Malham walk

The village was once a centre for great sheep fairs.

Two abbeys, Fountains and Bolton, had granges – high-level grazing – in the dale and sheep farming brought a good income for the monks.

They transported the wool from the outlying granges by trains of packhorses and as they journeyed back and forth they made good tracks over the moors.

On the limestone pavement, above Malham Cove, care is needed as the limestone slabs (clints) are separated by fissures (grikes) that can be of varying depths.

Look for lowly plants thriving in the cool depths of the crevices, well protected from hungry sheep.

Park at the National Park Visitor Centre car park, Malham, (grid ref 900628).

1. Leave the car park by the entrance and turn immediately right into a walled track.

After a few steps turn right along a similar track and continue on for 330 yards. Here turn left to walk a further walled track, with fine views away to the right of Malham Cove. Stroll on to pass a small water treatment plant.

Beyond, where the track divides, go ahead along Long Lane (track) to pass onto open limestone pasture. Follow the indistinct grassy bridleway as it curves right to the fell road.

2 Walk downhill for a short way to take a signed gate in the left wall.

Beyond follow the narrow path that curves left, with Malham Cove away to the right. Go past the sign for open access land and head for the prominent ladder stile over the wall on your left.

Next, follow the grassy swath to the next ladder stile and carry on the way as it winds around the middle slopes of a small hill to your left.

Climb the next ladder stile and head on along the track across a pasture to an obvious gated stile in the next wall to step down on to a walled way.

3 Turn right through a stile and then left to climb Dean Moor Hill on a wide grassy way that has been in sight as you crossed the last pasture.

Near the top of the slope you meet a track coming in on your left. Wind right with this, the way now a very wide grassy track and follow it until you have your first glimpse of Malham Tarn to the left.

Then leave the wide trod and drop down the small slope, to your right, to come to the side of a fine wall. Turn right to walk the Pennine Way.

The path is grassy at first and then as it narrows it becomes boulder strewn. If it has rained, step carefully because limestone becomes very slippery when wet.

The way goes on into a small grassy hollow before continuing on a narrow path above the magnificent Dry Valley that drops away steeply to your left. Wind around right on the now terrace-like path, high above the spectacular limestone hollow, to reach two stiles on the left, just before a wall.

4. Beyond, now doubling back under the terraced path, go down a long rocky staircase through a limestone wonderland. Take care here because if there has been rain or heavy mist the steps will be slippery.

At the foot, stroll on through the valley viewed earlier from high above, to pass though one of two stepped stiles and wind on, with limestone ‘walls’ towering up on either side.

Stride on curving slightly right to arrive at the famous limestone pavement above Malham Cove. Bear on right, stepping with care from clint to clint. If you find the way across the clints too daunting, stay on the right side of the great sheet of rock to progress on patches of grass.

In several places you climb up a little slope on to to more grass than rock. Pause here for a fine overall view of the pavement then head on, left, around the curving clints to reach a path beside a wall.

Turn left for a few steps to go through the wall and then a gate at the top of several long flights of steps.

5 The steps are well placed and easy to descend and eventually you arrive at a good wide path in the valley bottom.

Follow it as it continues through trees and leads you beside a wide, shallow beck to the foot of the magnificent amphitheatre.

Here a beck flows out of the base of the huge cliff and perhaps you will see climbers on the rock face. Enjoy this lovely quiet corner and then return along the path and walk on with the pretty beck to your left.

Go past the stepping stones and follow the gated path as it descends to join the fell road (no pavement).

Just beyond Beck Hall, go through a gate on the left into woodland, and follow the path by the sweet flowing water.

This brings you back to the road through the pretty village and the car park, beyond the houses, on the right.