Malham Cove

A curved amphitheatre of pale grey limestone rising 80 metres from the valley floor in the Yorkshire Dales, Malham Cove was formed when meltwater from a glacial lake poured over the cliff edge at the end of the last Ice Age. The top of the cove is covered by an extensive limestone pavement, its deeply fissured grykes sheltering rare ferns and other shade-loving plants. The walk up the western slope to the pavement surface is manageable and offers a sudden transition from green valley to barren rock plateau.