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Links and local information for Malham, North Yorkshire UK

Walking around Malham

Walking around Malham

The countryside around Malham is beautiful, there is no other word for it. We’ve included directions for a basic circular walk here.

More detailed information on walks around Malham can be found at the National Park Centre. They have a leaflet there called Malham Landscape Trail, which is essentially this walk, but in the reverse direction. The leaflet is excellent, and includes detailed map, directions, drawings, information and sketches of items of historical and geological interest.

There is also a leaflet called Malham Village Walk, which shows a nice short (1 hour) circular walk around the village itself, complete with historical details.

The Malhamdale Brochure also has details of five Walks, Walk 1 Malham Landscape Spectacular 7.125kms (4.5 miles), Walk 2 Malham Cove, Dry Valley, Malham Tarn and Pikedaw 12.25kms (7.6 miles), Walk 3 Janets Foss, Weets Top, Calton, Airton and Hanlith 13 kms (8 miles), Walk 4 Malham, Kirkby Malham, Airton, Hanlith 9 kms (5.6 miles), Walk 5 Malham, Hanlith, Kirkby Malham, Accraplatts, Malham 5.9 kms (3.6 miles).

More detail on these Classic Malham walks available here Malham Walking Map

Brigantes English Walks, Walking Holidays and Baggage Courier
Malhamdale Walk Brochure choice of 5 walks around Malham
Malham listed in The Times Newspaper – Britain’s 12 best winter walks The Times – 12 best winter walks

The Classic Malham Walk

This walk takes in Malham Cove, Gordale Scar and Janet’s Foss (approx 3 hours)

Starting from the National Park Centre car park, turn left into the village, past the Buck Inn, then take the left hand road signposted Malham Tarn. Continue through the village passing Townhead Barn on your right (have a look inside this typical dales barn, National Trust owned and open to the public) continue up Cove Road towards Malham Cove and turn right into the field.
Follow The Pennine Way signpost, this leads you towards the Cove and then right up the steps to the top of the Cove. Admire excellent views across Malhamdale. Carefully go across the Limestone Pavement, and go over the stile, up the slope bearing right, following posts with green dots on. Straight on (ignore Pennine Way sign), and cross stiles over the road and follow signpost for Gordale Scar. Then down hill and left onto the road, (Stop for brew at Tea Van!) and continue over Gordale Bridge, turn left again through gate, to follow path through campsite to Gordale Scar itself. Stop – Admire geology. Turn around, retrace steps back to the road, back over the bridge, and down road until you reach footpath sign on left saying Riverside
Path Malham. This takes you past Janet’s Foss waterfall, along the riverbank through the wood, then through fields over two stiles to re-join The Pennine Way, turning right to go back towards Malham village and the starting point.

More walks available here Malham Walking Map, Julia Bradbury walking in Malham

Links to Malham Walks

Map of immediate area around Malham, showing footpaths

Please take note, this map is not very accurate, and we would recommend that you take a copy of a much better one with you on any walk around Malham. Maps are available in the village.

Here we are just trying to give you a quick idea of the scale of the distances involved, and a very basic awareness of geographical layout.

Note: there is a footpath up through Gordale Scar itself, but it is very wet, slippy and involves quite a bit of scrambling over (big) rocks and actually climbing up a couple of them.

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