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'{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2013}} {{Use British English|date=August 2012}} The '''Yorkshire Dales''' is an upland area of the [[Pennines]] in [[Northern England]]. The area is in the [[Historic counties of England|historic county]] of [[Yorkshire]], most of it in the [[Yorkshire Dales National Park]] created in 1954.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshire.com/places/yorkshire-dales|title=Yorkshire Dales Area|accessdate=25 April 2013}}</ref> The Dales comprises river valleys and the hills, rising from the [[Vale of York]] westwards to the hilltops of the [[Pennines|Pennine]] [[Drainage divide|watershed]]. In [[Ribblesdale]] and [[Dentdale]], the area extends westwards across the watershed, but most of the valleys drain eastwards to the Vale of York, into the [[River Ouse, Yorkshire|Ouse]] and the [[Humber]]. The word ''[[Dale (landform)|dale]]'', like ''dell'', is derived from the Old English word dæl. It has cognates in the [[North Germanic languages|Nordic]]/[[Germanic languages|Germanic]] words for valley (''dal'', ''tal''), and occurs in valley names across Yorkshire and Northern England. Usage here may have been reinforced by Nordic languages during the time of the [[Danelaw]]. [[User:Nthep]] the s.ad v.ir.gin lives here and the wu/m!g are coming for him ==Geography== {{Unreferenced section|date=December 2009}} Most of the dales are named after their river or stream (e.g., Arkengarthdale, formed by Arkle Beck). The best-known exception is [[Wensleydale]], which is named after the small village and former market town of Wensley, rather than the [[River Ure]], although an older name for the dale is Yoredale. River valleys all over [[Yorkshire]] are called "(name of river)+[[Valley|dale]]"—but only the more northern valleys (and only the upper, rural, reaches) are included in the term "The Dales" {{Citation needed|date=April 2013}}. The southern boundary area lies in [[Wharfedale]] and [[Airedale]]. The lower reaches of these valleys are not usually included in the area, and [[Calderdale]], much further south, is not part of the Dales even though it is a dale, is in Yorkshire, and its upper reaches are as scenic and rural as many further north. Geographically, the Yorkshire Dales spread to the north from the market and [[spa town]]s of [[Settle, North Yorkshire|Settle]], [[Skipton]], [[Ilkley]] and [[Harrogate]] in North Yorkshire, with most of the larger southern dales, Ribblesdale, Malhamdale and Airedale, Wharfedale and Nidderdale, running roughly parallel from north to south. The more northerly dales, Wensleydale and Swaledale run generally from west to east. There are many other smaller or lesser known dales such as Arkengarthdale, [[Bishopdale, North Yorkshire|Bishopdale]], Clapdale, [[Coverdale (dale)|Coverdale]], [[Kingsdale]], [[Littondale]], [[Langstrothdale]], [[Raydale]], [[Waldendale]] and the [[Washburn Valley]] whose tributary streams and rivers feed into the larger valleys, and [[Barbondale]], [[Dentdale]], [[Deepdale]] and [[Garsdale]] which feed west to the [[River Lune]]. The characteristic scenery of the Dales is green upland pastures separated by [[dry-stone wall]]s and grazed by sheep and cattle. The dales are 'U' and 'V' shaped valleys enlarged and shaped by glaciers, mainly in the most recent [[Devensian]] [[ice age]]. The underlying rock is [[Carboniferous Limestone]] (which results in a number of areas of [[limestone pavement]]) in places interspersed with [[shale]] and [[sandstone]] and topped with [[Millstone Grit]]. To the north and west of the [[Dent Fault]], the hills are formed from older [[Silurian]] and [[Ordovician]] rocks, which make up the [[Howgill Fells]]. Many upland areas consist of heather moorland, used for grouse shooting from 12 August (the [[Glorious Twelfth]]). [[File:Western Face of Thwaites scars.jpg|thumb|800px|center|Cliffs of [[Carboniferous Limestone]] are a common geological feature in the Yorkshire Dales; this [[panoramic image]] shows the western face of [[Thwaites Scars]] taken from Long Lane.]] ==Tourism== The majority of visitors are sightseers, with 75% visiting to drive around and 65% walking around {{Citation needed|date=April 2013}}. This indicates that most are there to take in the beauty of the surroundings. 26% also partake in hiking nature trails and spotting wildlife. 45% visit an information centre and 35% visit a castle or other historic site. 94% of visitors travel in a private mode of transport, with 90% using a car. The remaining 6% travel using public transport. ==Cave systems== [[File:Gaping Gill.jpg|thumb|right|Gaping Gill]] <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[File:Gaping Gill Floor.jpg|thumb|right|Impressive size of Gaping Gill]] --> The underlying limestone in parts of the Dales has extensive cave systems making it a major area for [[caving]] in the UK. Some caves are open to the public for tours.<ref>[http://www.yorkshire.com/outdoors/rocksports/caving-and-show-caves Caves and Caving in the Yorkshire Dales<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The systems include: * [[Gaping Gill|Gaping Gill System]] * [[Alum Pot]] System * [[Mossdale Caverns]] * Kingsdale Caverns * [[Leck Fell|Leck Fell Caves]] * [[Easegill System]] * [[White Scar Caves]] in [[Chapel-le-Dale]] near [[Ingleton, North Yorkshire|Ingleton]],<ref>[http://www.whitescarcave.co.uk/frame.htm White Scar Caves]</ref> * [[Ingleborough Cave]]<ref>[http://ingleboroughcave.co.uk/ Ingleborough Cave]</ref> in Clapdale near [[Clapham, North Yorkshire|Clapham]] * [[Stump Cross Caverns]]<ref>[http://www.stumpcrosscaverns.co.uk/ Stump Cross Caverns]</ref> near [[Pateley Bridge]]. * [[Nidderdale Caves|Goyden System]] near [[Pateley Bridge]] ==See also== [[File:Janet's Foss 2.jpg|thumb|right|Janet's Foss, near [[Malham]]]] [[File:Ingleborough whole.JPG|250px|thumb|right|[[Ingleborough]] as seen from the peat bog below]] *[[List of Yorkshire Dales]] * [[List of peaks in the Yorkshire Dales]] * [[Geology of Yorkshire]] * [[Pennines]] * [[All Creatures Great and Small (TV series)]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{commons category|Yorkshire Dales}} {{Wikivoyage|Yorkshire Dales}} * [http://www.yorkshire.com/yorkshire-dales Yorkshire Dales Tourist Board] * [http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/ Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority] * [http://www.yorkshiredales.co.uk/ Yorkshire Dales Community Pages] * [http://www.yds.org.uk Yorkshire Dales Society] * [http://www.yorkshiredalesriverstrust.org.uk/ Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust] <!-- Please bear in mind that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and not a directory. It may be that one or two links will add something to a page however they must only be placed on the relevant page and will always be subject to review by wikipedians.--> {{coord|54|16|N|2|05|W|region:GB_type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=title}} [[Category:Yorkshire Dales| ]] [[Category:Valleys of North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Valleys of West Yorkshire]] [[Category:Valleys of Cumbria]] [[Category:Visitor attractions in North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Visitor attractions in West Yorkshire]] [[Category:Visitor attractions in Cumbria]] [[Category:Parks and open spaces in Cumbria]] [[Category:Parks and open spaces in North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Parks and open spaces in West Yorkshire]] [[Category:Natural regions of England]]'