Yorkshire Dale National Park

Today we drove to Yorkshire Dale National Park Yorkshire Dales National Park a special place with outstanding scenery and a rich cultural heritage. As it is a Bank Holiday here everyone is out and about enjoying the wonderful day. Spectacular waterfalls are the feature of the park. Characterised by numerous small, attractive and compact villages and hamlets most of which have been there for over a thousand years. They are still largely unspoilt and retain a very traditional and intimate atmosphere. Many are still bordered by small, ancient, often unimproved fields accessed by narrow lanes and tracks between meandering stone walls, giving the villages an historic, timeless setting. The National Park has managed to retain its network of meandering valley roads, bordered by dry stone walls or hedgerows and flower-rich verges. Higher up unfenced roads cross open moorland and offer dramatic panoramas across the open landscape and the valleys below.

In a field in the village of  Masham there were real gypsy wagons that people were staying in.

Marvelous blossom look so grand against the greens and whites.

Crossing an ancient bridge.

The Middle Falls of Aysgarth Falls.

The greens on the walks along the falls are so numerous compared to Australia there is no way to explain the colours we can see.

This amazing carved woodwork formed a lovely seat along the path.

The Lower Falls.

The Lower Falls.

The slopes along rhe walk were covered in wonderful purple flowers.

Upper Falls.

Upper Falls.

Bolton Castle.

A closer view of the castle.

As we drove along the roads they were bordered with drystone walls.

The village of Hawes.

The walk into Hardrow Force was so beautiful with all the moss covered rocks.

Hardrow Force with it's 90ft (27 metre) single drop.

Downstream of Hardrow Force.

Hardrow Force 

Driving to Cautley Sprout.

There are drystone walls for as far as the eye can see in all directions. I just can not get my head around how many people for how many hours must have laboured on these walls to create them so many many years ago.

Crossing the creek on the bridge to Cautley Sprout.

There in the crevice of the hill is the falls.

Of course Kevin must climb to the top of all the mountains and here is the view back down the valley from where he got to, while I rested it was far to high for me.

Cautley Sprout has a broken drop of 600 ft (180 metres).

On our way back to the car for another well earned rest tonight.