Читать книгу Walking in the Yorkshire Dales: North and East. Howgills, Mallerstang, Swaledale, Wensleydale, Coverdale and Nidderdale онлайн

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Rebuilding a drystone wall (Walk 33)

THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN DALES

This volume covers the northern corners of the Dales: the Howgills, Mallerstang, and the catchments of the rivers Swale, Ure and Nidd, the three coming together in the Vale of York as tributaries of Yorkshire’s greatest river, the Ouse. The Howgill Fells apart, the overall character of the area is determined by the Yoredale Series of rocks, whose layered strata of limestones, shales and sandstones foster an immense variety in both the wider topography and the diversity of vegetation. In traversing the valley sides, the different rocks and soil are reflected in the flowers, woodland and blanket bogs, as well as in the features of the landscape – outcropping scars, waterfalls, ravine-like valleys and shake holes and caves.

Mallerstang is the only valley oriented to the north, and although intimately connected in both geography and character to the Dales, like part of the Howgill Fells and Nidderdale, lies outside the national park boundary. This straight, drawn-out valley guides the infant River Eden from its source high on Lunds Fell, hardly a stone’s thrown from that of the River Ure, which runs off in completely the opposite direction. The long line of hills on either flank offers splendid, if energetic, ridge walking, and although the base of the valley is traversed by both railway and road, it engenders a distinct feeling of remoteness. Apart from The Moorcock, which in any case lies over the watershed at the head of Wensleydale, it has no pub, and as far down as Nateby, just outside Kirkby Stephen, the only habitation to be found is in a scattering of small farmsteads.