill Fells and Orton Fells, they are not usually considered part of the Dales. Most of the larger southern dales – Ribblesdale, Malhamdale and Airedale, Wharfedale and Nidderdale – run roughly parallel from north to south. The more northerly dales – Wensleydale and Swaledale – run generally from west to east. There are many other smaller or lesser-known dales such as Arkengarthdale , Bishopdale , Clapdale, Coverdale , Kingsdale , Littondale , Langstrothdale , Raydale Waldendale and
434-668: The Dales. Tourism in the region declined because of restrictions implemented in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and into 2021. Later in 2021, the volume of visits was expected to increase as a result of the 2020 TV series All Creatures Great and Small , largely filmed within the Dales. The first series aired in the UK in September 2020 and in the US in early 2021. One source stated that visits to Yorkshire websites had increased significantly by late September 2020. By early 2021,
465-706: The Yorkshire Dales. Many upland areas consist of heather moorland, used for grouse shooting from 12 August (the Glorious Twelfth ). Much of the rural area is used for agriculture, with residents living in small villages and hamlets or in farmsteads. Miles of dry-stone walls and much of the traditional architecture have remained, including some field barns, though many are no longer in active use. Breeding of sheep and rearing of cattle remain common. To supplement their incomes, many farmers have diversified, with some providing accommodations for tourists. A number of agricultural shows are held each year. Lead mining
496-560: The appearance of the Dales, through the creation of pastures and meadows for livestock grazing and moorland for red grouse shooting. Dry stone walls and field barns are characteristic of the valley floors, particularly Wensleydale and Swaledale in the north. Wensleydale cheese is a particularly famous product from the region. The dales are popular for hiking, and are crossed by the Dales Way , Pennine Way , and Coast to Coast long-distance footpaths . The Yorkshire Three Peaks
527-580: The dales their characteristic 'stepped' appearance. Most of the dales contain rivers, and the area contains seven primary catchments : the Swale , Ure , Wharfe , Aire , Nidd , Ribble , and Lune . There are several notable cave systems in the area, including the longest system in the United Kingdom, the Three Counties . Agriculture and other land management has significantly affected
558-470: The decision to follow suit, citing similar reasons to do so. As of 2022, the following services are operated under the DalesBus brand. In 2016, route 830's commentary free journey through Swaledale , was an episode of television series BBC Four Goes Slow entitled All Aboard! The Country Bus . The episode saw a series record audience of 800,000. Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales are
589-516: The economy. Visitors are often attracted by the hiking trails, including some that lead to waterfalls and picturesque villages and small towns. These include Kirkby Lonsdale (just outside the area), Hawes , Appletreewick , Masham , Clapham , Long Preston and Malham . The 73-mile-long (117 km) Settle–Carlisle line railway, operated by Network Rail , runs through the National Park using tunnels and viaducts, including Ribblehead. The top-rated attractions according to travellers using
620-713: The evening sun out of one's eyes. Some walkers do start from the east coast, either because they wish to have the Lake District as the climax of their walk or because they have already walked the route in the conventional direction. Wainwright's route begins at St Bees in Cumbria, on the Irish Sea. It crosses the West Cumbrian coastal plain and the Lake District , and enters North Yorkshire as it crosses
651-407: The longer stages, and adding a further one or two rest days, reduces the average day-length to 10 or 12 miles and makes the walk a much easier three-week trip with time to "stand and stare", an activity much approved of by Wainwright. I want to encourage in others the ambition to devise with the aid of maps their own cross-country marathons and not be merely followers of other people's routes: there
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#1732776560314682-696: The more northern valleys (and only the upper, rural, reaches) are included in the term "The Dales". The Yorkshire Dales are surrounded by the North Pennines and Orton Fells in the north, the Vales of York and Mowbray in the east, the South Pennines in the south, and the Lake District and Howgill Fells to the west. They spread to the north from the market and spa towns of Settle , Skipton , and Harrogate in North Yorkshire, to
713-463: The north and west of the Dent Fault the hills are formed from older Silurian and Ordovician rocks. The underlying limestone in parts of the Dales has extensive cave systems, including the 54-mile-long (87 km) Three Counties System , making it a major area for caving in the UK. There are over 2500 known caves; some are open to the public for tours. Visitors can try caving at one of
744-444: The route on St Bees beach by getting one's feet wet and collecting a pebble. The walk should end in a similar fashion, by wetting the feet and depositing the pebble on the beach at Robin Hood's Bay. The description in this article is given from west to east. This is the more popular direction, and the one given in the original and most of the current guides; it is the direction that keeps the prevailing wind and rain at one's back, and
775-511: The route. However, Wainwright explicitly states that he did not intend people to necessarily stick to these daily stages, or even to his route. For instance, the majority of Wainwright's stages start and end at low level with a single up-down during the day: many walkers split the Borrowdale–Patterdale stage at Grasmere in order to maintain this pattern and avoid having two major uphill sections in one day. Splitting two or three more of
806-502: The separate Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The landscape of the Yorkshire Dales consists of sheltered glacial valleys separated by exposed moorland . The predominant rock is Carboniferous Limestone , which is particularly visible in the south-west in features such as Malham Cove . It is overlain in many areas by the Yoredale Series of alternating weak shales and hard limestones and sandstones, which give
837-483: The show caves: White Scar Cave, Ingleborough Cave or Stump Cross Caverns near Greenhow. The systems include: 54°16′N 2°05′W / 54.267°N 2.083°W / 54.267; -2.083 Coast to Coast Walk The Coast to Coast Walk is a long-distance footpath between the west and east coasts of Northern England , nominally 190-mile (306 km) long. Devised by Alfred Wainwright , it passes through three contrasting national parks :
868-596: The southern boundary in Wharfedale and Airedale . Natural England define the area as most of the Yorkshire Dales National Park with fringes of the Nidderdale AONB , but without the towns listed above apart from Settle. The lower reaches of Airedale and Wharfedale are not usually included in the area, and Calderdale , south of Airedale and in the South Pennines, is not often considered part of
899-523: The time of the Danelaw . Most of the dales are named after their river or stream (e.g., Arkengarthdale , formed by Arkle Beck ). The best-known exception is Wensleydale , which is named after the small village and former market town of Wensley , rather than the River Ure , although an older name for the dale is Yoredale. River valleys all over Yorkshire are called "(name of river)+ dale "—but only
930-579: Was announced that the Coast to Coast Walk would become an official National Trail , following a successful campaign by the Wainwright Society (the official Responsible Organisation for the trail ). Work will commence to upgrade the route and officially open it in 2025 (at 197-mile (317 km) long). The Coast to Coast was originally described by Alfred Wainwright in his 1973 book A Coast to Coast Walk . Wainwright's book has since been revised
961-487: Was common in some areas of the Dales in the 19th century, particularly during 1821 to 1861, and some industrial remains can still be found, such as the Grassington miners' cottages. Certain former mining sites are maintained by Historic England . The Grassington Moor Lead Mining Trail, with its many remaining structures, has received funding from a variety of sources. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority provides