Chasing Waterfalls in Yorkshire Dales, England

In this blog post, I’d like to take you to the amazing Yorkshire Dales in England and show you some of the best waterfalls I discovered over a long weekend.

Do you like chasing waterfalls? 

If your answer is yes, that’s great because there will be no shortage of waterfalls in this article!

Walk along the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail in Yorkshire Dales

If you’d like to see some of the prettiest waterfalls in Yorkshire, then Ingleton Waterfalls Trail is made for you. The 4.5 mile (8 km) long circular trail definitely has some gorgeous waterfalls! 

Before we start our waterfall trail, here is some useful information:

• The trail starts and ends in Ingleton (obviously…) which is located in North Yorkshire;
• It is private land maintained by the Ingleton Scenery Company, so no surprise that you have to pay an entry fee of £7;
• You can park just in front of the entrance, and luckily they don’t charge extra for parking;
• The car park has toilet facilities, and you can find a few more along the trail;
• Even though there is an elevation of 169 m (554 feet), the trail is pretty easy to walk along. However, it has quite a few steps along the way so do bear that in mind;
• Make sure you wear sensible shoes. If it rains (which it usually does in England…) parts of the trail can be slippery;
• You can do the full circle in about 2 to 4 hours. (Depending on your pace and how often you stop to take a photo for Instagram). 

Now, let me show you some of the waterfalls along the way:

Pecca Falls

The first waterfall on the way is Pecca Falls. It’s a set of waterfalls dropping over 30 metres. Apparently, the pool at the bottom of the fall is as deep as the waterfall is high. 

Hollybush Spout

After Pecca Falls you will reach Hollybush Spout. You have to climb up some steps here and you will eventually end up on open moor land before reaching your next waterfall.

Thornton Force

Dropping 14 metres over a limestone cliff, Thornton Force is one of the most popular waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales.

This is a perfect picnic spot so if you brought some food along, I recommend spending a little longer here. As it is very popular you might need to wait a bit to be able to take a photo without loads of people in it!

Beezley Falls

Before reaching Beezley Falls you will first cross the River Twiss and carry on along Twisleton Lane before reaching Beezley Farm. There are some toilet facilities here and a rest area with beautiful views.

Beezley Falls is on the River Doe, and you will find three more waterfalls along its length, namely Rival Falls, Baxengyhll Gorge and Snow Falls.

The trail will eventually lead you back through Ingleton from where you can return to the car park. 

Stop at Ribblehead Viaduct

If you’re venturing into Yorkshire Dales National Park, then make sure you stop at Ribblehead Viaduct. It’s only about 15 minutes’ drive from Ingleton and definitely worth a visit. 

The Viaduct was built between 1870 and 1874 by thousands of workers. During the construction period hundreds of builders lost their lives in accidents, fighting and from the outbreaks of smallpox. The building of the viaduct was also the inspiration behind the TV drama Jericho.

Chasing More Waterfalls in Yorkshire Dales

Hardraw Force

Would you believe me if I said England’s largest single drop waterfall is located behind a historic inn?

Well believe it or not, Hardraw Force, with over a 30 m drop, is located behind the Green Dragon Inn in Hardraw near Hawes.

The Inn has a car park area if you arrive by car. In order to access the grounds behind the inn, you have to walk through the bar and go through a gated area which will lead to a beautiful green space. The admission fee is £4 per person, and I cannot recommend it enough. 

You will need to walk for another 10 minutes before you reach the falls but the walk itself is really beautiful so take your time. 

You can actually walk behind the waterfall which is a pretty cool experience. This way you can get photos from all angles! 

I would recommend wearing proper boots as it can be wet behind the falls and can be slippery so do be careful!

Scaleber Force

Next stop on your waterfall chasing mission in the Yorkshire Dales should be Scaleber Force, located in a gorge to the east of Settle. 

There is no designated car park in the vicinity, but you can comfortably park near the junction of High Hill Lane and Stockdale Lane. After walking on the road for a bit you will have a path on the right which will lead you to the force. The path is relatively easy but at the time we visited was extremely slippery due to the massive rainfall overnight. Therefore, make sure you choose the right, supportive footwear.

Bolton Castle

Most of our road trips have to involve some extra stops. On our way back home, we decided to spend the morning at Bolton Castle before exploring Bolton Abbey. 

Bolton Castle was built in the 14th Century and is considered one of the best-preserved medieval castles in England. An interesting fact is that the castle has never been sold so it’s actually still under the ownership of the descendants of the family who originally built the castle. 

The admission fee to the castle, garden and grounds is £9. If you only want to see the gardens and walk around the area, then it’s just £4.50.

Bolton Abbey

You would think Bolton Castle and Bolton Abbey are next door neighbours but Bolton Abbey is located over an hour’s drive to the south of the Yorkshire Dales. As we were heading back to Greater Manchester, we decided to finish the long weekend exploring the Abbey. 

It’s a massive area with many amazing trails so you could easily spend a full day here. If you only have a few hours to spare, make sure you check out the 12th Century Priory Church and ruins, hop over the stepping stones (unless they are flooded) and walk to the Valley of Desolation to find a secret waterfall. Because you just cannot leave the Yorkshire Dales without exploring another waterfall.

Just a little warning, whilst it’s free to explore the area, if you arrive by car you have to pay £10/car. There are places to eat and toilet facilities though. 

Final Thoughts on Chasing Waterfalls in Yorkshire Dales

For some reason this birthday trip around the Yorkshire Dales turned into a waterfall chasing trip which I enjoyed a lot. Have you ever been to the Yorkshire Dales before? How much of the area did you manage to explore? Let me know in the comments below.