Malham cove via Janet’s foss, Gordale Scar and Malham Tarn walk

We did this walk on a beautiful early January frosty day.

Park in the carpark in the village of Malham, postcode BD23 4DJ and head down the road towards the village, opposite the team rooms, cross the little bridge over Malham beck and follow the path to the right. After around 300 yards turn left through the gate and follow the riverside path for about a mile or so, you will enter the picturesque Little Gordale Wood, and after a few minutes the beautiful site of Janet’s Foss will come into view ahead. Take a moment to drop down to Janet’s Foss as it is well worth a photo opportunity, and legend has it the Foss is the home of Jennet the queen of the fairies, so you never know what you might see.

Head on and leave the woods onto Hawthorns Lane, past the butty van and take the path through Gordale scar campsite, after 500 yards you will reach the amazing site of the two water falls flowing down the impressive Gordale scar, on previous visits we have climbed up the waterfalls to continue the journey, but this is not possible in icy weather and after a considerable wet period, the flow of water from Gordale beck is too great to risk.

Turn back and retrace your steps to the butty van, cross the bridge and head up the grassy slope to the top gate, take a right turn here and you will see an opening in the dry stone wall and take the steep but fairly short climb up New Close Knotts, once at the top keep heading in the rough direction of Gordale scar and you will re-join the path near the top of the water falls. On the path you will see a finger post pointing to Malham Tarn, head over the wall and continue on the path for a couple of miles, at the end cross the wall, go over the road past the car park spaces and continue on the right hand path for another 500 yards, when you reach a fork in the path, take the left path in front of a small copse of trees and head down to the tarn. This is a lovely spot to take a rest and have a brew, which is exactly what we did.

Leaving the tarn on the path to the left, cross the road on to dean moor and continue on the last leg to the Cove itself, the path is quite clear and was signed along the route, but take the left hand path ignoring the path to the Pennine way. The walk is straight forward but there is a fairly steep rocky path down Ing scar to negotiate and it was very icy on the day we walked so care was needed, at the bottom go through the gate to the left and head the short distance to the top of Malham cove.

 Malham cove is a sheer cliff face 26oft high with amazing views back over to Malham village, The top of the cove is a large area of deeply eroded limestone pavement, with Clints (the blocks of limestone) and Grykes (the gaps in between) making a unique yet treacherous platform to walk on. At the far side of the limestone formations take the steep stone steps down to the bottom of the cove and take the path for a mile or so back to the village and your start point.