Introduction to Malham

Malham is a small village in the Pennines. It is located towards the southern base of the Yorkshire Dales National Park . Malham is an example of a tourist honeypot. The Malham area of the The Yorkshire Dales National Park is an excellent case study of a limestone area.

Limestone Features

The area in and around Malham is home to a range of limestone features. The map below provides evidence of these.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service.
Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Malham Tarn is an upland lake. A tarn forming in an area of limestone is very unusual. The reason why the water has accumulated is because the bedrock beneath the tarn is impervious Silurian slate. The outflow stream from Malham Tarn disappears into the ground through sink holes (Water Sinks) in the limestone, and reappears at Airehead Springs. The tarn was formed from glacial melt water after the last ice age 18000 years ago.

Malham Tarn . You can view more images of Malham Tarn in
the Malham Gallery.

To the south of Water Sinks is Watlowes Dry Valley. As the name suggests water no longer flows down here (due to Water Sinks). It was formed when water flowed to, and over, Malham Cove. During the last ice age water could not penetrate the frozen ground therefore it eroded the v-shaped valley. After the ice age water was able to permeate the joints and bedding planes leaving the dry valley.

Malham Cove is an amphitheater shaped cliff formation of limestone rock. Water from Malham Tarn once flowed over the cliff. It is now a popular destination for climbers who dare to scale the 260ft cliff face.

Malham Cove. You can view more images of the Malham
Tarn in the Malham Gallery.

On top of Malham Cove is a limestone pavement. Malham Limestone Pavement is a plateau of bare weathered limestone. The pavement is made of huge slabs of rock (Clints) which are separated by gaps (Grykes).

Limestone Pavement above Malham Cove. You can view more
images of the limestone pavement in the Malham Gallery.

Goredale Scar is a gorge, complete with waterfalls, cut into the limestone hillside. Like Malham Cove it was formed by glacial melt water. Some Geologists believe it was once a cavern, the roof of which has been eroded.

Goredale Scar. You can view more
images of Goredale Scare in the Malham Gallery.

You can view more images of limestone scenery in and around Malham in the Internet Geography Malham Gallery.