Higher/Int 2 Geography
Rural Land Resources
Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales are part of the Pennines- a chain of hills that runs N/S down
the ‘backbone’ of northern England.
Yorkshire Dales
The geology of this area is very distinctive, with thick limestone
sandwiched between impermeable rock called Millstone Grit.
In the south of the Dales, the limestone is exposed at the surface over a
large area, and displays typical karst features.
Yorkshire Dales
In this unit you will look at the:
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Social and Economic opportunities in the Dales
Limitations of the landscape
Conflicts in the Dales
Solutions to these conflicts
The effectiveness of these solutions
Yorkshire Dales
Established in 1954, the Yorkshire Dales National Park has
outstanding scenery, a range of wildlife habitats and a rich
cultural heritage.
Covering an area of 1,762 square kilometres (680 square
miles), the National Park is located in the north of England,
and straddles the central Pennines in the counties of North
Yorkshire and Cumbria.
Yorkshire Dales
The limitations of the area are numerous and the few
economic activities possible often conflict with tourism, which
is a major contributor to both the social and economic
success of the Dales: tourism is highly important - £100
million is spent in and around the National Park.
We will be studying the tiny village of Malham, where
conflicts between conserving and exploiting the spectacular
scenery are particularly well demonstrated.
Yorkshire Dales
Malham is a small, picturesque village in the Pennines, at the
southern base of the Yorkshire Dales, surrounded by dry-stone
walls, with a stream running through the middle of the village.
100 years ago, Malham was a place of mills and mines.
Nowadays, hill farms and tourism are the main activities.
Gaping Gill
Gordale Scar
Gordale Scar is a gorge with re-emergent stream.
Malham Cove
This now-dry prehistoric waterfall is the main attraction of the
area: thousands of visitors come each year to walk around it,
on it and over it.
Malham Moor
Battlefield Cavern
Yorkshire Dales
Three land uses which
are particularly
important in the
Yorkshire Dales are
farming, mining and
quarrying, and
recreation.
Farming in the Yorkshire Dales
Farming in the Yorkshire Dales is characterised by:
• Sheep grazing on the uplands
• Cattle fed from hay meadows in the valley floors
• A landscape of dry stone walls and stone barns
However, the traditional system is under threat, due to falling meat prices and
increased competition from more intensive units both in this country and
abroad.
Within a National Park, it is important to maintain the traditional system
and landscape and various methods are used:
• EU price support for farmers rearing cattle and sheep
• UK government grants to farmers who farm in a traditional way
• Payments for repair and conservation of barns and walls
• Help with farm diversification, so that farmers can get income from other
sources
Mining
Mining and quarrying will take place in a National Park if
the rocks are in sufficient demand. In the Yorkshire Dales,
around 4.5 million tonnes of rock are quarried each year.
The main rocks quarried are carboniferous limestone and
gritstone.
Most of the rock is used in the construction industry - half
as roadstone and a further quarter as aggregate. The
quarries have a substantial impact on the environment and
their operation is opposed by many people.
Quarrying
Quarrying is an important activity in the Yorkshire Dales, because:
• Limestone has a variety of uses - aggregate for the construction industry,
flux for the steel industry, building stone, agricultural lime.
• Millstone grit is used for various surfacing applications - roads, footpaths,
airport runways
• The quarrying industry employs 7% of the working population of the
Dales and contributes £6 million a year to the local economy.
Some people object to quarrying in the Dales because:
• Limestone and the grits are non-renewable resources.
• Most of the stone (85 per cent) is transported by heavy goods vehicles
on roads which are often busy with tourist and other local traffic.
• Quarries produce noise and dust, and can pollute water supplies.
• Quarries can leave a scarred landscape when they are finally
abandoned.
Recreation
Visitors have been coming to the Yorkshire Dales since the 18th century,
when writers and artists sought out the dramatic landscapes. The growth of
the rail network in the 19th century brought increased numbers, but the
most dramatic growth came in the late 20th century as a result of the rise in
car ownership: more than 90% of today's visitors come by car.
People visit the Yorkshire Dales to:
• Admire the distinctive scenery and landscape, such as Malham Cove,
Goredale Scar and the waterfalls at Aysgarth and Ingleton
• Walk and climb
• Visit limestone caves - for example, the White Scar Caves
• Potholing
• Enjoy peace and quiet
• Visit specific built attractions, like castles and museums
What are Land Use Conflicts?
Land use conflicts arise when users of the
land do not agree on how it should be used:
it takes at least two ‘sides’ to have a conflict.
Conflicts in the Yorkshire Dales
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Tourist traffic creates congestion in the village, and impedes local people carrying
out their everyday activities.
The demand for car parking exceeds the number of spaces provided, resulting in
parking on grass verges.
Footpaths have been eroded, particularly in the areas around Malham Cove and
Gordale Scar.
Litter detracts from the appearance of the area and can harm livestock and
wildlife.
Tourists sometimes wander over cultivated land, worry sheep and damage walls.
House prices in the village increase, partly because of incomers wishing to live in
the village, and partly because there's a demand for second homes.
Young people are forced to move away because of the increase in house prices.
The limestone pavements suffer from wear and tear, and from the removal of
stone.
Solutions and their effectiveness
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Removing litter bins, in the hope that visitors will take litter home.
Surfacing busy paths and building steps up the side of Malham Cove, to prevent
further erosion – in some cases this has been successful as the paths were
raised to discourage people from stepping off them.
Promoting the use of public transport such as Postbus passenger services and a
Dales Bike Bus, which can carry 24 bikes.
An experimental traffic management scheme was introduced in the early 1990s
but this was unsuccessful and had to be abandoned as traders complained of
loss of trade.
A new train service has been opened to reduce road traffic and has reduced 23%
of heavy lorry movements, however, road transport is still vital so tarpaulin sheets
are used to stop the materials escaping.
Swinden quarry had rebuilt the area building a nature reserve and a lake on the
site.
Introducing legislation and a warden service to protect limestone pavements.
Publishing a Dales Visitor Guide which advises visitors on environmentally
positive behaviour – this has improved the situation but is not a total success.