A Winter’s Day in Malham

On By Little Miss TravellerIn North East, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, Yorkshire Dales

Boxing Day walks are popular to work off the excesses of Christmas Day but as we entertained family visitors then, our bracing walk took place the following day.  Setting off from home towards the Yorkshire Dales National Park it was a bright morning but as we approached Gargrave we encountered fog which made driving difficult on the narrow, dry stone walled roads up to the picturesque village of Malham.  Malhamdale is located between Skipton and Settle in North Yorkshire and the area is popular with hikers.  The National Park Centre lies on the edge of the village and has a pay and display car park but we were fortunate to find a parking place on the road nearby saving us an extortionate £4.50!  The centre provides display board information on the area along with a shop selling locally sourced products.

Our plan was to walk to Malham Cove so we followed the road through the village until we came to the small gateway on the right hand side leading to the Cove.  This well trodden path forms part of the Pennine Way, a 268 mile national walking trail along the backbone of northern England.

Malham Cove, Yorkshire Dales National Park
Footpath to Malham Cove, Yorkshire Dales National Park

Sadly, the foggy conditions persisted and the usual, spectacular views of the limestone Cove were shrouded in mist but we continued, hoping that the mist would rise improving our visibility.  Malham Cove is a huge amphitheatre shaped limestone rock formation created by a waterfall carrying meltwater from glaciers at the end of the Ice Age more than 12,000 years ago.  The huge amount of water flowing over the waterfall created the curved, lipped shape because the edge was more heavily eroded than the sides.  The vertical height of the cliff is approximately 260 ft high and the top is a large area of limestone pavement.

Malham Cove, Yorkshire Dales National Park
Stream running through Malhamdale

Due to the fog and boggy conditions underfoot we decided against climbing up the Cove today but we’ll return sometime in better weather when I can take clear photographs of both the Cove and its limestone pavement.

Malham Cove, Yorkshire Dales National Park
Malham Cove

From the above photo, the outline of Malham Cove can just about be made out.  It’s a spectacular geological sight and climbing enthusiasts can often be seen attempting to scale the rock face.

The Lister's Arms, Malham
The Lister’s Arms, Malham

Having taken a little exercise we retraced our steps to the village centre where the fog had lifted and called in to the Lister’s Arms, a cosy country pub with attached restaurant.  I loved their Christmas ribbon decoration outside – so simple but so inviting.

The Lister's Arms, Malham
Inside the Lister’s Arms, Malham.

The bar has a cosy inglenook fireplace and serves wholesome food and Yorkshire Dales beers.  After enjoying our bar snacks, we returned to our car and carefully made our way along narrow lanes to the small town of Settle, eight miles away where we had a little look round and did some grocery shopping before returning home.

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63 thoughts on “A Winter’s Day in Malham”

  1. While the fog may have obscured the view, it did lend a bit of mystery to the photos Marion. There is nothing better than to get out for a good walk on Boxing Day, much better than spending time with the crowds at the shops. Cheers. Allan

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  2. Pingback: Malham Cove – Love Travelling Blog

  3. Pingback: Exploring Gargrave – Love Travelling Blog

  4. Pingback: Skipton, Gateway to the Dales – Love Travelling Blog

  5. Pingback: GOOD LUCK

  7. I love Malham! The Yorkshire Dales is one of my favourite places in the world 🙂 I am fortunate enough to have walked through it, to the cove also, on one of the brightest of sunny days. Its also where I met my ex boyfriend which was at the time, very romantic 🙂 I’ve also had my dinner at the Listers Arms 🙂

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  13. The photo of the cove itself reminds me of a flooded quarry we used to ride our horses by in the Patapsco State Park which was just across the road from our farm in Baltimore Country, Maryland. Thanks for sharing and giving me vicarious visits to interesting places. Sarah

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  20. I love the pub wrapped up like a gorgeous Christmas present. Never been to Malham Cove (though it’s long been on my list), despite the weather not being perfect your pictures still look stunning. Best wishes for 2017 and may it bring much more happy travelling!

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    1. Thank you Piia. Have you managed to visit some parts of northern England on your travels. You previously mentioned Birmingham and Bournemouth. I’ve only visited Birmingham to attend courses and conferences for work but Bournemouth on the south coast is somewhere we visit at least twice a year, so I’ll write about it next time I go. Best Wishes, M.

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      1. I have only visited York and Edinburgh in the north. That was when I went to university in Birmingham ages ago. I also lived down in Bournemouth for a few years. Would be so interesting to see what these cities look like these days. I will definitely revisit some day.

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  26. What nice photos. You are very lucky to travel the world and its very generous of you to show of it off to the blogging world. Would love yo hear your thoughts on our new short story at Gastradamus called Lardy Arms. Your feedback would make out new years worth wild

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