Discover 6 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Malham (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Gordale Scar, Malham Cove, and Janet's Foss. Also, be sure to include Malham Tarn in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Malham (England).
Table of Contents
Gordale Scar
Ravine in England. Gordale Scar is a limestone ravine 1 mile northeast of Malham, North Yorkshire, England. It contains two waterfalls and has overhanging limestone cliffs over 330 feet high. The gorge could have been formed by water from melting glaciers or a cavern collapse. The stream flowing through the scar is Gordale Beck, which on leaving the gorge flows over Janet's Foss before joining Malham Beck 2 miles downstream to form the River Aire. A right of way leads up the gorge, but requires climbing approximately 10 feet of tufa at the lower waterfall.[1]
Malham Cove
Unique rock formation and scenic views. Malham Cove is a large curved limestone formation 0.6 miles north of the village of Malham, North Yorkshire, England. It was formed by a waterfall carrying meltwater from glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age more than 12,000 years ago. Today it is a well-known beauty spot and rock climbing crag within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. A large limestone pavement lies above the cove.[2]
Janet's Foss
Waterfall in a picturesque setting. Janet's Foss is a small waterfall in the vicinity of the village of Malham, North Yorkshire, England. It carries Gordale Beck over a limestone outcrop topped by tufa into a deep pool below. The pool was traditionally used for sheep dipping, an event which drew in local village inhabitants for the social occasion.
The name Janet (sometimes Jennet) is believed to refer to a fairy queen reputed to inhabit a cave at the rear of the fall. Foss is a Nordic word for waterfall, still used in Scandinavia, and is presented in a number of cases in England as 'force'.
Janet's Foss was the location of the fictional Molkham Falls featured in the 2006 independent British film Waterfall. Filming took place there in May 2006.
Janet's Foss is occasionally used by all-weather wild swimmers.[3]
Malham Tarn
Glacial lake in England. Malham Tarn is a glacial lake near the village of Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, England. The lake is one of only eight upland alkaline lakes in Europe. At an altitude of 377 metres above sea level it is the highest marl lake in the United Kingdom. Its geology, flora and fauna have led to it being listed under a number of conservation designations. The site is currently owned by the National Trust, who lease part of the site to the Field Studies Council who offer residential and non-residential field courses there. The site was the inspiration for Charles Kingsley's 1863 novel The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby.[4]
Scosthrop
English civil parish. Scosthrop is a civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. The population as taken at the 2011 Census was less than 100. Details are included in the civil parish of Kirkby Malham.
The Meaning of Liff defines Scosthrop as "(vb): to make vague opening or cutting movements with the hands when wandering about looking for a tin opener, scissors, etc. in the hope that this will help in some way."
Media related to Scosthrop at Wikimedia Commons[5]
Friar Garth Farmhouse
Friar Garth Farmhouse is a Grade II listed building in Malham, North Yorkshire, England. It was listed as an historic site by English Heritage on 13 September 1988.
In the 13th century, Malham belonged to the monks of Fountains Abbey, who controlled the land west of Malham Beck, and Bolton Priory who controlled the east. Friar Garth was built in Malham East in the late 16th century for the bailiff (or steward) of Bolton Priory. It also housed the Priory’s sheepfolds, stack yard, and tithe barn.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, the estates of Bolton Priory were bought by the Lambert family and afterwards divided into smaller farms, of which Friar Garth was one. Since that time, although the building style has changed, the layout of Malham has remained much the same. Friar Garth itself is now divided into four separate houses and is no longer a working farm.[6]