Pictures of Malham

About Malham

High on the moors and dales of Yorshire, lies the wild and desolate place of Malham, an ancient place with a history deeply rooted in the Middle Ages when the track called Mastiles Lane was trod by Holy Men who marked out the route with crosses. Evidence of this is borne out by the finding of the remains of some of the bases to the crosses. Much later, in the 18th and early 19th-century, it was to be lead that was transported along this lonely and forebidding way.

There is a stark contrast between the gentle, lush and rolling countryside of nearby Skipton to that of the high, airy ground of Mallam Moor where in winter the blast of icy wind strikes as sharply as any dagger into the flesh. The wind in these parts is of a strength know to have made the hardiest of men weep.

Malham is a magnet for tourists to the Dales, many of whom come to scale the awesome height of Malham Cove. They come also to visit Malham Tarn, a natural lake standing nearly 400ft above sea level. The old path trod by the Monks drops down from Mallam Tarn into Gordale Beck, from here it twists back up to the moorland and crosses the valley beneath Kealcup Hill. The torcherous route continues amid spectacular scenery and crosses Kilnsey Moor from High Long Ridge before the descent, passing Kilnsey Crag, into Kilnsey itself.

The farms scattered across the moors are often of an indeterminable age, it is known that over the centuries they were inhabited by Norsemen, monks and dalesmen. Cattle was central to the livelihood of the villagers and during the 18th-century cattle fairs, with a turnover of some 5,000 cattle, mostly from Scotland, were held at Great Close, near to Mallam Tarn. There could not have been a more spectacular site for any cattle sale anywhere.

With crystal clear air, magnificent scenery, and a solitude that city dwellers can only dream of, it is little wonder that this ancient moorland village receives visitors from the world over. With its beautiful old buildings and old stone arched bridges than span rippling streams, this is indeed the stuff that Picture Postcard villages are made of.

Close to Mallam is Kilnsey Park and Trout Farm, Stump Cross Caverns are but a short distance away and a stones throw from Burnsall are the gardens of Parcevall Hall.