MALHAM

Standing at a height of 80 metres and 300 metres wide, the carboniferous limestone of Malham Cove is some of the finest and most spectacular limestone scenery in the country.  It lies along the Craven fault which forms the geological barrier between the lowland pastures and the limestone uplands. Once the scene of a spectacular prehistoric waterfall, Malham Cove is now dry after the river above found an alternative route through a passage of undiscovered cave systems deep underground. On the surface of Malham Cove is the limestone pavement which is deeply fissured and fretted by a network of channels through which surface water filters underground.

The face of Malham Cove is stained with dark vertical stripes formed by the accumulation of lichens and mosses, the colour enhanced by dirt and other airborne pollutants. The cove is a gentle walk from Malham village which lies in a broad valley called Malhamdale.